Teaching airplane flight performance and design from a pilots perspective

The challenge with teaching engineering students the various aspects of airplane performance is getting them to fully understand the fundamental importance of the airplane performance parameters as it relates to flying. Topics such as airplane performance while gliding, climbing, level flight, turning, flight takeoff and landing distances, range and endurance are subjects that students struggle to fully appreciate and understand. And although most textbooks cover these topics they are covered from an engineering analysis perspective not a pilot’s perspective. In this course the topics are taught as a pilot would use the performance parameter while planning for a typical commercial cross country trip, from pre-flight items, take-off, climbing, turns, level flight, descending and finally landing. The engineering performance analysis of aircrafts are analyzed as well as calculation of vehicle performance. The unique pedagogy in this engineering course is truly a hands-on experience. During the course, each student is given the opportunity to experience first-hand these parameters in flight as a student pilot in a PA-28-200 Piper Arrow or a PA-28-181 Piper Archer which are typical general aviation aircraft. Teaching the course from a pilot’s perspective engages the students at a level that really peaks their interest and significantly improves their understanding and test scores in topics such as take-off performance, nature of stalls, load factors in turns, etc.