Version 3.0, 24 September 2011 Flight Briefing Stage 1, Module 3 Copyright © 2011 Ted Dudley

Which airplane are you flying? Hit the esc key Click on “Slide Show” Click on “Custom Slide Show” Select your aircraft

Preflight Any questions? On today’s preflight, tell me  What type / color fuel are we looking for?  How much do we / can we have aboard?  What do we do if we find water or contaminants in it?  How long can we fly with what’s aboard?

Sectional Charts What you’ll use for VFR flying We’re on the border between Montreal and New York sectionals Each chart valid for about six months Scale is 1:500,000  One inch on chart is 500,000 inches (about 7 NM) on ground  You travel one inch every 3 ½ minutes (no wind) Each minute of latitude is one nautical mile  But not so for longitude

Sectional Chart Highlights Terrain and elevations, tall obstructions Cities, towns, rivers, roads, bridges, etc. Airports and type airspace Visual and radio aids to navigation, low altitude airways Military low level routes Important frequencies Tabulated lists of info on control towers, restricted areas, military operating areas

Sectional Charts Lotsa good stuff here Spend some time going over the legend  Try to find an example on the chart of each symbol in the legend  Take notes; ask your instructor about terms you don’t understand

Radio Communications What frequency will you use and what will you say…  On initial contact with ground control?  When ready for takeoff?  When sent to departure control?

Traffic Pattern Radios with Tower Initial contact (usually after handoff from approach)  Who you are, where you’re going  Approach has usually told you what to do, e.g., “join a right downwind for 33”  If there was a handoff, she already knows where you are Acknowledge any further clearances with callsign  Probably several aircraft in the pattern, so it’s important for controller to know that the right aircraft got the clearance

Example Radio Calls with Tower [Approach] “Cessna 8ZD, join left base for runway 1” “8ZD roger, left base for 1” “8ZD contact tower 118.3” “8ZD roger” “Burlington tower, Cessna 738ZD, for a left base runway 1” [Tower] “Cessna 8ZD, traffic short final to runway 33, winds 340 at 10, cleared to land runway 1” “8ZD, cleared to land runway 1”

Traffic Pattern Radios – No Tower Procedures in AC 90-42F, Traffic Advisory Practices at Airports without Operating Control TowersAC 90-42F Use Common Traffic Advisory (CTAF) frequency assigned to that airport Three kinds of situations; the first two are rare around here  Flight Service Station located on field gives Airport Advisory Service  UNICOM – Somebody (usually FBO operator) has a radio and can give advisories  Self-announce procedures – nobody home at airport, you’re on your own No advisory service directs traffic, they just tell you what they see Airplanes without radios may be in the pattern  You won’t hear them call; they won’t hear you. Watch for them!

Traffic Pattern Radios – No Tower Many fields use common frequencies; always say the name of the field at the beginning and end of each call Generally use “self-announce” procedures Nobody’s directing traffic; pilots sequence themselves  Listen; ask questions as necessary to find and deconflict with other traffic First call normally 10 miles out: who you are, where you are, intentions Other calls as required:  Entering downwind, base, final  Leaving runway

Example Radio Calls - No Tower “Plattsburgh Traffic, Cessna 738ZD, Ten miles east for a right downwind runway 35, Plattsburgh” “Plattsburgh Traffic, Cessna 738ZD, joining right downwind runway 35, Plattsburgh” “Plattsburgh Traffic, Cessna 738ZD, right base, runway 35, Plattsburgh” “Plattsburgh Traffic, Cessna 738ZD, short final, runway 35, Plattsburgh” “Plattsburgh Traffic, Cessna 738ZD, clear of runway 35, Plattsburgh”

Takeoff

Get and acknowledge clearance; line up on centerline Aileron into any crosswind Full power and hold throttle in Steer with rudder; anticipate tendency to turn left Slight back pressure to fly at 60 MPH 49R, 93L

Takeoff Get and acknowledge clearance; line up on centerline Aileron into any crosswind Full power and hold throttle in Steer with rudder; anticipate tendency to turn left Slight back pressure to fly at 55 KIAS 8ZD

Takeoff Get and acknowledge clearance; line up on centerline Aileron into any crosswind Full power and hold throttle in Steer with rudder; anticipate tendency to turn left Slight back pressure to fly at 50 MPH 43T

Climbing Flight Advance the throttle to full, apply back elevator pressure to raise the nose of the airplane and right rudder to center the ball As power is increased, the airplane’s nose will rise due to increased download on the stabilizer As pitch attitude increases and the airspeed decreases, progressively more right rudder must be applied to compensate for propeller effects and to hold a constant heading Climb speed is MPH; establish the appropriate attitude and trim for MPH 49R, 93L

Climbing Flight Advance the throttle to full, apply back elevator pressure to raise the nose of the airplane and right rudder to center the ball As power is increased, the airplane’s nose will rise due to increased download on the stabilizer As pitch attitude increases and the airspeed decreases, progressively more right rudder must be applied to compensate for propeller effects and to hold a constant heading Climb speed is KIAS; establish the appropriate attitude and trim for KIAS 8ZD

Climbing Flight Advance the throttle to full, apply back elevator pressure to raise the nose of the airplane and right rudder to center the ball As power is increased, the airplane’s nose will rise due to increased download on the stabilizer As pitch attitude increases and the airspeed decreases, progressively more right rudder must be applied to compensate for propeller effects and to hold a constant heading Climb speed is MPH; establish the appropriate attitude and trim for MPH 43T

