Copy

Issue 160
February 2021

 

MAKE YOUR INSTRUCTOR SMILE !

Hi, just a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in aviation. You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive emails  Link below.
NOTE: I’m firstly a Recreational Pilot. I have had some wonderful experiences as a pilot and in recent years as an RAAus Senior Flying Instructor. I’m sharing my experiences. Content can be of my own or in part may be from other sources. Do not use my content for flight instruction. Please consult a qualified flight instructor in your area.
Fly safe.


Spread the love. If you know of fellow pilots who might enjoy my bi-monthly ramblings then please ask them to subscribe. Its free and I'll never share email addresses.Click to SUBSCRIBE HERE
I've been fortunate to have influenced a large number of student pilots into becoming great pilots.... and like all pursuits there are those who will be great, good or not so good.

But today I wanted to concentrate on several aspects of training that will I trust put a smile on your instructor’s face. We are human after all.. yes we can be gods as well but that's not our aim.

First one ..RELAX. We see this so often. If you persist with the death grip on the control column, you will never be really in touch with the aircraft. The death grip as we call it, inhibits greatly your ability to actually control the inputs required for a smooth operation. Imagine driving a car whilst jerking the steering wheel backwards and forwards. An accident waiting to happen. And so, it is with the control column. RELAX is the keyword. No amount of tight grip will, in anyway, make it better. I always imagine having a small bird trapped between my fingers and the column. The death grip will by its nature inhibit your ability to feel the aircraft and you will not use the trim as it was intended...to make your control easier. A light grip will give you the "feel" that's needed. That's the pressure that's required. This is a good trick to help you relax your grip. Thread a pen through your fingers and then use the control. It will change your habit very quickly.

So do that and your instructor will be VERY happy.

Second.   Climbing after your climb level has been reached. We see this frequently.  Say you decided to level off at 2500. Too many students level off with too much power left in. And if you recall ground-school theory, power (throttle) gives us LOTS of lift. Hence, we climb. The aircraft will naturally seek the airspeed its trimmed for. So how do we achieve that. Well firstly you need to always remember APT. Attitude, What is that? The attitude is the view that you have established that should be your "normal" straight and level. But if we get the attitude right what do we have still working for us...power. Power gives us lift which gives us height. So next reduce the power setting to your aircraft established "cruise" setting.... in my aircraft that's 2800 revs. Don't reduce the power to cruise power until you have established your cruise speed. So, last, we need to adjust the trim. the trim (the poor man’s autopilot) should then be adjusted to "hold" that attitude that you established as straight and level. I see far too many pilots who use the trim to set the attitude. That works against what we want to achieve. The trim should be set ONCE the straight and level attitude is established. I can hear your instructor smiling again.


NEXT: Controlling the left tending tendencies of your aircraft on take-off. A very common error. So what’s wrong if you wander off to the left? Well firstly we want pilots to have pride in their work. Sloppy control can and will bite. Just because you have access to a wide runway, what will happen if you take-off on a narrow one. 5 seconds and you are off the runway, through the grass, and into runway marker cones and lights. Your instructor will not be at all happy.

So understanding the why the tendency is to pull left you need to go back to the ground theory involved. There are three main forces at work to do this.
TORQUE
Imagine if you will that you were of super strength. That you could walk up to a spinning prop, grab the blades and lift the aircraft into the air. What happens as you hold that prop still. The aircraft would be spinning around in your hand...right. So that's the force that we need to control. Yes, we are grounded but the pulling tendency remains...to the left.

GYROSCOPIC PRECESSION... This is another force being applied as we are pulled down the runway by the propeller.  That torque is actually pulling the left main wheel "down" by applying a large force. As you start to roll, that torque pushes left and thereby pulls the aircraft left. Aircraft engineers also offset the engine just a little to the right to reduce that torque effect.  Rather than try and explain I recommend you watch this short video for a simple understanding of a complex topic.



The next left turning components is ...The P factor. Once again, I can say quite simply that it’s just that one side of the two blades is grabbing a larger slice of air as it rotates as you pitch up on take-off. That's true.  But to understand it fully you need to watch this link.


Finally - the Spiraling Slipstream  ..The slipstream of the propeller (the air that is pushed towards the tail-plane of the aircraft) is not a smooth cylinder of air. Rather, it is a spiral that can actually wrap around the fuselage of the aircraft. Some of this spiral ends when  it strikes the vertical stabiliser, Obviously this striking force on a flat surface creates a notable pressure/force, which yet again causes the left turning tendencies.

So next time you have your instructor alongside you in the air, I trust that you will use this information and ensure he/she has a bright smile on their face. Make them proud. I'd appreciate your feedback and maybe even suggest other things that will bring a smile to an instructors face. Sometimes we need it!!!


Till next time...fly safe and ....   A helicopter is a collection of rotating parts going round and round and reciprocating parts going up and down - all of them trying to become random in motion

Cheers

 Ian McDonald

PS - do you have any questions or points of interest you'd like me to discuss or investigate. Drop me a note.
PS if at anytime you don't want to receive this email then please use the unsubscribe link.
 







This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
Vision10conversions · Rostrevor · Rostrevor, SA 5073 · Australia

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp