Slips and Skids

Slips and Skids

Why is there such a difference between a slip and a skid? In both scenarios, the airplane is in uncoordinated flight — in other words, the relative wind is not aligned with the airplane’s fuselage. The fuselage will be producing an aerodynamic force as a result of the sideslip angle (designated by the Greek letter), and it is this aerodynamic force that makes the ball in the inclinometer come off center. If both slips and skids are conditions of uncoordinated flight, are they both equally dangerous? While we try to avoid uncoordinated flight in general, we practice one of these two during flight training. It is also used for crosswind correction during landing. The other one, however, we should always avoid. Which one is worse — a slip or a skid?

This presentation will show the aerodynamic differences between slips and skids and the importance of teaching and understanding these variances to prevent loss of control in flight, especially during the base to final turn.

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