Feet

Feet

  • I'm always being told to use my feet.

    Votes: 9 90.0%

  • Sometimes they do, sometimes they don' tell me to use my feet.

    Votes: 1 10.0%

  • I'm never told to use my feet except for t/o, landing and taxi.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    10
Arnold

Arnold

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Arnold
On Saturday I flew with a friend who has been a student pilot in another state on and off for several years. He's got 113 hours. Signed off for solo cross country.

He flew Lady Luscombe a bit. He said he had never had an instructor tell him to use his feet when turning prior to this flight. He knows to use them for taxi, take off and crosswind landings.

You new guys, is this common?
 
In Low Wing Pipers the rudder pedals are footrests until landing or taxiing. Unless doing something crazy maneuver wise the ball pretty much stays centered.
 
EdFred said:
In Low Wing Pipers the rudder pedals are footrests until landing or taxiing. Unless doing something crazy maneuver wise the ball pretty much stays centered.
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Really? I always use the footrests when turning...
 
In my primary training in a 152 a few years ago I was told early on to always keep the ball centered with my feet but was not very good at it. Recently the commercial maneuvers have forced me to improve.
 
Not a new guy, but I use my feet mostly, although a yaw damper makes me lazy.
 
murphey said:
Really? I always use the footrests when turning...
Click to expand...

...on the ground! :D

Flown 9 or 10 different low wing pipers and never needed the rudder pedals like I did the 152/172/182/Rans/Citabria/Extra. Usually just push on em during climb out, tweak them to center the ball during cruise and don't touch em again unless flying an IAP for tiny heading corrections and/or crosswind landings
 
If you don't learn how to use your feet, you will forever bollix every crosswind landing. I've mentioned this before, but I can still hear my primary instructor's voice in my head on final approach: "Use your feet! Use your feet!" I think of him and thank him internally on every flight.
 
My instructor hasn't told me that for a very long time, but that's just because I do use my feet, despite flying a low-wing Piper. On glassy days, rudder needed is minimal. Not so much if there's convection. I went flying yesterday, doing pattern work, and the thermals were so bad, my instructor asked if we were on an amusement ride. Keeping wings level was interesting - and my legs still hurt this morning from using the rudder for about an hour straight!
 
I only use my feet for taxi, takeoff, climb, turning, slow flight, cruising in less than perfectly smooth air, descent, and landing. And maybe some other times just for fun.
 
I use the rudder as appropriate to keep the ball centered... but different people have different preferences...
 
Some airplane types obviously require more footwork than others. From what I’ve seen as an instructor, it seems that whatever airplane type the student learned in has a large bearing on how active their feet are, and likely how often they were told to use their feet. I have never ran across a student that didn’t know they were supposed to use their feet though.
 
Used to fly a Challenger ultralight. You had to learn to "lead with the rudder" going into a turn.

I was taught that whenever the stick moves the rudder should move.
 
chemgeek said:
If you don't learn how to use your feet, you will forever bollix every crosswind landing. I've mentioned this before, but I can still hear my primary instructor's voice in my head on final approach: "Use your feet! Use your feet!" I think of him and thank him internally on every flight.
Click to expand...
Unless you fly an Ercoupe....
 
The ball, the ball, the ball, ...
If you pay attention, after awhile your ass calibrates with the ball. God gave us two butt cheeks--use them.
:)
 
Ask your doctor if more right rudder is right for you.
 
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