In April’s article, “Using Ground Effect,” you gave a reasonable explanation of it. In May, reader Dave Simpson wanted to correct your “error” and wrote, “Ground effect is almost exclusively caused by reduction of induced drag” and that reducing induced drag allows “us to fly with reduced angle of attack to maintain lift when flying close to the ground.” That’s nice, but what causes reduced induced drag when in ground effect? I think that Mr. Simpson has it backward and your article was correct.
The article clarifies two aviation principles: asserting that reduced induced drag in ground effect is a result, not the primary cause, and that an airplane's turn requires both horizontal lift and the horizontal stabilizer's effect.
A reader criticizes the editor for using the magazine to express political views regarding an FAA shutdown and two U.S. Representatives, accusing the editor of hypocrisy; the editor defends this as within the scope of sharing opinions in the Editor's Log to support aviation safety objectives.
In April’s article, “Using Ground Effect,” you gave a reasonable explanation of it. In May, reader Dave Simpson wanted to correct your “error” and wrote, “Ground effect is almost exclusively caused by reduction of induced drag” and that reducing induced drag allows “us to fly with reduced angle of attack to maintain lift when flying close to the ground.”
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