Instructor Report

Students struggling to put the pieces together might be reminded to “fly by the numbers,” which has a lot of value as a simplifying device. If you’re on your target altitude and airspeed when you roll out onto final, you’ll have a lot less to deal with as you wait to cross the threshold. Making turns and throttle reductions at the correct key points is the surest way to get there. Likewise, it’s essential to nail the airspeeds through rotation and initial climb to extract anything like book performance during takeoff. Like all simplifications, though, this one has its price. Excessive reliance on numerical cues can deprive a student of the mental flexibility required to deal with the constantly changing flight environment. Consider the case of one AOPA staffer who comes from the kind of technical background that values numerical precision. During a dual lesson at a towered field, the controller instructed him to extend downwind for traffic. His instructor had to talk him through it because he couldn’t figure out when to pull the throttle or where to turn base.

She understood that the numbers are only a means to an end. what counts is placing the airplane where you want it when you need it there.

Another employee began taking lessons after joining the staff and proved an exceptionally apt student, getting her solo endorsement after 14 hours of dual. On the very first circuit of that first solo, inbound traffic called a four-mile final and she decided to extend downwind. She timed her descent perfectly—then had to go around when the same aircraft was slow to clear the runway. Unlike her colleague, she understood that the numbers are only a means to an end. What counts is placing the airplane where you want it when you need it there.

Obvious? Sure—but less so when you’re just starting. Almost half of all of student pilots’ landing accidents involve stalls or other hard landings, compared to less than 20 percent of those among certificated pilots. While some are simple lapses in depth perception, the majority can be traced to poor airspeed control, flying onto the runway too fast, or trying to arrest a too-rapid descent with back-pressure alone. Misunderstanding the trade-off between pitch and power is one likely result of relying on formula rather than reacting to the actual conditions of the flight.

Students struggling to put the pieces together might be reminded to “fly by the numbers,” which has a lot of value as a simplifying device. If you’re on your target altitude and airspeed when you roll out onto final, you’ll have a lot less to deal with as you wait to cross the threshold. Making turns and throttle reductions at the correct key points is the surest way to get there. Likewise, it’s essential to nail the airspeeds through rotation and initial climb to extract anything like book performance during takeoff. Like all simplifications, though, this one has its price. Excessive reliance on numerical cues can deprive a student of the mental flexibility required to deal with the constantly changing flight environment. Consider the case of one AOPA staffer who comes from the kind of technical background that values numerical precision. During a dual lesson at a towered field, the controller instructed him to extend downwind for traffic. His instructor had to talk him through it because he couldn’t figure out when to pull the throttle or where to turn base.

She understood that the numbers are only a means to an end. what counts is placing the airplane where you want it when you need it there.

Another employee began taking lessons after joining the staff and proved an exceptionally apt student, getting her solo endorsement after 14 hours of dual. On the very first circuit of that first solo, inbound traffic called a four-mile final and she decided to extend downwind. She timed her descent perfectly—then had to go around when the same aircraft was slow to clear the runway. Unlike her colleague, she understood that the numbers are only a means to an end. What counts is placing the airplane where you want it when you need it there.

Obvious? Sure—but less so when you’re just starting. Almost half of all of student pilots’ landing accidents involve stalls or other hard landings, compared to less than 20 percent of those among certificated pilots. While some are simple lapses in depth perception, the majority can be traced to poor airspeed control, flying onto the runway too fast, or trying to arrest a too-rapid descent with back-pressure alone. Misunderstanding the trade-off between pitch and power is one likely result of relying on formula rather than reacting to the actual conditions of the flight.

Students struggling to put the pieces together might be reminded to “fly by the numbers,” which has a lot of value as a simplifying device. If you’re on your target altitude and airspeed when you roll out onto final, you’ll have a lot less to deal with as you wait to cross the threshold. Making turns and throttle reductions at the correct key points is the surest way to get there. Likewise, it’s essential to nail the airspeeds through rotation and initial climb to extract anything like book performance during takeoff. Like all simplifications, though, this one has its price. Excessive reliance on numerical cues can deprive a student of the mental flexibility required to deal with the constantly changing flight environment. Consider the case of one AOPA staffer who comes from the kind of technical background that values numerical precision. During a dual lesson at a towered field, the controller instructed him to extend downwind for traffic. His instructor had to talk him through it because he couldn’t figure out when to pull the throttle or where to turn base.

She understood that the numbers are only a means to an end. what counts is placing the airplane where you want it when you need it there.

Another employee began taking lessons after joining the staff and proved an exceptionally apt student, getting her solo endorsement after 14 hours of dual. On the very first circuit of that first solo, inbound traffic called a four-mile final and she decided to extend downwind. She timed her descent perfectly—then had to go around when the same aircraft was slow to clear the runway. Unlike her colleague, she understood that the numbers are only a means to an end. What counts is placing the airplane where you want it when you need it there.

Obvious? Sure—but less so when you’re just starting. Almost half of all of student pilots’ landing accidents involve stalls or other hard landings, compared to less than 20 percent of those among certificated pilots. While some are simple lapses in depth perception, the majority can be traced to poor airspeed control, flying onto the runway too fast, or trying to arrest a too-rapid descent with back-pressure alone. Misunderstanding the trade-off between pitch and power is one likely result of relying on formula rather than reacting to the actual conditions of the flight.