ASAP Axis Blog

Both aircraft spoilers and speed brakes are important for a safe, controlled landing of an aircraft. Often, these two parts may be confused for each other for their operation as they are both utilized during landing procedures, despite both having different functionalities. As both component types are important for safe handling of an aircraft, it is important to be aware of their distinct operations. In this blog, we will discuss what aircraft spoilers and speed brakes are, and how they help an aircraft safely land.   

The aircraft engine is a complex system that provides for the propulsion and flight generation of an aircraft. During operation, there may be a great amount of engine system components that undergo heavy use, generating intense heat and causing friction through rubbing and sliding against each other. To mitigate the damaging effects that this can all cause, engines utilize an aircraft lubrication system.

Aircraft radio and communication systems may seem like part of the everyday normal in a pilot’s life, but if you take a few moments to reflect on what and how much they can be used for (eg. calling ground personnel for help) it's quite amazing to see how far the aviation world has come. Imagine a modern world where these communications systems did not exist. How can a pilot call for help when flying in foggy conditions? What can be done if there is no more room in the runway and you need to land fast? These are all scenarios in which an aircraft communication system comes in handy, as, prior to the invention of radio communication, a pilot would have to communicate with ground personnel (aka their friend on the ground) by waving their aircraft wing in a certain direction or by rapid tail deflection. In this article, we will look at the changing state of aircraft communication technology and how the parts meld into play.

Most people are familiar with a vehicle’s autopilot system, as it’s a system that most people can try out for themselves with their cars. In motor vehicles, the autopilot system is designed so that the car can proceed in driving and steering without the promptings of the driver. What some people might not be familiar with is that aircraft and even some boats also have this in place. The thought that something that travels so far up in the sky has an autopilot system may cause a double take for some people, but the aviation autopilot system is a safe system that pilots have been trained to utilize responsibly.

Latches are a highly critical component of any aircraft. For instance, when an aircraft is at cruising altitude, doors and other openings must be sealed and totally secure. Beyond this, latches have many different types and applications throughout an aircraft, appearing in the radome, engine nacelle, auxiliary power unit doors, and more. There are four main manufacturers that produce five main types of latches found on aircraft. The major manufacturers are Arconic Fastening Systems, Lisi Aerospace, Hartwell Corporation, and Avibank Manufacturing. The main latches they produce include shear pin latches, shear/tension latches, channel latches, pressure relief latches, and hook latches. This blog will explain each type and provide some insight into their applications.

When learning to fly aircraft and helicopters, there is nothing better than using a flight simulator. From the 1930’s Blue Box, all the way to free and paid mobile apps, the ability to simulate flight has improved tremendously over the years. Simulators can allow for aspiring or operating pilots to practice a multitude of aircraft types, scenarios, and more without having to utilize an actual aircraft. Simulators are now even able to replicate most functions of an aircraft and external factors to allow for the practice of flying, design of aircraft, and even investigations of aviation accidents.

In aviation terms, a navigational aid, or a navaid, is a physical device on the ground that airplanes can detect and fly towards. This can be any type of object including a lighthouse, day beacons, fog signals, buoys, etc. It can also mean any item that pilots use to help find their coordination such as GPS systems, global navigation systems and other types of navigational aids. For a basic description on read on below:

Aircraft fasteners are a critical part of assembling just about any type of machinery. But most fasteners, such as screws, nuts, and bolts, have a key weakness: they require access to both sides of the material being fastened. Rivets, for instance, require that a riveting hammer be placed on one side, and a bucking bar on the other to hold the rivet in place while it is hammered into a secure position. Blind rivets, however, have no such weakness, and can be installed when you don’t have access to or can’t see the back side of the item being riveted.

Before aspiring pilots can step foot into an aircraft cockpit and become a full time pilot, they must first undergo hours in a flight simulator. An aircraft flight simulator is a simulation of the real life experience that a pilot will have when operating a plane. Containing every situation possible, from hitting birds to bad weather, the flight simulator is designed to train and prepare fledgling pilots for any type of scenario, both mild and consequential. Read on below for information of the different types of flight simulators there are available for pilots.

Maintaining and improving safety is a constant challenge in aviation. With hundreds of thousands of people on flights around the world every day, it is more important than ever to keep aircraft flying safely from takeoff to landing. In this blog, we’ll review the aircraft safety and rescue equipment that are making flight safer than ever.