Serway & Jewett — Circular Motion and Other Applications of Newton's Laws: Problem 33

The pilot of an airplane executes a loop-the-loop maneuver in a vertical circle. The speed of the airplane is 300 mi/h at the top of the loop and 450 mi/h at the bottom, and the radius of the circle is 1 200 ft. (a) What is the pilot’s apparent weight at the lowest point if his true weight is 160 lb? (b) What is his apparent weight at the highest point? (c) What If? Describe how the pilot could experience weightlessness if both the radius and the speed can be varied. Note: His apparent weight is equal to the magnitude of the force exerted by the seat on his body.