Dear Rod:
I heard from a friend that, when doing steep turns, after we roll past 30 degrees we should do the following: Add two twists of nose-up trim, provide some pressure on the outside rudder pedal, and let the airplane fly the turn itself.
I have two questions. Will the designated examiner frown on me for using trim for steep turns during the checkride? Also, shouldn’t we use rudder pressure on the inside pedal to keep the turn coordinated?
No Name
Greetings No Name:
Keep this one idea in mind: We don’t want to fly airplanes as if we’re baking a cake. There isn’t a precise recipe of control inputs that will produce a perfect steep turn (or any maneuver, for that matter) every time. Sorry, no cake for you.
The statement, “Provide some pressure on the outside rudder pedal,” is antithetical to the concept of stick-and-rudder flying. You apply pressure on a rudder pedal to keep the airplane’s nose pointed in the direction that it turns. How much pressure is applied is a function of several things, including angle of attack, aileron-induced adverse yaw, slipstream, torque, and so on. Unless you can exactly replicate all the variables involved in a steep turn, it’s unreasonable and impractical to say, “Provide some pressure on the outside rudder pedal.” Instead, just push the pedal that allows the airplane to fly coordinated. Period!
On the topic of trim, the trim is a supporting flight control whose purpose is to make your job of controlling the airplane easier. If you need trim during a steep turn because your biceps are vibrating two octaves above Middle C, then use trim. I’ve never heard of an examiner having trouble with this, and it would be unreasonable if he or she did.
Furthermore, how much trim you use depends on several things, not the least of which is airplane loading and power usage. This might involve one, two, or more twists of the trim wheel. Besides, why do we think that one man’s twist of the trim is not another man’s tweak, turn, or wiggle of that same appliance? Use the trim you need, not the trim others say you need.
That said, using trim defeats the purpose of what steep turns actually teach. I’d prefer that you use two hands on the yoke instead of trimming to reduce pressure. Doing this actually reduces your overall workload when demonstrating steep turns on a checkride. Remember, when you put trim in you also must take it out. Besides, two hands give you greater fidelity of control on the yoke. It also is a lot easier on the left arm (is that a Middle C I hear?).
The primary purpose of a steep turn—something that’s seldom talked about—is to teach the relationship between the back-pressure applied to the yoke and the G loading felt on your butt. Yes, it also does all the other things that FAA says in its flying manuals, but this is the most important thing to learn. When you feel pressure on your butt and your arm strains to pull aft on the yoke, you’re closer to stalling.
Dear Rod:
I recently flew with a relatively experienced (700 hours) flight review applicant who insisted he was using rudder correctly when flying traffic circuits. I had to constantly push the right rudder in during the left climbing turn from crosswind to downwind. I tried explaining the basics of rudder usage to him, but he was visibly offended that I commented on something so basic—something that he obviously had not learned.
Richie
Greetings Richie,
Clearly, “Yaw Man” didn’t realize that you were the “man” in charge—in charge of issuing flight review endorsements (and whether or not he received one). While I won’t go all Freud on you, it appears that Yaw Man’s ego was running interference for the logical part of his brain. His inner Spock should have told him to say nothing, accept training graciously, and receive his flight review endorsement. Sadly, his Spock had no spark.
Don’t fret. As an instructor, your job is to effect a permanent change in someone’s behavior. While I always prefer that this be a “happy” exchange, the offense that Yaw Man took to your tutelage might eventually produce a positive change in him. You gave him feedback, irrespective of whether or not he liked it. Sometimes that’s the only thing you can offer during a lesson. Sometimes, that’s enough.
Related Articles
