Since You Asked

These ups and downs are required

Flying on my typical trips (IFR, but this question also applies to VFR), I often find myself going nearly directly north or south. I'm not up to the true GPS age, and I fly airways most of the time. For example, on a southbound trip I may find myself on airways that are 170 degrees for one leg, with the next leg at 190 degrees, followed by another leg at 170 degrees.

Being fully aware of the mandates of federal aviation regulations 91.159 (VFR) and 91.179 (IFR) with respect to cruising altitudes, should I be changing altitude by 1,000 feet every 20 minutes? When I'm IFR I know I do whatever the air boss on the ground says as far as my altitude assignment--but I still feel quite antsy flying west at an east altitude and vice versa.

So, VFR, should my airplane be impersonating a yo-yo all the time? And IFR, should I just relax and follow my assigned altitude with full confidence that the air traffic controller has me covered?
Fly safe and best regards,
Anonymous

Greetings Yo-Yo Man:
In your case, the correct answer is that you fly the altitudes prescribed for the magnetic course you're on, as long as you're flying more than 3,000 feet agl. If you're flying an airway with a magnetic course of 179, then turn to another airway with a magnetic course of 180, you're technically required to change altitudes. Sorry, but it's yo-yo some mo'. No two ways about this. Then again, this is a great reason to purchase a handheld GPS unit so it's more likely you'll fly one altitude from departure to destination if you choose.

When flying IFR, you fly the altitude ATC assigns you, regardless of whether it's even or odd or even oddly even for the direction in which you are headed. If you really don't feel comfortable flying an even altitude when heading east, then negotiate with the controller for a different altitude.

Balloon rides

Dear Rod:
I am a private pilot with 90 hours of flight time. Sometimes, just before touchdown, a gust of wind causes my airplane to balloon. I normally apply a touch of power when this happens to avoid hard landings. The touch of power causes the airplane to extend its glide and softens the landing. Is this the recommended way to handle gusts during touchdown, or is it best to do a go-around?
Sam

Greetings Sam:
There's nothing wrong with adding a touch of power (or more if necessary) if you balloon on touchdown. A touch can soften the touchdown. The reason for adding power is to compensate for being at too low an airspeed and too high an altitude. Most folks balloon because they were approaching too fast in the first place (not always, but often enough for me to safely say that is the general cause of ballooning). If you have sufficient speed while ballooning, there's no need to add power. Simply lower the nose slightly and resume the flare. If, however, you're too slow and/or too high, then add power and be happy.

How slow is too slow, and how high is too high? This is a question you need to ask you're a flight instructor. Have him or her show you the answer to this question by purposely demonstrating a balloon on the runway, along with the appropriate control response to that maneuver (which can vary slightly between airplanes). If the instructor ever accidentally balloons during a landing demonstration, he can simply state, "Oh, did I mention that I was going to demonstrate a balloon?"

Cultivating 'relaxed readiness'

Dear Rod:
I have long aspired to get my flight instructor certificate after my two children go off to college. Now my first-born is learning to drive, and in the process of riding right seat in an automobile I am definitely learning the reason behind the old joke about flight instructors having to learn to sweat only on the right side of their faces. As I sat there, wincing at how close we just came to side-swiping a parked car, I began seeing the parallels with the constant state of "relaxed readiness" that CFIs probably try to cultivate, while not getting too many extra gray hairs. I mean, I'm sitting there and wondering, Am I really cut out for this?

Do you have any advice on the subject of how such parental apprehension on the road might bode for a CFI wannabe? It sure has raised some doubts with me!
Thank you,
Jeff

Greetings Jeff:
I'm not sure that your parental apprehension when teaching offspring to drive is similar to what CFIs experience when training non-progeny to fly. Two issues are at play here. First, your car doesn't have dual sets of controls (although you do have airbags, and I know you're not afraid to use them). Other than the use of language (terms such as look out! duck! and for gosh sakes, save yourself), you have relatively little control over events when teaching others to drive. Second, we typically have a deeper emotional investment in the success of our offspring. This might cause even Superinstructor to question his or her own judgment.

The focus of your anxiety changes when teaching someone to fly. The dual set of controls is the great equalizer. Now you have control of the environment, far beyond what anyone has in the right seat of a Jetta. If you allow me to speculate here, after you've given presolo dual to four or five primary students, you'll have a very basic sense of what you can and cannot let them do in an airplane.

But even when flying with your very first student, you can minimize any anxiety by establishing behavioral triggers (such as when you say to the student, "I've got it," which means the student lets go of the controls and watches the master at work). This makes the process of flight training much less anxiety-provoking for you.

There are some flight training events that inevitably produce stress. A good example is how to know when someone is ready to solo. Ask an experienced CFI to fly with your student and give you his or her opinion of that student's capabilities.

There is actually a better way to understand how well a student must fly before letting them solo. I want you to fly with the just-soloed students of experienced CFIs. I suggest you offer to pay for the airplane rental and ride along while keeping quiet. Free flight time? With a mute instructor? They'll salivate at the opportunity, and not talking will be much easier once the tranquilizers take effect (just kidding on that last part). Believe me, the best way to understand how well a student should perform at a particular level of training is to observe a properly trained student at that particular level of training.

Human beings, for the most part, are pretty predictable creatures. You shouldn't have any surprises. Be prepared, nevertheless. I talked to one CFI in Alaska who stood by the runway to solo his student in his own airplane. The instructor watched as this person did three perfect touch and goes, then flew away from the airport without coming back.

Ten years later, he discovered that the student had about 4,000 hours of flight time and no pilot certificate. Perhaps he wanted to get a little practice before returning to pick up his instructor?

Rod Machado is a flight instructor, author, educator, and speaker. A pilot since 1970 and a CFI since 1973, he has flown more than 8,000 hours and owns a Beech A36 Bonanza. Visit his Web site.