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Believe it or not, flight simulators have been around for nearly 100 years. The first flight simulator was invented in 1927 by pilot and flight instructor Ed Link to imitate the feeling of flight in order to practice instrument skills while safely on the ground. Since the invention of his machine, the Link Trainer, flight simulators have markedly improved. Modern simulators are hyper-realistic, ranging from fully enclosed devices to smartphone apps to virtual reality. There has never been a better time for flight simulation technology, and here are five reasons why every pilot, novice or expert, should be taking advantage of it.

Auxiliary power units are engines, motors, and power units that provide vehicles with energy for functions other than propulsion. They are used in larger vehicles, such as aircraft, marine vessels, and some larger land vehicles to perform tasks such as starting main engines, heating motor blocks, and charging batteries. They can provide power in electric, pneumatic, and hydraulic forms.

While functionally and chemically similar to the gas used in automobiles, aviation fuel is  different in several important ways. Like gasoline, aviation fuel used by aircraft is made up of numerous different hydrocarbons. The longer the hydrocarbons are and the higher the molecular weight of these compounds, the more chemical parameters such as melting point or smoke point differ. Gasoline, for instance, typically has seven to eleven carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached, while aviation fuel ranges from twelve to fifteen carbon atoms with attached hydrogen atoms. These chemical parameters can have an enormous influence on the quality of the fuel, with one of the most important for quality control being the viscosity.

The FAA is responsible for noise reduction policies. The FAA program, The Continuous Lower Energy Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) encourages the creation of aircraft noise reducing equipment. The program aims to achieve environmentally friendly goals for newer aircraft models, and also encourages the retrofitting of older aircraft.  

When frigid cold weather occurs, most headlines suggest that below freezing temperatures result in grounded flights. You might be surprised to hear that aircraft actually run more efficiently in relatively cold weather—here’s why.

The atmospheric conditions at the typical cruising altitude of an airliner are not at all suitable for humans. Cabins are pressurized to regulate air density at those altitudes, but what protects us from the cold? At 30,000 ft., the air temperature may be approximately -47.83 ?. Imagine flying through the sky at that temperature without a cabin or a heating system. It would not work out well. There are several systems utilized by an aircraft that provide heat to the cabin.

As the winter season begins, it’s important to know how to preheat your plane. But first, you might ask, when should one preheat their airplane? Most experts say when the temperature hits below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, it's usually a good idea to preheat. But, if the temperature drops below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, you should definitely preheat. Preheating is essential to maintaining your aircraft, especially considering the parts for aircraft are very expensive— it is best to prevent unnecessary damage and fatigue. Airplane maintenance professionals say starting up a cold aircraft engine without preheating can cause up to 500 hours of wear on the piston.

If you’ve ever seen the back end of an airplane, you’ve probably noticed what looks like a large black dot or hole at the end of the fuselage. It’s the exhaust pipe for the small “extra” jet engine known as the APU. But what is an APU?

Imagine flying a plane, not just being a passenger, but actively flying an aircraft 35,000 ft in the sky. For a lot of people, that would be a dream-come-true. Unfortunately, most of us will never actually get the chance, but we can simulate it. Aircraft simulators, or flight simulators, are anything that can replicate and reproduce the experience of flying an aircraft, from games to full-sized cockpits mounted on hydraulic actuators.

Aviation inspection is very important as a preventable measure for minimizing potential problems. The inspection process eliminates the possibility of human error on the aircraft parts and components. Regular inspections include manual checks and visual examinations to determine the conditions of the components and aircraft parts. Maintaining the aircraft is critical to avoid any kind of failures that could be hazardous in causing an accident. The FAA, Federal Aviation Administration states regular inspecting acts as a preventative measure for maintaining and assuring “airworthiness”. The value of regularly inspecting provides a reduction in possible malfunctions, human error and operating failure because it detects minor defects and depletion at an early stage. This allows for the maintenance team to keep proper records logged to retain any history of issues that have occurred or may arise. There is also a very detailed preflight inspection which depends on aircraft and operations being conducted, this final inspection acts as a last-minute check prior to aircraft flying. In most cases, calendar inspections are common however inspections based on flight hours for scheduling is preferred.