The three step you need to do when you initiate a climb is:
As the airplane increases its angle-of –attack, you need to add right rudder pressure to counter for the torque effect. Remember that torque effect is greatest when the airplane is in a condition where the angle-of-attack and power is high and airspeed is low.
Maintain a constant pitch and pick a visual reference point in front of the nose or cowling, whichever is comfortable to you, to maintain a constant airspeed during climb. Don’t stare at the airspeed indicator to maintain a constant speed. You could never maintain the recommended climb speed by keeping your eyes on the indicator while your nose is going up and down.
When turning the airplane while climbing, a shallow-bank turn is good enough to avoid penalty on your rate of climb. The greater the bank angle then the greater the load factor affecting the rate of climb of your airplane.
STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLIGHT
Straight and level flight is a simple maneuver – it’s altitude and heading management. To perform straight and level flight from climbs or descents, the 3 steps you need to do are:
1. Elevator. Bring the pitch attitude level on the horizon.
2. Power. Adjust power to the recommended cruise setting.
3. Trim. Trim the airplane to relieve elevator pressure.
As the airplane’s pitch attitude is leveled on the horizon, wait until the airspeed increases to its cruise speed before reducing power to cruise setting. It helps your airplane speed up smoothly compared to reducing power immediately and dragging the plane to pick-up speed slowly.
You may check the heading indicator or magnetic compass to ensure that you’re on the right heading and pick a visual reference point as a mark of your desired heading. This will aid you to fly straight and reduce the probability of being drifted sideways should there be any crosswind along the way to your intended point.
TURN
A turn is a combined maneuver between roll (ailerons), yaw (rudder), and pitch (elevator). The horizontal component of lift which acts sideward pulls the airplane inside the turn and opposed by centrifugal force. As the airplane rolls for example to the left, rudder must be used to bring the nose towards the direction of the turn. As the turn is established, elevator maintains the desired radius of the turn.
It’s important to remember that the proper coordination between the roll, yaw, and pitch is required to make the turn smooth. If ailerons is used to much during the maneuver, slipping turn will result. In the other hand, if rudder is used to much during the turn, then skidding will happen. If the pitch attitude is left behind below the horizon then you’ll be descending during the turn.
The three types of turns are shallow, medium, steep turns. The shallow turn is between 0-30 degrees of bank, medium 30-45 degree of bank, and steep turns 45-60 degrees of bank.
These are the 5 steps in turning the airplane.
1. Ailerons. Towards the intended direction.
2. Rudder. Simultaneously applied with ailerons.
3. Elevator. Adjust the pitch attitude.
4. Power. Applied during steep turns.
5. Trim. To relieve elevator pressure.
When the bank angle is established during the turn, the ailerons must be put back to neutral position. If the ailerons continued to deflect towards the direction of the turn then the airplane will continue to bank accordingly.
Rudder is applied simultaneously with ailerons to counter for adverse yaw during the initial turn. The amount of rudder pressure depends entirely on the bank angle.
Maintain visual contact with the horizon so you can judge whether your airplane is climbing or descending during the turn. You may scan your attitude indicator to check if you’re within the desired bank angle of the turn, check the turn coordinator if the inclinometer ball is on the center, check altimeter if you’re within the desired altitude.
If the turn is performed in a steeper mode, then more elevator pressure is required. Load factor increases as bank angle increases during the turn, therefore, additional angle-of-attack (lift) is required to compensate for the increase G’s. To recover from dives or descents during steep turns, reducing the bank angle and applying back elevator pressure slowly is the right thing to do to smoothly recover the airplane from a dive rather than pulling the yoke back tightening the turn plus increasing the load factor. Do not correct the airplane back to its original altitude immediately during the dive as it will result to a lower speed during the steep turn.
Before you reach your heading or reference point, gradually roll the airplane to the opposite direction of the turn using coordinated ailerons and rudder. A lead is required as not to over pass the intended point of recovery. Bring the airplane’s wings directly to a level position.
You may perform a 90, 180, 360, or 720 degrees turns with bank angle from 15 to 60 degrees.
DESCENT
Descent is somewhat the same with climbs however in an opposite direction. Although torque is no longer present due to lower power and low angle of attack.
These are the 3 steps in descending an airplane:
1. Elevator. Pitch down below the horizon.
2. Power. Reduce to descend power.
3. Trim. To adjust elevator pressure.
A descent may be performed with power (power-on descend) or idle (power-off descent). Pick a reference point and maintain the pitch attitude below the horizon. Check airspeed to maintain a constant airspeed during the descent. Power may be reduce more as the airplane gain more speed during the descend which brings the nose back to the horizon making your descend profile like a staircase. This can be avoided if the nose is constantly held, power is adjusted accordingly, and trim is properly adjust.
A carburetor heat may be applied if you’re flying an airplane with float-type carburetor. It’s important to include this on your checklist to avoid any icing that may develop inside the carburetor.
Once you master these maneuvers, it would be easy for you to progress to the next lesson – Steep Turns.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FLIGHT TRAINING.
If you’re a pilot wannabe, I recommend reading “The Student Pilot’s Flight Manual”, written by William K. Kershner. There are plenty of training materials out there and everything is good but this one is the best.
If you’re a flight instructor teaching pilot trainees, I recommend reading “The Flight Instructor Manual”, written by William K. Kershner. There are plenty of training materials out there and everything is good but this one is the best.
