FLYING LESSONS
- Thread starter BOB D.O.L.E
- Start date
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Megawatt - thanks for correcting me on those things - most of it was from memory 
The Comments on the Flight Sim. I still think its a good tool - especially for a training pilot. In the first basic instance to see how the plane reacts when controlling it and also getting a grasp of the rudder. Also reading the panel and getting to know your instuments. In the navigation bits of the course, I think it is also a good tool - even for dead reckoning if you use airfields as land marks.
I read Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook (Paperback) a while ago which gave me a great understading for the charactistics of flight and the weather etc. Obviously after 50 hours of flying most of it becomes second nature, but for the beginner it was a great help.
One thing I took from the book was about when controlling the plane that you sometimes need to do the complete opposite to what your instincts are telling you. For instance, when coming into land, if you are too high you would think that you would push the nose down to loose height.
In fact one way to get around the problem is to pull up! This basically reduces the aircrafts excess speed in the trade for a little height and you then find yourself falling faster without the speed gain. If you just pointed your nose down, you would find that the plane may get down - but you would be going too fast too land.
I'm sure Megawatt will inform us there are otherways of slowing the plane down (like side slipping) but you get my point
For practicing things like the above and playing around with the aircraft and navigation etc, I thinkg FS is a great aid to the modern training pilot It obviously doesn't replace the sit-of-your-pants real flying experiences though.
The Comments on the Flight Sim. I still think its a good tool - especially for a training pilot. In the first basic instance to see how the plane reacts when controlling it and also getting a grasp of the rudder. Also reading the panel and getting to know your instuments. In the navigation bits of the course, I think it is also a good tool - even for dead reckoning if you use airfields as land marks.
I read Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook (Paperback) a while ago which gave me a great understading for the charactistics of flight and the weather etc. Obviously after 50 hours of flying most of it becomes second nature, but for the beginner it was a great help.
One thing I took from the book was about when controlling the plane that you sometimes need to do the complete opposite to what your instincts are telling you. For instance, when coming into land, if you are too high you would think that you would push the nose down to loose height.
In fact one way to get around the problem is to pull up!
This basically reduces the aircrafts excess speed in the trade for a little height and you then find yourself falling faster without the speed gain. If you just pointed your nose down, you would find that the plane may get down - but you would be going too fast too land.I'm sure Megawatt will inform us there are otherways of slowing the plane down (like side slipping) but you get my point
For practicing things like the above and playing around with the aircraft and navigation etc, I thinkg FS is a great aid to the modern training pilot
It obviously doesn't replace the sit-of-your-pants real flying experiences though.During the approach the rate of descent of the aircraft is controlled by engine thrust whilst airpeed is controlled by attitude (in the main) but it is the combination of both which control your correct approach in terms of glidepath and speed (as they interact).
Don't forget also that you can only reduce airspeed so far and then, if you continue to hold up the nose, the aircraft would stall.
If I were too high on the approach I would reduce power initially which would cause my airspeed to fall as a consequence (as the aircraft's attitude hasn't changed) and I would then lower the nose to maintain the approach speed (say 75 mph in a light aircraft) ... In practice both of these things would happen simultaneously.
If you watch a pilot during the approach of a light aircraft there is always a hand on the control column and a hand on the throttle and both will be working together (aided by the feet on the rudder) to maintain a constant glide angle and constant airspeed in the correct direction ... This is the basis of the approach.
And yes sideslipping is a good technique for losing height quickly but shouldn't be required if you've got the approach right ... Popular with aircraft without flaps though such as the Pitts et al.
Sidelipping involves cross controlling the ailerons with the rudder i.e. right aileron + left rudder. This sets the aircraft up in an aerodynamic configuration which produces a lot of drag and thus loses height (quite rapidly actually).
Of course, if you happen to be flying a more grown up aircraft, there are other means of losing height ... Reduce thrust, point the nose down and throw out the speed brakes
MW
Don't forget also that you can only reduce airspeed so far and then, if you continue to hold up the nose, the aircraft would stall.
If I were too high on the approach I would reduce power initially which would cause my airspeed to fall as a consequence (as the aircraft's attitude hasn't changed) and I would then lower the nose to maintain the approach speed (say 75 mph in a light aircraft) ... In practice both of these things would happen simultaneously.
If you watch a pilot during the approach of a light aircraft there is always a hand on the control column and a hand on the throttle and both will be working together (aided by the feet on the rudder) to maintain a constant glide angle and constant airspeed in the correct direction ... This is the basis of the approach.
And yes sideslipping is a good technique for losing height quickly but shouldn't be required if you've got the approach right ... Popular with aircraft without flaps though such as the Pitts et al.
Sidelipping involves cross controlling the ailerons with the rudder i.e. right aileron + left rudder. This sets the aircraft up in an aerodynamic configuration which produces a lot of drag and thus loses height (quite rapidly actually).
Of course, if you happen to be flying a more grown up aircraft, there are other means of losing height ... Reduce thrust, point the nose down and throw out the speed brakes
MW
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Bob congratulates himself on his first landing...
