Insights

Let aerodynamic forces do most of the work

Many students and instructors do not understand the significance of the advanced maneuvers required for the commercial pilot certificate. They believe that maneuvers such as lazy eights and chandelles are a nuisance and have no practical value. Not so!

When faced with a new endeavor that requires mental and physical coordination, most people perform unfamiliar skills mechanically. Commercial students are no exception. If taught correctly, however, they can develop flight-control smoothness and finesse as they master the advanced maneuvers by understanding and taking advantage of aerodynamic forces. Mechanical flight control inputs are therefore minimized.

The lazy eight is a series of climbs and descents that occur while making left and right 180-degree turns at constant power. The word lazy implies two things: Slow attitude changes and minimum flight control inputs that you apply only when aerodynamic forces won't do the job. The airplane's nose inscribes a horizontal figure eight across one-half the horizon, and the airplane's ground track-which has absolutely nothing to do with the maneuver-resembles S-turns across a road.

To introduce lazy eights, I find a small room, mark the required reference points on the wall with tape, and have my student perform the maneuver with arms extended to simulate the airplane's wings. When the student can state the proper attitudes at each reference point, we go to the airplane. The critical factors are the reference points, the desired attitudes, and the ability to evaluate rates of turn, roll, and pitch during the maneuver. Airspeed is constantly changing. Consequently, continual rudder input is required.

Before demonstrating lazy eights in flight, I cover the flight instruments with half of a manila file folder. You will never reach the proper level of understanding and proficiency if you are taught to fly the advanced maneuvers using instrument reference. That mistake wastes your time and money.

I then do the following two demonstrations and have the student practice each one two or three times. The objective of each demonstration is to recognize attitude rates of change and proper rudder usage. Flight control coordination (keeping the ball centered) is not a priority at this time.

First-using a power setting that will keep airspeed below maneuvering speed (VA)-I demonstrate the maneuver using only the elevator and rudder (the ailerons remain neutral) while holding one hand up to the windshield and verbalizing what I'm seeing with respect to attitude; the rates of turn, roll, and pitch; and the required reference points.

Second, I demonstrate the maneuver using continual rudder inputs and only four control yoke inputs (aileron and elevator): The first yoke input occurs at the entry, the second at the 90-degree point, the third at the 180-degree point, and the fourth at the second 90-degree point.

Finally, I demonstrate the maneuver using normal, coordinated flight control inputs (ball centered) and altimeter reference. If, at the completion of each 180-degree turn, altitude has increased or decreased-and if the airplane's nose has pitched an equal distance above and below the horizon-I make an appropriate power correction to eliminate that deviation. That, of course, requires instrument reference, so I remove the cover when the student can fly the maneuver without instrument reference.

The chandelle is a 180-degree, maximum performance, climbing turn at maximum continuous power. I introduce it and demonstrate it by again using reference points taped on the wall-and by covering the flight instruments during initial flight training.

Start the maneuver at cruise power and adjust pitch attitude to obtain VA. Establish a 30-degree bank and then slowly increase pitch attitude at a constant rate so that the maximum pitch attitude occurs at the 90-degree point. As the nose passes through the horizon during the initial pitch increase-assuming that the nose was below the horizon at VA-set maximum continuous power. From the 90- to the 180-degree point, pitch attitude must remain constant as the bank angle is slowly reduced so that a wings-level attitude occurs at the 180-degree point with the airplane close to stall speed. A high level of finesse and awareness occurs when students can finish that rollout using only rudder input, not aileron input. Students are always amazed at how effective the rudder is during the very last portion of this maneuver.

When you master advanced maneuvers, you'll feel as though the wing spars are connected to your shoulder blades. You have become a part of the airplane. And you'll have an awareness of attitude deviations that the flight instruments can never reveal. You've become one of those pilots who "make it look easy."

Ralph Butcher, a retired United Airlines captain, is the chief flight instructor at a California flight school. He has been flying since 1959 and has 25,000 hours in fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Visit his Web site.