Parts of the airplane

Most airplanes share five major components: the fuselage, the wings, the empennage (tail), the landing gear and the powerplant.

Fuselage

The central body that holds the cockpit, the occupants and baggage. The firewall separates the cabin from the engine compartment.

Wings

The wings make lift. Trainers like the Cessna 172 are high-wing (wing on top, braced by struts), which gives a great view of the ground and shade on the ramp. Pipers like the Archer are low-wing, which gives a better view above and in turns. The wings also hold the fuel tanks in most trainers, plus the ailerons and flaps on the trailing edge.

Empennage

The tail section: the vertical stabilizer with the rudder, and the horizontal stabilizer with the elevator. Some airplanes (like the Piper Archer) use a stabilator, a one-piece horizontal tail that moves as a unit. Trim tabs on these surfaces take pressure off the controls.

Landing gear

Most trainers have tricycle gear: two main wheels and a nose wheel, which is easier to handle on the ground. Conventional gear ("taildraggers") has a tailwheel instead, and needs extra training and a tailwheel endorsement to fly as pilot in command.

Powerplant

The engine and propeller. In a trainer, it's usually a four-cylinder, air-cooled piston engine turning a fixed-pitch propeller. Unit 4 covers how it works.