Help with Controlling aircraft at slow speed and circuits training

[recflyer]

I am scheduled in for lessons that involve slow flight and circuit work soon. I would love to hear if anyone has any tips that could help me to prepare for these lessons.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

[facthunter]

Stick with your instructor recflyer. If he is any good no one will be helping you at this stage of your training by trying to teach you here. You are not taught to be the ultimate pilot at this stage . You need a clear grasp of the basics to build on later as you never stop learning if you are sensible and curious. Conflicting or differing techniques being in your thoughts you don't need. Stick with your agreed book references and don't complicate things. Good luck enjoy. Know thoroughly what you need to know at this point in time. No confusion... right. Nev

 

 

[recflyer]

Thanks for the tip! My instructor has been great so far.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Agree with Nev, your instructor is the guy you need to be talking to. Some advice i could give would be to brush up on the theory before you fly.

 

The sequence is always more valuable if you understand the theory behind whats happening.

 

Things like speed vs angle of attack

 

Factors effecting control responsiveness

 

The aerodynamics of stalling

 

All these subjects will help you understand what your seeing and feeling.

 

Enjoy

 

 

[recflyer]

Thanks, I will go and check out these topics.

 

Cheers.

 

 

[Yenn]

Enjoy it. Slow flight is fun and to be good at it is a worthwhile aim. I really enjoy pulling up alongside a slower plane and keping with him with my nose in the air and that loose sloppy feel in the controls. when you can do it it is unusual.

 

 

[recflyer]

Enjoy it. Slow flight is fun and to be good at it is a worthwhile aim. I really enjoy pulling up alongside a slower plane and keping with him with my nose in the air and that loose sloppy feel in the controls. when you can do it it is unusual.

Thanks for this. I cant wait for the lesson. That sounds really fun. What type of aircraft do you have?

 

 

[Tex]

Feet... use them: properly.

 

 

[recflyer]

Feet... use them: properly.

Thanks Tex.

 

 

[ben87r]

Good understanding of the drag and power curves and the CORRECT use and effects of flaps and you should be on to a winner. J's have plain flaps?

 

 

[fly_tornado]

circuit work is pretty busy. get a good nights sleep, a good breakfast and avoid juicing up on coffee before the lesson

 

 

[mnewbery]

These lessons are for reviewing at least annually if not quarterly in order to maintain competent hand, foot, eye and ear co-ordination even after the final exam. However this is not an exhaustive list

 

I might even go out and practise this afternoon.

 

Caveat: I am not an instructor

 

 

[poteroo]

These lessons are for reviewing at least annually if not quarterly in order to maintain competent hand, foot, eye and ear co-ordination even after the final exam. However this is not an exhaustive listI might even go out and practise this afternoon.

 

Caveat: I am not an instructor

I like the word co-ordination. At slower speeds, when your ailerons are less effective, the value of being co-ordinated with rudder is evident. Students really benefit from a few minutes of 'co-ordination practice' during every lesson. It's nothing difficult or dangerous. Simply roll into a co-ordinated medium aob turn to the R or L - then reverse the turn in the opposite direction - then reverse it again - then again - then again. If you achieve 'co-ordination' - the little ball stays precisely between its' lines, and the aircraft avoids the 'fishtailing' effect. Ask your instructor before scaring the daylights out of him with an undiscussed manoeuvre though. happy days,

 

 

[recflyer]

Good understanding of the drag and power curves and the CORRECT use and effects of flaps and you should be on to a winner. J's have plain flaps?

Thanks. Yeah the j170 I fly has standard flaps set by a switch connected to an electric servo.

 

 

[recflyer]

circuit work is pretty busy. get a good nights sleep, a good breakfast and avoid juicing up on coffee before the lesson

Thanks. My lesson on circuits ended up getting rescheduled for next sat. But these are good tips.

 

 

[recflyer]

I like the word co-ordination. At slower speeds, when your ailerons are less effective, the value of being co-ordinated with rudder is evident. Students really benefit from a few minutes of 'co-ordination practice' during every lesson. It's nothing difficult or dangerous. Simply roll into a co-ordinated medium aob turn to the R or L - then reverse the turn in the opposite direction - then reverse it again - then again - then again. If you achieve 'co-ordination' - the little ball stays precisely between its' lines, and the aircraft avoids the 'fishtailing' effect. Ask your instructor before scaring the daylights out of him with an undiscussed manoeuvre though. happy days,

Thanks poteroo.

