Power up

Reports of the exhilaration offered by flying a high-performance airplane, tales of the extra performance available by pushing that more-capable throttle forward, and just the sound of unleashed horses under the cowling, all of these draw a trainer-weary aviator irresistibly toward bigger, faster airplanes.

What can be expected when transitioning to a higher-performing aircraft? There are some legal requirements to be met, even though the rating on your certificate reads “Airplane single-engine land” without limitation. FAR 61.31(f) stipulates that additional training and a CFI’s endorsement in the logbook must be obtained to fly airplanes with engines of more than 200-horsepower, which delineates “high-performance” in the FAA’s lawbook. Once completed, this endorsement authorizes you to fly other types of high-performance aircraft, not just the one used for the training.

From a practical standpoint, harnessing the extra power nearly always incorporates the installation of a constant-speed propeller.From a practical standpoint, harnessing the extra power nearly always incorporates the installation of a constant-speed (aka “controllable”) propeller, a 220-horsepower Stearman PT–17 biplane notwithstanding. Given the addition of retractable landing gear, and the usual installation of wing flaps, FAR 61.31(e) would also require an endorsement for a “complex airplane.” Bear in mind that this rule applies regardless of installed horsepower, so acting as pilot in command of a 180-horsepower Mooney, Piper Arrow, or Cessna Cutlass requires a signoff for their mere complexity.

Legalities aside, approaching a higher performance airplane begins with study of the operating handbook. These are by-the-numbers airplanes, generally less forgiving of mismanagement than a trainer or family-cruiser aircraft and therefore must be flown with closer adherence to the manual. You’ll need to know their recommended takeoff, climb, and approach speeds, and not just one set of numbers only, but those accounting for the effects of weight and altitude. Expect to make use of the checklist for each phase of flight. Acquiring knowledge of the aircraft’s systems is essential. There will be more knobs, levers, and controls in the high-performance airplane; I find it helpful to peruse the POH while sitting in its associated cockpit, so I can reach out to locate items as I read about them.

Naturally, initial attempts to fly a high-performance airplane need to be done under the tutelage of a qualified CFI, even if you’ve already satisfied the FAR endorsement requirement. Insurance coverage for a high-performance aircraft is frequently contingent on having met additional training requirements and/or time-in-type experience. Finding an instructor capable of teaching in a particular make and model is not always easy. As a CFI, I have frequently had to decline to instruct in aircraft that I wasn’t qualified for.

The differences

Once you’re thoroughly well-versed with the aircraft’s systems and performance procedures, it’s time to find out how it compares to the simpler airplane you’ve been flying. If the high-performance airplane has fuel injection and you’ve only flown behind a carburetor, expect extra steps in the starting procedure. Understand that cowl flaps, if so equipped, are normally opened on the ground, and closed as required in the air. Proper use of the auxiliary (“boost”) fuel pump varies with different aircraft and engine installations.

Taxiing a heavier aircraft may require a little extra power to start the airplane moving, and bigger wingspans need more care on a crowded ramp. Once rolling, anticipate the airplane’s greater mass and keep speed under control as you near a stop or turn. Do not ride the brakes instead of throttling back that powerful engine, a common mistake when wearing active noise reduction headsets.

Pay attention to the pre-takeoff checklist, particularly trim settings. Bigger and more-powerful airplanes need to have trim biased for loading and P-factor, in some cases. Recheck all doors and windows for latching, some of which may be behind you. During engine runup, you’ll likely be exercising a propeller control for the first time, to verify its ability to change prop pitch. This involves increasing throttle to bring rpm to a recommended test setting, placing the propeller control into full low-rpm and watching the rpm decrease, then returning the control to high-rpm to regain the test rpm.

Following the runway centerline takes extra diligence when rolling under extra power. Expect an unaccustomed amount of off-center pull toward the left side of the runway when making your first takeoff in a high-performance airplane. Open the throttle over the course of a couple of seconds, not with the quick shove that you’re used to giving your 150-horsepower fixed-pitch trainer. The acceleration is going to be greater than you’ve experienced before, and airspeed may be nudging the liftoff value while you’re still mentally at the starting gate. You’ll get used to things happening quicker, with practice, but the first time or two you’ll likely have a sense of just hanging on.

Going up, faster

With a lightly loaded high-performance airplane, there’s little need to reduce pitch angle after liftoff to build airspeed for the climb; the extra horsepower accelerates the aircraft even while the nose is up. In any new airplane experience, you’ll be learning the different attitudes associated with that aircraft. For now, concentrate on keeping up with the faster movements of the more-powerful machine.

In high-performance airplanes, it’s common practice to reduce power to 75 or 80 percent of full rated horsepower for a normal climb. Some aircraft have limitations on the use of takeoff power, allowed only for a few minutes before reducing to a “maximum continuous” power setting. If this is your first experience with a constant-speed propeller, you’ll find that engine rpm will be at or near redline during takeoff, generating considerable noise and wear-and-tear on engine parts. While throttle is still the primary control for managing engine power, gauged by manifold pressure, rpm is reduced by adjusting a propeller control. Your instructor may have you decrease manifold pressure with the throttle before slowing prop rpm, depending on the aircraft and airport elevation.

