Definition
External conditions outside the airplane that influence its flight path or handling, including weather phenomena such as turbulence, wind shear, icing, thunderstorm activity, mountain wave, and wake turbulence from other aircraft. In the context of unusual attitudes and upsets, environmental factors are causes of unintended deviation from the intended flight path that originate from the atmosphere or surrounding airspace rather than from the pilot or the airplane's systems.
Plain English
Things in the air around the airplane — like rough air, strong wind changes, ice, or the disturbed air left behind by another aircraft — that can push the airplane off its intended path.
Context Anchor
In this chapter, the term appears in the discussion of unusual attitudes and upsets, where outside conditions can help cause or worsen a loss of normal airplane position.
Derivation
Environmental comes from words meaning “surrounding.” Factor comes from a Latin word meaning “maker” or “doer.” Together, environmental factors are the surrounding conditions that help produce an effect on the flight.
Why Pilots Care
Recognizing these allows pilots to anticipate conditions that may require prompt corrective action to maintain control.
Grounding Statement
Picture flying straight and level when a patch of rough air suddenly rolls the wings without any pilot input.
Intuition Check
Do not read environmental here as only meaning nature, pollution, or climate. In flying, it means the immediate outside conditions around the airplane that can affect the flight.
Example Sentence 1
The flight instructor explained that environmental factors such as wake turbulence and mountain wave can place an airplane in an unusual attitude before the pilot has time to react.
Example Sentence 2
Training highlighted how environmental factors like wind shear can suddenly change the aircraft's attitude.