Dear Rod:
The maneuvers book I’m reading says that I’m supposed to neutralize the aileron when established in a medium bank turn and the bank won’t increase. During actual practice with my instructor, I had to use aileron opposite the turn to sustain a medium bank turn. Is there something wrong with my airplane? Am I doing something wrong here? Any insight you can share would be most welcome.
Gracias,
Tim
Greetings Señor Tim:
Welcome to the boundary between the book world and the real world. The fact is that airplanes don’t always behave the way the book says they will in shallow, medium, and steep-bank turns (or straight-and-level flight, for that matter). The propeller slipstream, P-factor, torque, as well as flight control rigging all affect how the airplane performs in a turn. So there’s probably nothing wrong with your airplane and it’s unlikely there’s anything wrong with you, either. When entering a turn, apply aileron to establish the desired bank and simultaneously apply whatever rudder pressure is necessary to keep the nose pointed in the direction you’re turning. Thereafter, do whatever you need to do with that yoke (twist it right, left or hold it still) and the rudder pedals (press the right one, left one, or don’t press either one) to sustain the desired bank and remain in coordinated flight. It’s that simple.
As a final note, don’t take that book with you when you go flying, either.
Dear Rod:
I’m a student pilot. Last summer I was on short final for Runway 27 (the active runway at the time) in a Cessna 152 when a turbine-powered cropduster departed on Runway 9, directly toward me. Of course I went around and landed, but I was still shook up.
On another occasion, I was entering the pattern using the FAA’s recommended method when I looked up to discover that I was staring at another pilot converging head on in a climb from about 200 feet below me.
I explained the story to my girlfriend, who politely asked if I have thought about this being a “sign.” I never thought of that until she put those dirty words in my head. So I ask you, am I doing something wrong here? Two close calls in a two-year period?
No Name Please
Greetings NNP:
Here’s what you should have learned. First, don’t talk to your girlfriend about things that make you nervous in an airplane. You don’t need any more “signs.”
Second, airports are airplane magnets. It’s where airplanes congregate. As a new pilot it’s natural to assume that other pilots will adhere to accepted and recommended procedure and behave like good traffic pattern citizens. Unfortunately, not everyone does. What you’ve learned is that pilots can and will do strange things near an airport. From now on, don’t expect that all pilots will behave the way you expect them to, because they might not. So don’t let your guard down. Expect pilots to do the unexpected. Once you get this idea in the folds of your three-pound melon, the errant behavior of other pilots may disappoint you but it shouldn’t scare you (too much, at least).
Dear Rod:
A couple of years ago I became a private pilot. Going over my notes in preparation for my practical, I found this from my dual cross country flights. “Instructor said, ‘Don’t fly night single-engine VFR cross country, it is not worth the risk.’” What do you think?
Sincerely,
Kate
Greetings Kate:
Your instructor is being overly cautious here. Granted, night flying is associated with an increase in risk. After all, it is dark at night, right? That doesn’t, however, mean those risks can’t be managed. Think about it this way. The risks of flying vary from day to day based on many variables (clouds, winds, route, airplane performance, et cetera). You handle these riskier flights by applying a more thorough and appropriate risk management strategy to ensure your safety (if you can’t ensure your safety, you don’t fly). Just because night flying has more risks associated with it doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t fly at night. It simply means that you enhance your risk management strategy to compensate for those risks. So welcome to the dark side of aviation. Fly at night.
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