Ailerons during Taxi

gkaiser

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Jul 5, 2012
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Lake in the Hills,IL
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gkaiser
I'm having a horrible time remembering what directions to put the ailerons while taxing..does anybody have any easy way of remembering it? Very frustrating to be struggling with such a basic thing I just can't seem to remember! Especially when i'm already fine tuning my landings and hopefully solo'ing in a few weeks..
 
Always know where the wind is coming from, then think "climb into/dive away". Headwind you pull back and turn towards the wind, tailwind you push forward and turn away from the wind.
 
Turn in to the wind to fart. Turn away from the wind to pee.
 
If the wind is strong enough to blow the airplane over while you taxi because you have the ailerons wrong - perhaps you should be asking yourself if it's really a good day to fly...
 
If the wind is strong enough to blow the airplane over while you taxi because you have the ailerons wrong - perhaps you should be asking yourself if it's really a good day to fly...

It's not that the wind is strong enough to blow the airplane over, it's that the wind is strong enough to weathervane the aircraft. Correct control placement reduces the loads on the aircraft.
 
The one-sentence procedure is the same whether or not he knew. Both are important, and he specified taxi rather than takeoff, when upwind control is arguably most important.
I didn't address the elevators because the OP said it was the ailerons which were troubling him.
 
I'm having a horrible time remembering what directions to put the ailerons while taxing..does anybody have any easy way of remembering it? Very frustrating to be struggling with such a basic thing I just can't seem to remember! Especially when i'm already fine tuning my landings and hopefully solo'ing in a few weeks..
Wind in front turn into it, elevators neutral. Behind you dive away from it.
 
I always remember it as thumbs up at neutral aileron. Turn to point thumbs into the wind. Stupid but it worked.
 
Turn in, dive away. That's what I always said to myself. That way, you recognize no elevator action into a headwind, but you both dive and turn away from a tailwind.
 
Turn into a headwind; dive away from a tailwind right?

It's easier to comprehend by flying an aircraft with a stick.
But yes, those are the basics.

Think of the wind hitting the control surface, and whether it would pick up the wing/tail, or hold it down. You want down.
 
Just look at the actual aileron and figure out which way you want the wind deflected... rather than trying to figure it out with the yoke. Whatever it takes to keep the wing down.
 
Just look at the actual aileron and figure out which way you want the wind deflected... rather than trying to figure it out with the yoke. Whatever it takes to keep the wing down.
We have a winner. Took 18 posts to reach this far though.
 
Point your controls the same way the grass is blowing.
 
I use two ways...both do the same thing.

1) climb into and dive away from (previously said)
2) I always remember to show the the wind the tops of my control surfaces.
 
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