Dudley Henriques

Barry wrote:
>> The first thing I show a new student is the "nose picture" they should see
>> in level flight. I fly the airplane so it is flying straight and level.
>> They look out and see where the nose is in relation to the horizon. That is
>> the picture they want to see when they level off or when they are flying
>> straight and level anytime. Once they learn that then they fly it straight
>> and level.
>
> I agree with this, but the exact "nose picture" varies slightly depending on
> loading, temperature, power setting, etc. So once you put the nose where you
> think it should be, you still need a way to confirm that you are in fact
> level, and the best instrument for that is the VSI.
>
>
Highflyer and I came up through the same school of approach to flight
instruction I guess. :-))

Checking with the VSI and the altimeter are fine, but no mistake about
it; nose attitude control can be and actually IS extremely accurate for
level flight, climbs and glides.

The way I like to see it done is to transition and set the airplane by
nose attitude and hold it there with control pressure while following
closely with power and trim as dictated for the desired configuration..
Cross check peripherally for accuracy on the panel and adjust as needed.

The ultimate goal should always be not to over concentrate on any single
cue when transitioning from one flight attitude to another, but rather
to blend smoothly, constantly using and cross checking ALL AVAILABLE CUES.

Good buddy and ex Thunderbird lead Chris Patterakis once said when asked
about cues while flying, and I completely agree,
"We don't fly in a one cue world"

--
Dudley Henriques