Holding altitude, heading and airspeed

S

saintlfd

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Jun 21, 2011
Messages
10
Location
Argyle, Texas
Display Name
Display name:
Dave L.
Training for SP in a SportCruiser. Having trouble holding altitude and heading. Airspeed, too, during maneuvers.

I think I need to make greater use of trim and to focus more on the horizon and landmarks (ground reference) instead of the instruments.

Any other suggestions for helping develop greater consistency?

Thanks!
 
practice. visual reference, like you said...took me a while to trust it, but 90% outside, 10% inside. pick a spot on the horizon and fly to it. also, sound........changes in airspeed, pitch, etc will sound slightly differently, and for me, awareness of this gets better with practice. oh, and did I mention practice? but, I'm just a new guy, so let the vets chime in.
 
Time and practice, grasshopper.
Become one with the aircraft.

Ten to one you are over-controlling the airplane. Everyone does it at first.
 
I learned in this plane and it just takes a little time/practice/patients and it one day all comes together.

How many hours do you have? Remember you are light and susceptible to even the slightest wind.
I wish I could find a sport cruzer here to fly. Everyone here has a Technam.
 
saintlfd said:
Training for SP in a SportCruiser. Having trouble holding altitude and heading. Airspeed, too, during maneuvers.

I think I need to make greater use of trim and to focus more on the horizon and landmarks (ground reference) instead of the instruments.
Click to expand...
Yup. Changes, particularly in attitude, that look small on the instruments are actually much larger than you might think until you look outside.

Any other suggestions for helping develop greater consistency?
Click to expand...
Start with those. Then see what happens.
 
I had trouble at first with this as well. Looking out the window more and less at the VSI was the real winner. Also being more patient with the trim wheel.
One of my instructors told me early on about finding the correct pitch and power setting for what ever attitude you need, be it climb, descent or cruise. Works great with all the pressure relieved of the control column if I still find my self climbing a little, pull 20-30 rpm and watch the difference it makes. Took me a while but I know "how" to do it now I just have to keep reminding my self to do it..:rolleyes:
 
Once your are on the selected heading, pick a landmark on the horizon and fly to it. Trim the plane for hands off flight, check altimeter often, make very small pitch corrections. The airspeed will take care of itself on when you hold altitude.
 
Suggest to your instructor that he cover the instruments. It's like a miracle drug for wandering headings and altitudes by forcing you to learn the outside visual cues.
 
MAKG1 said:
If you think you need to use greater use of trim, you're almost certainly right.
Click to expand...

In straight and level flight yes but I'm not so sure you need to be messing with the trim so much while doing maneuvers in a SportCruiser.
 
Silvaire said:
In straight and level flight yes but I'm not so sure you need to be messing with the trim so much while doing maneuvers in a SportCruiser.
Click to expand...
Messing? It should be automatic. My biggest problem with trim in the past 10 years has been movement to airplanes with electric trim - my hand automatically reaches for the manual wheel with zero thought involved.

Yes, a SportCruiser is lighter on the controls but what does that have to do with automatically setting trim based on control pressures?
 
midlifeflyer said:
Yes, a SportCruiser is lighter on the controls but what does that have to do with automatically setting trim based on control pressures?
Click to expand...

So you're saying that while maneuvering you are constantly chasing and trying to trim out control pressures? In a SportCruiser?
 
I'm not sure what kind of panel you are working with, but as a guy who does the majority of his flying in VMC (and about an even split of IFR and VFR), I still reference the VSI a whole lot. For pitch trim, it will give you a heads up if you are not trimmed out for level flight. Use the ball to trim out the rudder/rudders, and then use your personal annoyance factor to trim out the ailerons once the others are squared away. This should keep your basic airwork honest. At least that is what I do. Of all the airplane types I have flown, I still have yet to find one that is truly "hands off" when trimmed up, but it should be very close to hands off.....at least to the extent that you can stop flying for a little bit to do other things in the cockpit. Bumpy air, wind shear, gusts, etc all will cause you to chase that perfect trim job, but you should certainly work towards being at the 95% solution for just practical flying. At least that is my .02

Oh yeah, I don't trim during maneuvering/"aerobatic" flight. Control forces are just too dynamic to really do you any good there IMHO, unless you are in like a sustained 60 deg AOB turn or something for a long time.
 
Trim is a key to controlled flight ,trim with outside reference will work fine with practice.relax flying is fun.
 
I've read this one piece of advice that really stuck with me: "Instruments are for checking performance, not achieving it." Using outside references has really helped my maneuvering, just occasionally checking in on the instruments.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Suggest to your instructor that he cover the instruments. It's like a miracle drug for wandering headings and altitudes by forcing you to learn the outside visual cues.
Click to expand...

This ^, and night T&Gs with the cockpit lighting off. You'll be forced to get the "feel" of the airplane, and learn to utilize the visual, and audible clues to maintane speed, alt, and heading.
 
Silvaire said:
So you're saying that while maneuvering you are constantly chasing and trying to trim out control pressures? In a SportCruiser?
Click to expand...
No, I'm saying that I don't even think about setting trim in any airplane. Just do it when and if needed. I guess you'll have to ask my passengers and instructors whether I "chase" much of anything when I fly.

One exception: I'm the the "no trim for training maneuver steep turns" school. But then it's a matter of thinking ahead and specifically saying to myself - "no trim for this maneuver."

So you're saying you have to make a conscious decision whether to trim or not? Seems like a lot of mental work that can be better used elsewhere.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top