Let Go of the Yoke

Every trade has its tricks, and hands-off flight is one of the tricks of instrument flying. Flying, particularly instrument flying, is easier when you take advantage of this trick and let the airplane share your workload.

For many years, the pilot-training sequence was private pilot, commercial pilot, and instrument rating. A few years ago, the regulations changed and private pilots were allowed to get an instrument rating once they acquired 50 hours of cross-country pilot-in-command flight time. For many of these pilots, instrument training was a frustrating experience because they were never taught to share their workload with the airplane. There are times when you must let go of the yoke and let the airplane's aerodynamic forces do the flying.

I emphasize this technique to help students maintain aircraft control while they're busy with other tasks such as radio tuning, chart organization, and passenger distractions. All pilots can learn this technique by performing the following steps. But first, a caveat: If you are not instrument-rated or if you are flying in visual conditions, you must use references outside the cockpit for attitude control, not the instruments. Your primary responsibility is searching for traffic.

I introduce hands-off flight by covering all of the flight instruments ex-cept the attitude indicator (AI) during straight-and-level flight. Then I ask, "How are you doing flying straight and level?" The response is usually a shrug, but eventually I get the student to admit that he is safe because the airplane is in a reasonable attitude at a reasonable power setting.

This sets the stage for teaching two important concepts: distraction scanning and "attitude plus power equals performance." The distraction scan consists of a specific distraction and the attitude indicator. Your eyes cannot exit the flight instrument group until you have looked at the AI and confirmed that the airplane is in the desired attitude. Only then can you deal with the distraction-charts, radios, passenger, and so on.

As you are handling the distraction, you must continue to scan the AI-and only the AI-in order to maintain attitude. When you maintain the right attitude, the other flight instruments mind their manners.

"Attitude plus power equals performance" is flying's most important axiom. If you establish a reasonable attitude and power setting for the maneuver in question, you'll be safe. Further adjustments will be necessary, but this critical first step places the airplane on the proper trajectory.

Next, while continuing to fly straight and level, take your hand off the yoke and control the airplane with your feet. Step on the rudder pedal on the high wing side just as you step on the slip indicator (ball) during flight or as you track the runway centerline during a takeoff or landing roll. With very slight rudder pressure, you can maintain wings-level flight, leaving your hands free to deal with distractions.

The next step I take with my students is to uncover the turn coordinator and vertical speed indicator. Chances are that the airplane will be in a slight turn, slight climb, or slight descent. Have the student place his or her hand on the yoke and change attitude so that the airplane is back in straight-and-level flight.

I then ask, "What kind of job are you now doing flying straight and level?" The response I want is, "Perfect, absolutely perfect."

The airplane is not turning (turn coordinator), or climbing or descending (vertical speed indicator), but students are reluctant to say "perfect" because they can't see the heading gyro and altimeter. The main function of these instruments is to provide specific numbers-heading and altitude-not to help execute the maneuver.

Again, take your hand off the yoke and control the airplane with your feet. But instead of using the AI, use the turn coordinator to maintain a zero turn rate. The turn coordinator has nothing to do with attitude, but you can step on the rising wing of its airplane symbol and keep the turn rate at zero.

Now look at the attitude indicator and the slip indicator. The AI's miniature airplane will probably be in a slight bank and the slip indicator (ball) may be deflected slightly. But the airplane is flying straight as an arrow, and you are easily executing prolonged straight-and-level flight while your hands are free for other tasks.

Now watch the vertical speed indicator. Your airplane has a personality, and assuming the elevator was correctly trimmed for level flight, the airplane may fly level or may start a continual series of small climbs and descents that keep it within 40 or 50 feet of the assigned altitude. If you think that you must maintain the exact altitude, you won't let go of the yoke; your workload will be too high; and you won't have time to properly manage the airplane. This erroneous thinking will make instrument flying terribly frustrating.

If the airplane is in a slight climb or descent, you have two solutions. First, you can move the yoke just a fraction to stop the trend. The control system friction in most light airplanes may keep the yoke in the new position. If not, make a slight power change. Reduce power if you are climbing; add power if you are descending. This is called pitch trimming with power. You are using power-generated aerodynamic forces to control pitch attitude.

Prolonged straight-and-level flight is a difficult maneuver. Your success as an instrument pilot depends heavily on your ability to fly a constant heading-the mandatory prerequisite for en route navigation and instrument approaches. The procedure described is a temporary solution so that you can maintain aircraft control during stabilized flight and deal with distractions.