Drone Pilot Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Test Prep Guide

The load factor on a fixed-wing airplane is defined as the ratio of lift generated by the wings to the weight of the aircraft. When the aircraft is flying straight and level, the load factor is 1, meaning the lift equals the weight. However, during maneuvers, this ratio changes.

In a level turn, the load factor increases due to the need for additional lift to counteract the effects of centripetal force as the aircraft changes direction. When an aircraft turns, it tilts its wings, and to maintain altitude while banking, the wings must produce more lift to support both the weight of the airplane and the additional force acting outward due to the turn. This results in a higher load factor, which could be expressed as a multiple of the aircraft's weight.

This increase in load factor is a crucial consideration for pilots because it affects the stall speed of the aircraft and the structural limits of the airframe. Other situations like descending flight, horizontal flight, and accelerated climb create different aerodynamic conditions that do not inherently increase the load factor to the same extent as a level turn does. In fact, during a descent or horizontal flight, the load factor remains around 1 unless additional maneuvers are executed. Similarly, while climbing,