With experience, you will learn the techniques of power management for establishing a normal climb profile. Do not, however, let your quick hands habitually pull the throttle back and slow the propeller rpm seconds after leaving the ground; make the adjustment to climb power after gaining a safe height and vertical distance from airport neighbors.

Your high-performance airplane may be turbocharged. A turbocharger is a small turbine wheel placed in the engine exhaust stream. This exhaust turbine is directly connected to a compressor wheel, which feeds compressed air to the engine’s induction system to boost power output over what’s available from ambient (uncompressed) air. To avoid damaging over-boost, extra caution must be paid to exceeding the engine’s manifold pressure limitation, by restricting the amount of exhaust fed to the turbocharger. Some engines have automatic wastegate controllers that limit the turbo’s output, but their operation must still be verified early in the takeoff run. If the turbocharger’s wastegate is fixed or manually controlled, you’ll take off with less than full throttle travel at low elevations, adjusting as required to maintain desired power during climb, and you’ll need to pay attention to an unwanted increase in manifold pressure during descent.

Adjustable cowl flaps are often installed in the engine cowling’s outlet, left open to provide extra cooling airflow during takeoff and climb when the engine is working hard. When power is reduced for cruise, they may be closed to reduce drag and maintain normal engine operating temperature. In hot temperatures, the cowl flaps might need to be left partially open in cruise. You’ll need to use a cylinder head temperature (CHT) gauge, or an individual readout for each cylinder, to help monitor the engine’s health and determine cowl flap operation.

Settling in

Trimmed up for level flight, you’ll find the high-performance airplane more stable than lighter aircraft, with stiffer controls at its higher airspeed. Its forte is transportation, not sporty maneuvering. The operating checklist for top of climb, or cruise-flight, will include confirmation of boost pump, cowl flaps, and power setting for the level-flight portion of the trip, as required for the individual high-performance airplane. You may have to use pilot’s operating handbook power charts to find the correct manifold pressure and propeller rpm needed to produce the desired percentage of power. High-horsepower engines consume lots of extra fuel unless the mixture is adjusted, requiring consulting the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) indications or a fuel-flow gauge.

A high-performance airplane can be operated at various power settings, depending on the mission. If you’re just maneuvering inside a practice area for training, there’s no need to blast along at high power, and if your destination is only a few miles away, you might use moderate power. If battling headwinds, it makes sense to kick up the power percentage to lessen the time spent in cruise. Conversely, tailwinds allow less power to be used to obtain normal speed across the ground, aiding efficiency.

The biggest advantage of the higher-performance airplane lies in its ability to climb to a higher altitude quickly, if the need arises. While the trainer aircraft would struggle for long minutes to reach 10,000 feet msl, the extra power of the high-performance airplane can be tapped by increasing prop rpm and advancing throttle when you’re ready to go higher. Without turbocharging, the available manifold pressure at full throttle will essentially be at cruise power once you’re above 5,000 to 7,000 feet.

Start down earlier

Given its extra speed and altitude capability, you’ll have to plan your descent farther in advance with a high-performance airplane. If order to level off in time to prepare for landing, you may need to begin the let-down 50 miles from your destination. Unless equipped with automatically controlled turbocharging, you must readjust manifold pressure every thousand feet or so during the descent, as it will build up in the higher-density air at lower altitude; your chosen 500-fpm rate of descent will be reduced if you forget. Likewise, the mixture setting will need to be progressively enriched during descent.

Because you’ll likely be moving faster than desired for the traffic pattern, plan to reach pattern altitude a few miles outside the circuit, trimming into a slow-cruise flight with reduced power. Complete the before-landing checklist before attention is required for the landing approach. Cowl flaps remain closed to keep the engine warm but will be opened as part of a go-around procedure, should it be necessary. If an extended traffic pattern becomes necessary after configuring landing gear and flaps for the approach, you’ll find the extra drag will require considerable power to maintain altitude.

Heavier high-performance airplanes are usually flown down to the runway under power to keep the landing approach stabilized, rather than floated in at near-idle like lighter airplanes. Closing the throttle early invites a high sink-rate to develop in an airplane with a heavy wing loading, so make sure you’re into the leveling-off flare before you chop the power. The landing chart’s recommended 1.3 V_S0 approach speed reduces at lighter weights, so don’t add extra speed needlessly, but know what’s required for the day’s conditions. After touchdown, you will be moving faster and taking longer to slow down than in a light trainer, so you’ll need more runway for stopping. If you see you’re landing too long, go around and change your technique on the next try.

Adapting to a high-performance airplane takes a few hours, as you get used to the faster pace and extra complexity, but it pays off in the satisfaction of enhanced capability. Enjoy the chance to meet a challenge as you encounter high-performance flight.

LeRoy Cook is an airline transport pilot and CFI.