Since You Asked

Tug O' War: The Battle For Control

April 5, 2000 By Rod Machado

Dear AOPA Flight Training,

While flying with several different CFIs, I've noticed a consistent problem. As I fly the airplane and make small control inputs, the CFI, thinking that I'm not controlling the airplane properly, adds his own inputs. This creates a tug of war on the flight controls. Is this a common problem? What can I do about it?

Thanks,
Anonymous

Dear Anonymous (Tugmaster?),

Yes, the problem is indeed common. Sometimes students have difficulty knowing when the CFI is doing some or all of the flying. That's why it's not uncommon for a student to land the airplane, then look over at the CFI and say, "Did I do that?" I've often wondered if new Boeing 747 copilots do the same thing after making their first successful landing. Do they look at the captain and say, "Did I do that?" Maybe not.

Nevertheless, here's what I recommend. Ask your instructor to make it clear when he or she is doing all or part of the flying. Have your CFI say something like, "I've got the controls," when he takes over the airplane. If the instructor is following you through on the controls, then have him say something like, "My hands are on the controls," or "I'm assisting you with right rudder." In the early stages of training, you can't be expected to know when the controls feel funny, thus signifying that the CFI has his or her hands on them.

Cross-Country Nerves

Dear Rod,

I'm getting ready for my first solo cross-country flight. I've completed five hours of dual cross-country time with my CFI, and now it's time for me to do it on my own. I'm a little nervous at the thought of taking an airplane out of the pattern all by myself. Any suggestions you have that can help me to feel more at ease would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Lucy

Greetings Lucy,

Now why would anyone be nervous about taking a quarter-million-dollar airplane that they don't own to someplace they haven't been all by themselves for the very first time? You have a right to be a little nervous. Therefore, take baby steps. Make your first cross-country to a nearby airport that's easy to find. For instance, I send students with similar concerns to an airport located along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. All they need to do is keep the ocean on their right and the land on their left.

Although they do a complete and thorough flight plan for this trip, they really only need to write the words "ocean" on their right hand and "land" on their left. Of course, they'd have to switch hands when they flew back but you get the point (just kidding on the switching hands part).

If necessary, find an airport within 20 to 25 miles that's along an interstate or major road. Make this your first cross-country flight. Just follow the road. You can't go wrong. If it makes you feel more comfortable, drive the route first in your car. Sure, this flight isn't long enough to count toward the required cross-country time for your certificate, but this isn't the point. The point is to get you comfortable with cross-country flying. Take small steps first, and then expand the distance that you fly. You'll eventually find that there's no real difference between traveling 25 miles and traveling 2,500 miles.

When To Go Slow

Dear Rod,

I'm an instrument student looking for some advice. When shooting an approach, when should I slow down? I've had two instructors with two different opinions. One taught me to slow down and get in the first notch of flaps just prior to reaching the fix (a VOR in this case) before the procedure turn. The other had me slow down during the outbound leg of the procedure. I found that this second option caused me to get behind the airplane. Which is better? Any advice is welcomed.

Thanks,
Tom

Greetings, Tom,

There are many ways to fly instruments. To be fair, I'd say that most techniques are satisfactory as long as they don't require you to use the word deductible. Of course, some techniques are more efficient than others. That's why my preference is to slow the airplane down to an acceptable speed prior to reaching the point where the procedure turn begins.

I prefer this technique because it leaves you with fewer things to do on the outbound leg. After all, you're working hard on the outbound leg to complete your setup for the instrument approach. Additionally, it's more comfortable to approach a fix at 100 knots as opposed to 140 kt. A slower airspeed often means longer intervals between necessary tasks. This makes it easier to handle these events.

A friend who served as a copilot on a Boeing 747 once told me that his captain looked over at him and said, "John, tell the controller that we want to decrease our approach speed by 20 kt." John replied, "OK, sir, but just in case he wants to know why, what should I tell him?" The captain replied, "You tell him that your captain needs time to think."

Finally, most pilots like slowing down to their final speed before reaching the fix because it allows them to better predict descent rates. Let's assume that your airplane descends at 500 feet per minute at 120 kt indicated airspeed with its power set to 1,900 rpm. Now, suppose that you're six miles from a fix and 1,500 feet above its minimum crossing altitude. You know that it will take approximately three minutes to cross that fix at 120 kt (that's two miles of travel per minute). Therefore, if you reduce power to 1,900 rpm, you'll obtain a 500-fpm descent rate and, after three minutes, you'll be at the minimum crossing altitude for that fix.

There are many "correct" ways to fly instruments. Sometimes the variation between techniques is more a matter of style than it is a matter of being right or wrong.