June 28, 2013, issue of 'AOPA ePilot: Flight Training Edition' weekly newsletter
| |||||
|
Constant bank, changing pressures |
|||||
Training TipsConstant bank, changing pressures
In a mock oral exam, the CFI asks, “What is a key difference between the straight-ahead power-on stalls we performed today and the power-on stalls we performed in turning flight?”
The checkride applicant replies, “Maintaining the bank angle of 20 degrees was a challenge during the turning stall entries. The necessary control pressures kept changing. Not just bank, but the pitch and rudder inputs, too!”
What was going on?
Find the explanation in Chapter 4 of the Airplane Flying Handbook; it’s cited as a reference for the maneuver in the Private Pilot Practical Test Standards.
During the approach to a power-on turning stall, the pilot must control both an overbanking tendency and a tendency toward lower pitch while maintaining “the pitch attitude that will induce a stall,” as required for the PTS task.
With the aircraft established in a nose-high turning attitude, “the angle of bank has a tendency to increase,” explains the chapter. “This occurs because with the airspeed decreasing, the airplane begins flying in a smaller and smaller arc. Since the outer wing is moving in a larger radius and traveling faster than the inner wing, it has more lift and causes an overbanking tendency.”
As for pitch: “At the same time, because of the decreasing airspeed and lift on both wings, the pitch attitude tends to lower.”
The busy pilot must control another effect as well: “In addition, since the airspeed is decreasing while the power setting remains constant, the effect of torque becomes more prominent, causing the airplane to yaw.”
All that explains why constantly changing control pressures are needed to perform a maneuver that uses a single, specified bank angle “not to exceed 20 degrees, ±10 degrees.”
And here’s a follow-up tip for a smooth turning stall entry and recovery: When the stall occurs, remember during your recovery to ease off on those aggressive control pressures; they won’t be needed for control when induced drag decreases with the lower angle of attack, and flight control responsiveness returns! Flight Training NewsMichigan high school program promotes GAHowell, Mich.-based Crosswinds Aviation is hoping that a program it's doing with Howell High School and the local EAA Young Eagles chapter will help get more youths interested in general aviation. Crosswinds and the high school hosted a Young Eagles event June 4 for students participating in the aviation ground school course starting at the high school in the fall. Read more >> Two weeks to triumphEight teenagers got down to business during a two-week odyssey helping to build two Glasair kit airplanes. The teens, who attend high schools in Michigan and Minnesota, arrived in Arlington, Wash., on June 16 after winning an aircraft design competition sponsored by Build A Plane and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. They spent two weeks at the Glasair factory in Arlington, working alongside mentors and company representatives who shepherded them through Glasair’s Two Weeks to Taxi program. Read more >> How can you get the most out of your flight training?Staying on track and keeping motivated are key components of a good flight training experience. How do you achieve and maintain that momentum? Join Flight Training Editor Ian J. Twombly and Technical Editor Jill W. Tallman for the July Facebook chat at 3 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, July 2. Guest chatter will be Flight Training Contributing Editor Jamie Beckett, who writes frequently about the state of general aviation. As always, we welcome other questions about flight training. Go here to set an email reminder or view transcripts of previous chats. Tuskegee Airmen help Atlanta minority student pilot training programA new aviation training program targeting minority students in Atlanta is getting a helping hand from some of the original Tuskegee Airmen, reports WSB-TV. The aviation legends, in partnership with their local chapter and Delta Air Lines, are working with 30 students to give them hands-on training and expose them to different aviation careers. Air Safety Institute soars past 8,000 ‘likes’Become an air safety activist and join the ever-expanding Air Safety Institute Facebook fan page. Over the past year, the Air Safety Institute Facebook community has more than doubled in size thanks to the support from pilots like you. By “liking” the page, you can learn more about new Air Safety Institute products as soon as they are released, submit suggestions for improvement directly to the institute, and connect and discuss safety-related topics with pilots from around the world. “Like” today >> Company proposes travel/flight training programThe principals of San Francisco-based Visionary Airlines hope they can get funds via an Indiegogo fundraising campaign to create the Flight Training Adventure, which will allow students to travel within California while logging time toward a private pilot certificate. Those who contribute can earn special perks, including flights around San Francisco Bay or to Yosemite National Park. Leaving the nestAs pilots, the world is our backyard, and long-distance travels can be completed with relative ease. But we also live in a world with borders. Thus, there is the potential for long waits for general aviation pilots to receive clearance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The electronic Advance Passenger Information System, or eAPIS, is available to speed your way through the process. It is not only a good idea—it is the law. Learn more about this system, and how to use it when you travel abroad, by taking the Air Safety Institute’s Understanding eAPIS: A Pilot’s Guide to Customs Reporting online course. Log in and take the course >> Training ResourcesAir Safety Institute offers airport markings flash cardsThese flash cards, prepared by the Air Safety Institute, are a handy way to learn the meanings of airport surface markings. What may look like randomly striped lines on taxiways and runways actually convey critical safety information to pilots, communicating where they can and cannot go. Download the cards >>
Did you know that student pilots who join AOPA are three times more likely to complete their flight training? Membership includes unlimited access to aviation information by phone (800/USA-AOPA, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time) or from Flight Training Online or AOPA Online. If you’re not already a member, join today and get the pilot’s edge. Login information is available online.
