Within a modern aircraft, pilots take advantage of numerous instruments and systems to obtain the information and readings necessary to carry out safe flight operations. Among all tools that are at one’s disposal in the cockpit, one item that often goes overlooked for its importance is the magnetic compass. This instrument provides crews with a simple and reliable means of obtaining crucial directional information during flight, allowing it to remain a staple of design, even in glass cockpits. To answer some of the biggest questions surrounding magnetic compasses in the context of aviation, read on as we discuss them in more detail.

Aircraft elevators are an essential component of an airplane's flight control system. In this blog, we will explore the fundamentals of aircraft elevators, their operational principles, and their importance in maintaining safe and efficient flight.

In aviation, landing gear is critical in ensuring safe takeoffs and landings. This system is not only responsible for supporting the aircraft's weight during ground operations, but also for absorbing the impact faced during touchdown and rollout. The landing gear system consists of various safety devices and features that work together to ensure the stability of the aircraft throughout the landing process, and we will discuss the most common safety elements in this blog.

Operating an aircraft is an exciting feat; however, one must take many factors into consideration to ensure long term success during all of your flights. Aircraft comprise a vast collection of parts, all of which must be properly maintained with various different handling methods. That being said, this blog will focus on aircraft tires in particular, as well as their types and handling methods, so you may form a better understanding of this integral part of aircraft maintenance. Of course, optimum performance is only achieved when all aspects of flight are tended to with equal attention, and aircraft tires are merely another vital part of safe air travel.

Whether one is working with an aircraft, automobile, or other vehicle type, such assemblies regularly consist of a large number of fastener types that keep them together with ease. Depending on the structure in question and its particular needs, various types of fastener may be used. For example, the fasteners relied on for securing skins sections on an aircraft fuselage are different from those used to assemble a seat, making it important that one is familiar with the various types of hardware they may have to work with if they ever seek to conduct maintenance or repair. In this blog, we will discuss some of the most common fastener types found on various vehicles, helping you expand your knowledge and preparedness.

Automotive vehicles have numerous qualities that contribute to their performance and efficiency. Among these are the tires, brakes, suspension, engine, and fuel system. The fuel system, in particular, is a key element in maintaining the power output of the vehicle. Over the years, the automotive fuel system has changed drastically, moving from simple carburetors to sensitive electric fuel pumps. These modern systems mostly rely upon injection to deliver fuel to the engine, which may be facilitated through one of several methods. In this blog, we will discuss the fuel rail, which is a high-performance direct fuel injection system that provides several benefits over other designs.

When discussing the rotation of a moving yacht or aircraft around a vertical axis, one is referring to yaw. A yaw rotation is a motion around the vertical axis of a fixed body that alters the direction of the vehicle, adjusting its heading to the left or right of its current path of movement. The yaw speed or yaw acceleration of a car, airplane, rocket, or other fixed body is the angular acceleration of this rotation or the rate of transformation of the heading angle when the airplane is flying. Its measure is commonly presented in degrees per second or radians per second.

Have you ever wondered about the meaning behind the different colored runway lights at an airport? These lights play a crucial role in flight safety and are thus heavily regulated. In fact, every airport supporting takeoff and landing operations is required to have an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) approved lighting system. In this blog, we will discuss the various types of runway lights and how they contribute to the safety of aircraft takeoff, landing, and towing operations.

Aircraft brakes must be capable of generating enormous amounts of friction to stop a vehicle in motion. Relied on for ground operations, landing, and emergency stops, aircraft brakes work synonymously with various braking equipment to successfully bring an aircraft to a stop. Creating high amounts of energy upon takeoff, modern aircraft require brakes with the ability to withstand stopping at high speeds when an emergency halt is imminent. To ensure all forces can be withstood during braking, it is essential that aircraft use single, dual, or multiple disc brakes for optimal results depending on an aircraft's size and shape.

In the realm of electronics, a choke is a type of inductor that may be implemented for the means of managing the flow of current. Generally, such devices are capable of blocking high-frequency alternating currents while permitting the flow of both direct current and lower-frequency alternating current. In this blog, we will discuss the construction and functionality of chokes, allowing you to better understand their uses and functionalities. In general, a choke consists of an insulated wire coil that is wound around a magnetic core, though other types may take advantage of a ferrite material that is strung on a wire. As frequency increases, so too does the impedance of the device. Despite featuring low power loss in regard to passing AC and DC, the reactance of chokes limit the amount of AC that they may transmit.