ABSTRACT
This chapter explores types of aircraft and how they are designed, built, and maintained. Aircraft is a general term used to describe a wide range of flying machines. Aircraft in the lighter-than-air category are easy to recognize. The main difference between balloons and blimps is that balloons have no directional control and travel with the wind, while blimps are powered and have control surfaces, which allow the pilot to steer the aircraft. Airworthy refers to an aircraft that is considered structurally safe to fly. Professionals entering the aviation industry should have a basic understanding of how aircraft fly, including the structures that allow them to be controlled while airborne and their means of producing power. Drag is the force that works against an aircraft moving through the air. Drag occurs when the surfaces of an aircraft come into contact with the air, resulting in friction.