Behind the scenes of ‘Planes,’ remembering a wing walkerWatch an exclusive interview with the director of the new Disney film Planes. AOPA continues to press U.S. Customs and Border Protection about pilot stops and aircraft searches. What you should drink and eat while flying, according to Dr. Jonathan Sackier. And remembering wing walker Jane Wicker, who was killed during a performance June 22. AOPA Live This Week, June 27 >> Career PilotFlorida Tech and Copa Airlines join for flight trainingThe Florida Institute of Technology College of Aeronautics is now associated with the Latin American Academy for Superior Aviation, a nonprofit institution sponsored by Panama flag carrier Copa Airlines. Under the deal, Florida Tech will provide pilot training and management oversight for the new school through its flight training arm, FIT Aviation. Training, already begun with an initial 40 students from Panama and elsewhere in Latin America, supports Florida Tech’s ongoing program in Panama to offer aviation degrees. FedEx shedding thirsty jetsWith the economy not growing as quickly as forecast, FedEx Corp.—which is undergoing a $1.7 billion restructuring—will accelerate plans to retire 86 older, inefficient aircraft, Bloomberg reported June 4. The carrier is retiring five Airbus A310s and five McDonnell Douglas MD-10s immediately, and will accelerate the scheduled retirements of 60 MD-10s and 16 A310s. FedEx has ordered 70 new Boeing 777 and 767 jets, and said in March it would buy 14 used 757s from United Continental Holdings—a number that could increase.
For more aviation career news, see the Flight Training website. Plane SpotterThe airplane from another Galaxy
Training ProductsPrivate pilot handbook on saleDyer’s Ground School Workbook for Private Pilots is on sale for $31.50 at PilotMall.com. The workbook provides students with a set of exercises and study questions matched chapter by chapter to the FAA’s Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. Student pilots would use the workbook in conjunction with their ground or flight training to better understand the ground school material. Study guide on severe weather flyingThe book Severe Weather Flying, by Dennis Newton, describes how to anticipate hazardous weather conditions, avoid them in flight, and get out of them when encountered. The book costs $17.50.
Note: Products listed have not been evaluated by ePilot editors unless otherwise noted. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors. Member BenefitsAre you really good to go if it doesn’t say so?The “it” in the title refers to aircraft maintenance records. FAR 91.403(a) says the owner or operator of an aircraft is primarily responsible for maintaining that aircraft in an airworthy condition. FAR 91.405(b) essentially says that the owner or operator shall ensure that maintenance personnel make appropriate entries in the aircraft maintenance records indicating the aircraft has been approved for return to service following the performance of required maintenance. Log in to read more >> Obtaining quotes to insure your aircraftA little trick of the trade is that when requesting quotes, you should never rely solely on the application to present your information. A follow-up phone call with the insurance broker is the best method for getting the best coverage, particularly if you’re a new pilot, insuring a new type of airplane, or planning on flying to new places. Read more >>
Correction: In the June 21 AOPA ePilot Flight Training Edition, the link to “The FAA and depression” article was incorrect. To read “The FAA and depression,” click here. We regret the error. BlogsDiaries of an intervieweePeople often ask professional pilot Chip Wright how to get ready for an interview with an airline, and how to do well in an interview. He frequently offers two pieces of advice, and in many cases the advice applies to nonaviation interviews as well. Read more >> Gust frontsThe Air Safety Institute recently held its annual “Storm Week.” The webinar that was recorded for posterity was attended by more than 900 pilots who had some interest in learning more about boomers from a controller’s perspective, and with some guidance on datalink thrown in. Read more >> AOPA Career OpportunitiesEver dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We’re looking for a new business account manager II, renewal account manager II, aircraft analyst, director of corporate partnerships, marketing specialist, human resources assistant, software test and quality assurance analyst, and AOPA Live editor/graphic artist. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online. Community
AVIATION EVENTS & WEATHER
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A student pilot and a flight instructor are reviewing after a session of flight-test prep for the student’s private pilot checkride. The focus is on the slow flight and stall maneuvers to be demonstrated on the flight test, and the honing of the student’s understanding of the all-important 
IFR Fix: No tops reports