My instructor has been drumming into me the importance of the rudder and keeping the aircraft coordinated. I find that if I use the rudder properly everything just feels smoother and the less I have to move the stick to keep on course.

 

 

[Yenn]

Recflyer. I have an RV4 and a Corby Starlet. Both are good at slow flight, by which I meanless than about 60% of cruise speed. The advice from others about rudder use is really good. Later on in training see if you can get some practice at slipping, it is a very useful tool to have at times.

 

 

[ayavner]

yeah pay attention to everything about how it feels in slow flight, not just the feeling of the controls itself, but a feeling for how to put the aircraft where you want it when you want it at the slow speed - ie, maybe at height your instructor will let you follow a road or some features... cuz guess what landing is?? Slow flight!

 

First couple times i did slow flight, early in my lessons, it seemed like it was just a box to tick but after changing instructors and enough time passing, the true value of really absorbing slow flight sunk in and landings started to become less of a frenetic sequence of events and more of just a nice controlled slow flight where i just happened to be on the ground at the end! Hell, do several lessons in it if you need!

 

adam

 

 

[Aldo]

Stick with your instructor recflyer. If he is any good no one will be helping you at this stage of your training by trying to teach you here. You are not taught to be the ultimate pilot at this stage . You need a clear grasp of the basics to build on later as you never stop learning if you are sensible and curious. Conflicting or differing techniques being in your thoughts you don't need. Stick with your agreed book references and don't complicate things. Good luck enjoy. Know thoroughly what you need to know at this point in time. No confusion... right. Nev

What Nev has said is absolutely correct don't confuse the issue.

 

Really guys you are talking to someone here who probably has less than 10 hours - lift/drag curves, theory of aerodynamics, speed Vs angle of attack (just glance at your ASI it will tell you where you need to be), I know the theory is important but give the guy a chance.

 

Recflyer

 

Fly the aeroplane, listen to your instructor (he/she won't let you crash it), flying is all about feel, confidence and the picture you see out the front (VFR) enjoy the journey.

 

Aldo

 

 

[Keenaviator]

Feet... use them: properly.

Coordinate all the controls properly.....It takes time and practice, ie repetition

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Aldo, it's a normal practice for an instructor to ensure the student has a strong theoretical knowledge that is in line with the lessons he's flying. It's a basic fundament of how we teach pilot to fly " properly" which unfortunatly is a little more complex a task then just telling them to " look out the wondow." If only it were that simple mate. We are giving the pilot the best " chance" if he knows what's goin on. This method may differ form how you were taught, but ... There it is.

 

Cheers;)

 

 

[Aldo]

Merv

 

I understand that but it is his instructor that should be ensuring that he is competent as far as the theory goes not this forum, that just confuses people. I learnt to fly in the eighties when the requirements were a whole lot more stringent than a 20 hour RAA pilot certificate requirement or 25 if you want a cross country endorsement back then (if I remember correctly) it was min 35 hrs to get a RPL (GFPT these days) and min 25 hrs to get your nav (PPL).

 

My opinion I don't think the training requirements for RAA are stringent enough.

 

 

[facthunter]

Arguably the planes we fly require more skill than many GA do. so we don't need confusion, but good basic principles taught well in the early stages. With slow flight the normal speed margins are reduced. Many pilots are downright scared of flying anywhere near the stall. They should be concerned and concentrate more in that situation. The Plane won't stall unless the pilot forces it to. Nev

 

 

[Aldo]

Nev

 

I agree the aircraft that we fly in RAA are more difficult to fly and more susceptible to the conditions than the GA ones we fly so my question would be why are the requirements less than the GA requirements?

 

 

[facthunter]

I wouldn't know if the standard varies that much from GA to RAAus. Perhaps the requirements are written as less but the standard(s) achieved depend on PEOPLE applying judgements. Eg You don't send someone off solo if they aren't up to it. but you also know in the early stages they could not cope with some extreme conditions. At the time of issuing a certificate they are not expert but hopefully SAFE and will progress as they learn more and gain confidence. Having said that, there is always room for improvement. Employers like people with a few hours under their belt assuming they fly better (safer) with more experience. Nev