Flying with Attitude

[coppercity]

You should always have a "good" attitude when flying, but in this instance I'm talking about "Pitch" attitude!

 

Most of us have no trouble getting our "little plastic airplanes" to go where we want, and can generally hold altitude and airspeed pretty well with all of the technology our cockpits offer. Besides, we have autopilots that can do the job for us, and glass panels that show us more information then we can process sometimes, but none of it is really needed if you just fly by watching outside and listining to your airplane!

 

There are 4 basic attitudes that will help us do our job as pilots (Climb, Cruise, Turns, and Descents)remember those four fundamentals when you started training? They were the first real maneuvers you learned and were the building blocks for the rest of your training. So how well can you do those maneuvers without the aid of technology? Im sure most do just fine, but if your new to the CT, having a couple helpful hints on how to point the airplane may be useful for your transition.

 

Lets talk "climbs" first. It is this first thing we do right after takeoff. If your getting your first couple hours in the CT then you should be taking off with 0 deg flaps. In most cases your going to be climbing at Vy after takeoff which is 73KIAS in the CTLS. As you look out the front of the cockpit, there is a point on the instrument panel where the windsheild meets the instrument panel. If you pitch the aircraft up so that the line created by that intersection moves up to the horizon, you should be very close to Vy if you hold it there at full throttle. If you raise the flaps to the -6 position and keep the same reference, you will be at 78KIAS now which is Vy for that flap setting.

 

Ok, now for "Cruise". If your doing what I would call a local cruise (5000-5200rpm)the horizon should end up about 1 fist above the instrument panel. Try it, make a fist and place it on top the instrument panel in front of you. Put the horizon on top of your fist and you should be close to level. If your going to outrun the local C-172 or Cherokee then push the throttle up to 5400, give yourself a thumbs up on top of the instrument panel, and put the horizon on top of your thumb. That should keep you about level, but faster, then you bring your thumb to your nose and snub the tin can you just blew by!

 

For "descent", that is an approach to landing descent in the typical flap configuration of 15deg, putting the horizon at the intersection of the top of the side windows and the A-frame of the doors will get you a 500fpm descent and a airspeed of 55-60KIAS with the power between idle and 2800rpm, perfect for landing. I know, I know there are more flaps available but Im trying to keep it simple for the guys just starting!

 

30 Deg bank turns..Easy, just roll until the horizon goes from the bottom corner of the windscreen to the top corner of the other side!

 

If your doing takeoffs with 15deg of flaps, your initial climb attitude will look very similar to the "local cruise" picture, remember one fist on the panel...Except you will be levitating at around 60KIAS, kinda flat and strange for a climb. If you put the horizon at the bottom of the windscreen like a normal climb, you will be between 50-55KIAS, pretty good for a obstical climb, but a little slow per the book Vx.

 

 

These tips will get you close, but will vary a little depending on how you sit in the plane, how tall you are etc. I encourage you to find little things like these that will help you fly your airplane just by looking outside, it will improve your "seat of the pants" flying, and help you if do a BFR with a mean CFI like me that likes to turn all the gadgets off!

 

Fly fun, Fly safe, Fly CT!

[anselm]

Hi Eric,

unfortunately I can`t go out and try your fine advice on attitude flying - our strip is buried under ice and snow! Wish I were in sunny Bisbee just like about a year ago. Planning a tip around the Pyrenees coming May with some good information from Angelitomon. Aside from being trapped right now we love our CTLS !

Greetings to a mean CFI,

Anselm

[NC Bill]

Really GOOD stuff. Thanks Eric. As soon as this front blows through I'm going out and practice.

[S3flyer]

Back in my past flying bigger planes, I had no trouble in cruise maintaining constant altitude with no reference to instruments. There was plenty of cowl length to find a reference to line up with the horizon.

 

Not so with my Sting S3. I'm also somewhat tall (6' 4") but there is no part of the cowl that I can align that would put me in level flight. It took awhile but I now have a reference just below the yellow tip of the prop that keeps me straight and level. Used to feel like porpoise

[Magnet]

I've recently purchased a Rans S-7LS (still flying the CTSW to). The panel is very basic steam and I am learning again to fly more by visuals outside the cockpit and the sound of the engine. It's been a great experience and I do really like how it's helping with my CT skills. Flying a tail wheel is no different than a tri gear, taxi, takeoff and landing however are very much different. Lot's of fun.

[coppercity]

Hi Anselm!

 

Well we don't have any snow or ice in Bisbee, but we are sure cold tonight! With the wind chill we are going to be down to -4f. That is to cold for this Arizona boy!

 

Glad your enjoying the new LS!

[207WF]

This is good stuff! Back to the basics. What you left out was looking out the side window at the wing tip and how to line the wing tip up relative to the horizon in various flight modes. Now I am motivated to go check that out. WF

[Tom Baker]

Eric, I agree with most of what you said, but I do find a couple differences. For me climb with 15 degrees flaps I use the base of the windshield and it gives 60 kts. The other thing is turns. The sight picture is very different from one dirrection to the other. You only gave one view. Also what power setting are you using for the turns? When doing primary training I use 4700-4800 to put the airplane close to Va. This would effect the sight picture. One other trick if you are doing soft field take offs is to rotate until the base of the windshield is on the horizon and hold it there.

[coppercity]

Hi Tom and WF

 

Good feedback! I also use 4800 for turns, and have students add a little back in for the steep turns usually 5000 rpm once the 45 deg bank is established, this will maintain the speed around 95kts through out the turn.

 

I suppose the difference in my 15 flap climb is the height I sit, may also have to do with the density altitude we fly at. Like I said, it's a starting point and as you have done, find a sight picture that puts the plane where you want it. If you can get these points across to students and really develop their stick and rudder skills they will blossom much faster. I like the soft field technique, I think I will steal that.

 

Look forward to more comments, the best way to learn is from other peoples experience!

[brich]

where have you been :unsure: that is awesome advice, put very simply. I just passed my checkride and can't wait to try this. I hope you don't mind I'm going to copy this and give it to my instructor.