Environment factors that affect aircraft performance

 Environment factors that affect aircraft performance

    Weather is one of the most influential factors that can affect an aircraft's performance.  The temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure, among others, can all have an effect on how an aircraft will fly.  For this blog, I will be focusing on atmospheric pressure and its effects on aircraft performance.

    Atmospheric pressure is one of the basic factors in weather changes and helps provide lift to the aircraft.  The atmospheric pressure changes at different elevations and temperatures.  At higher altitudes, the pressure of the air becomes less dense, which has a major effect on the aircraft.  This can cause less power to be produced in the engines since they take in less air.  Also, the loss of thrust, because less power in the engines equals less thrust.  It reduces life, since the air is thinner, it exerts less force on the airfoils.  To help combat the loss of thrust, power, and lift, most aircraft have superchargers and turbocharges in place to help condense the air to a more optimum density.

References

Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge Chapter 11. (2016, August 24). Faa.Gov. https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/