Bernoulli and his principle!
Well, a few days have passed since the last post and I've been using that time wisely.
Firstly, I've signed up or the free Met Office aviation weather service. This I've found pretty useful as I've been able to sit and decode TAF's and METAR's and get used to reading aviation weather. Also, it appears to be an awful lot more accurate than what gets broadcast on the news!
Secondly I've been reading the Microlight Pilots Handbook. This is the book I was sold and it seems pretty in depth. However the first chapter on the first two read throughs confused the life out of me. I always thought that lift on a plane was generated by air going under the wing. Now while this appears to be correct in part the bit that threw me and I just couldn't seem to grasp was that you need air to travel over the top of the wing too.
My theory was that any air travelling over the top of a wing would provide pressure on the wing and thus create weight that the air underneath would have to exceed to generate lift.
I now know I'm wrong. What I hadn't banked on was Bernoulli's principle, and boy did it take some understanding. Apparently this is why I didn't do Physics at school. However with much thought, reasoning and communication with a pilot (via my mum as she happens to work with one) I now pretty much understand it. Phew!
The next hurdle however is drag. I assumed that drag was just drag. But again oh no, there are according to the book 2 types. Induced and Parasite. Looks like I've some more reading to do yet as I still don't quite understand it all.
I never thought that this would be an easy ride but I didn't think the theory would be this hard. All this and I haven't even taken off for the first lesson yet!!
Talking of lessons, the weather is looking good for Friday at the moment so I should hopefully get up in the air. I did text the instructor yesterday and confirm which syllabus exercise I'd be covering so I could read up before hand. I've read the info and it's just made me even more keen to go flying.
Is it always this addictive??