Insights

Always consider the worst situation

The practical test standards (PTS) is flight training's focal point. And, demonstrated proficiency - not accruing flight time - is the goal. To reduce training time and meet the PTS requirements, I structure my training programs for the worst situation a student might encounter after he (or she) becomes certificated or rated.

Whenever possible, I incorporate the skills and thought processes required in the worst situations into elementary, intermediate, and advanced training tasks. This technique increases repetition, the key to sound learning and student self-confidence. Here are three examples.

A forced landing is a pilot's worst landing situation, but he can master it and, if he does, will seldom forget the technique. Starting with pre-solo training, I teach a student to fly a constant attitude and power, variable airspeed approach. The U.S. Army used this technique and Wolfgang Langewiesche - the author of Stick and Rudder - supported it in the May 1972 issue of Air Facts, a highly regarded magazine that, unfortunately, is no longer published.

I teach the attitude and power setting that maintains the proper airspeed on final approach with full flaps. If the student is number one for landing, he establishes this attitude and power setting at pattern altitude when he's abeam his intended touchdown point. The airspeed will decrease as he extends the flaps, and he evaluates specific factors while maneuvering the airplane toward the runway.

Factors such as - Where's the wind? What's the drift? Where are the updrafts and downdrafts? When should I turn to base leg? How should I orient the airplane on the base leg? When should I deploy the first, second, and third increment of flaps? And, what bank angle should I use for the turn to final?

When the pilot addresses these questions properly, the airplane will be on glidepath and on airspeed approaching the runway threshold. Power remains constant until he reduces it to idle during the landing flare.

A pilot uses the same factors during a forced landing. The only difference is the decreased pitch attitude required by the idle power setting. Idle or no-power situations are "constant" power settings.

Another "worst" an instrument pilot can face is a failed attitude indicator, because it requires a different instrument scan. My four-step instrument scan is based on this situation, and I teach a thought process that works for both full-panel and partial-panel flight.

Briefly, the four steps are "stare" at the attitude indicator (AI) while establishing the desired attitude and/or power setting. Second, check the trend of the airplane by scanning the AI, turn coordinator (TC), and vertical speed indicator (VSI), then validate the information the three instruments give. Next, scan the instruments that display the numbers you're trying to maintain such as altitude, heading, and power. Finally, make sure the airplane is in trim and revert to a circular scan. (For more information on the four-step scan, see February and March 1992.)

An NDB approach is an instrument pilot's worst navigation situation, and I teach VOR and ADF navigation using common rules that work in both cases. The following questions and answers reflect the rules I teach.

Where's the airplane in relation to a VOR or NDB? For VOR, center the course needle with a FROM indication. The omnibearing selector (OBS) indicates the radial from the station. For ADF, set the airplane's magnetic heading at the top of the compass card, or mentally relocate the heading indicator's compass card to a fixed-card ADF. The tail of the course needle indicates the bearing from the station.

Where is the VOR or NDB course? Turn parallel to that course. For VOR navigation set the course on the OBS. The VOR and NDB course needles now point toward the course.

When is the airplane on course? For VOR, it's when the course needle is centered. For ADF, it's when equal angles exist. The intercept angle equals the "deviation angle," my term for the angle between the ADF course needle and the airplane's centerline.

The above may seem like an oversimplification, but when these rules become ingrained in a student's mind, he can always execute an NDB approach safely.

Ask 10 instructors a question about technique, and you'll probably get 10 different answers. Flying is an art, and almost every task has numerous solutions. Most instructors will agree on a common answer if they consider the worst situation possible and cockpit workload.

A student pilot should be concerned about meaningful training - not time. Training time is a variable that usually exceeds FAA minimums and depends on factors such as airport location; airplane complexity; an instructor's teaching ability; and student background, age, motivation, and frequency of training.

My training philosophy is maximum confidence and minimum workload. Experience will dictate shortcuts, but when unusual situations occur, a good foundation in simple, basic procedures will keep you out of trouble.