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First lesson logged; what’s next? (cont.)

By Steve Krog
Steve Krog is a flight instructor, EAA member and president of the Cub Association.

Next you will do the same exercise for straight and level flight. After reaching the desired altitude, your instructor will ask you to level the airplane and reduce the power setting for level cruise flight. Once again it will feel like you are chasing the airplane all over the sky but take a deep relaxing breath and remember that you are searching for the proper attitude - or nose position - in relation to the horizon to maintain level flight. The altimeter, a part of the pitot/static system, will also lag behind the airplane by 1-3 seconds similar to the airspeed indicator. If you fix your eyes on the altimeter while attempting to level the airplane and establish level flight, you will continually be climbing and descending.

Lower the nose slightly from your climb attitude and keep it steady. After several seconds look at your altimeter and see if the needles have stopped moving upward. If the long thin needle continues to move slightly upward, lower the nose a fraction of an inch and again hold it steady. Should you lower it a bit too much the altimeter will begin showing a loss of altitude indicating that you’ve lowered the nose a bit too much and started to descend.

So raise the nose ever so slightly and hold it steady. Finally, the altimeter needles will stabilize. Again take a good look at where the nose of the airplane is in relation to the horizon. This is the attitude you’ll be striving for each time your instructor directs you to establish and maintain straight and level flight. Remember, too, the power setting you’ve been instructed to use, such as 2,200 RPMs, as this is the recommended power setting for straight and level flight in your aircraft. You’ve just accomplished the second of three steps in learning attitude flying.

Step three is determining where the nose of the airplane needs to be positioned in relation to the horizon for making descents and losing altitude. Your instructor will direct you to reduce your power setting to 1,200 RPMs, for example, and maintain a 70 mph descent. As the power is reduced you will immediately feel and see the nose of the airplane pitch downward requiring that you apply slight back pressure on the control yoke.

Once more you’ll have the urge to “chase” the airspeed, but remember what we’ve learned so far in this lesson: it lags behind the airplane. To stabilize the airplane and achieve the 70 mph descent we will again need to figure out where the nose belongs in relation to the horizon. Should you see that your descent speed is 80 mph, apply a bit more back pressure raising the nose slightly. Hold it steady and let the airspeed stabilize. If it stabilizes at 75 mph, apply a bit more back pressure, again raising the nose ever so slightly. Finally, it will stabilize at the desired 70 mph. Take a good look at where the nose is in comparison to the horizon and remember it. This is exactly where you want to place the nose every time your instructor asks you to demonstrate a descent. You’ve just accomplished step three of attitude of flying.

For the remainder of the flight lesson your instructor will direct you to perform climbs, establish straight and level flight at an assigned altitude, and then perform a descent to another assigned altitude. As you practice these maneuvers you’ll soon find yourself getting better - and smoother - as you apply and reduce power and raise and lower the nose.

What began as a frustrating task has now become quite easy for you and you will have accomplished the ability to fly the airplane smoothly using attitude flying.

There is another important reason for understanding and learning attitude flying. Not only will it make you a better pilot, but it will also make you a safer pilot. Should the airspeed indicator ever fail, you’ll know exactly where to position the nose of the aircraft. Together with your power settings you will be able to safely make a climb, fly level, and descend at the aircraft’s recommended airspeeds.