One of the reasons people become pilots is we like the idea of going fast. As children with a Radio Flyer wagon at the top of a hill, we learn very early going fast can be fun but also has some associated dangers, usually summarized as “going too fast.” Even though were older, presumably wiser and flying what might be the latest airframe with all the whiz-bang gadgetry in it we can afford, theres 288
Slow Down, You Move Too Fast
One of the reasons people become pilots is we like the idea of going fast. As children with a Radio Flyer wagon at the top of a hill, we learn very early going fast can be fun but also has some associated dangers, usually summarized as "going too fast." Even though were older, presumably wiser and flying what might be the latest airframe with all the whiz-bang gadgetry in it we can afford, theres still such a thing as going too fast. Once the aircraft leaves the surface, using visual cues to determine the speed at which we are moving through the air isnt possible. Even while on the runway, if there is any surface wind, pilots know airspeed can be substantially different than the speed we appear to be moving.
Key Takeaways:
- Exceeding critical airspeeds, such as the design maneuvering speed (VA) and never exceed speed (VNE), can lead to catastrophic structural failure, primarily due to a violent oscillation known as "flutter."
- The aircraft's airspeed indicator measures dynamic pressure, not true airspeed. Importantly, VNE is a *true airspeed* limit, meaning the redline displayed on the indicator is only accurate at sea level in standard conditions.
- At higher altitudes, a given indicated airspeed corresponds to a significantly greater true airspeed. Therefore, the *safe indicated airspeed limit* corresponding to the true VNE decreases substantially with increasing altitude, requiring pilots to calculate and adhere to these altitude-adjusted limits.
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