Level Off Initiate the level-off at approximately 10 percent of the rate of climb Retain climb power temporarily so that the airplane will accelerate to cruise airspeed more rapidly Trim as you accelerate Good way to remember: PITCH-POWER-TRIM When speed reaches the desired cruise speed, set throttle to cruise power setting and trim for cruise speed

Straight and Level Flight Set power Select some portion of the airplane’s nose as a reference point, and then keep that point in a fixed position relative to the horizon Crosscheck against altimeter and vertical velocity, adjust nose position and trim as required

Straight and Level Flight Of course, if you want to fly straight, wings must be level

Descending Flight Descend with power as desired  Airspeed will increase if you leave the power up; trim as required Carb heat on if RPMs below the green arc Flaps as desired  But mind you don’t overspeed them! Initiate the level-off at approximately 10 percent of the rate of descent Return throttle to cruise setting after level-off Again, it’s PITCH-POWER-TRIM

Ailerons in the direction you want to go While rolling, rudder to overcome adverse yaw  Equal amounts of rudder and aileron A little opposite aileron when you’re happy with the bank angle to stop the roll A little less rudder when bank angle is set A little more power and elevator back pressure, especially in turns greater than 30 degrees bank Level Turns

Turn Coordination Keep the ball centered – step on the ball

Turns to Headings Rollout must be started before reaching the desired heading Normally, the lead is one-half the degrees of bank  For example, if the bank is 30°, lead the rollout by 15°

Trimming Pitch - Power - Trim  Set the pitch you want  Set the power you want  When airspeed is stabilized, trim off any force on the control wheel that you’re using to maintain the pitch At any time in stabilized flight, you should have it trimmed so the airplane’s pitch stays where you want it, even if you release the control yoke

North Practice Area

Southwest/ South Practice Area

Slow Flight When we say “slow flight” we usually mean flight at minimum controllable airspeed  Defined as slowest airspeed at which the airplane is capable of maintaining controlled flight without indications of a stall  usually 3 to 5 knots above stalling speed

Why Do Slow Flight? You must understand and be able to feel and handle the difference in control response between slow speeds and normal cruising or maneuvering speeds  The airplane handles differently in slow flight  The airplane is close to the stall speed in slow flight  So this is the first step in understanding stalls You’ll do slow flight every time you land  Unless you’re messing it up badly…

What’s Different? At slow speeds, it takes more control deflection to achieve the same rate of movement in pitch/roll/yaw than at faster speeds  Can be described as controls feeling “sloppy” or “ragged response” At speeds below max L/D, it takes more power to fly level at slower speed  This is because the induced drag increases rapidly as AOA increases  And it gets worse the slower you go  The slowest airspeed you can fly level is with full power and full flaps  May cause difficulty maintaining altitude Torque / p factor / slipstream effect all are maximized at high RPM and high AOA  So you’ll need a lot of right rudder for coordinated level flight

Performing Slow Flight Clearing turns first! Mixture – rich Select and maintain an altitude 1500 AGL minimum Throttle back; raise nose as necessary and trim for level flight Flaps down below flap limit airspeed Note airspeed at which stall horn sounds  Fly that airspeed or the airspeed the instructor specifies

Performing Slow Flight Add power as required to maintain selected altitude and speed Right rudder as required to center ball  Pretend there’s a rod linking your right hand (throttle) and right foot (rudder)  You may need a little left aileron to keep the wings level Don’t descend! If you do lose a little altitude, correct it immediately  This will require (a lot) more power, more rudder, nose higher  After correcting, take a little power and rudder out, pitch to maintain level flight

Level Turns in Slow Flight Use shallow (10-15 degrees) bank and a slow roll rate  At your speed, a level turn at moderate bank angles will result in a stall  You’ll get a pretty good turn rate at your speed even with a shallow bank Use just a little more power to overcome extra drag while rolling / turning Rudder as required to maintain coordination  Rolling left may require just easing up on the right rudder for proper coordination

Recovery from Slow Flight Add full power, accelerate level and straight ahead Flaps to 20 o at first, all the way up after accelerating a bit Trim! Gradually take out right rudder as you accelerate; keep ball centered Maneuver is done after you reach 100 KIAS/MPH

PTS Standard for Slow Flight Altitude, ±100 feet Specified heading, ±10° Airspeed, +10/−0 knots Specified angle of bank, ±10°

Collision Avoidance Flying a predictable pattern is a collision avoidance tool You’re not required to do left patterns, but it is the expected direction; you’re not prohibited from doing a straight-in approach, but people don’t always look for the guy doing a straight-in In the non-towered pattern, the radio doesn’t always tell you where everyone is and where they’re going  There might be an aircraft without a radio in the pattern

10 deg 39

10 deg 40

DownwindDownwind BaseBase FinalFinal Wind o to Downwind Prior to Downwind: Clear! SEATS/BELTS/HARNESSES - SECURE FUEL SELECTOR – BOTH ON LIGHTS - ON AS REQ MIXTURE - FULL RICH “Descent/ Before Landing Check complete” Appropriate altitude and direction On Downwind: About 100 mph Radio call if nontowered Maintain altitude Appropriate wind correction Appropriate distance from runway On Final: Flaps – Landing setting Airspeed – 65 mph Assess glidepath Pitch for speed; Power for glidepath Abeam touchdown point: CARB HEAT – ON “Landing Check Complete” Touchdown point 45 o behind wing: (this drawing not to scale) RPM Maintain level flight Flaps (check airspeed below white arc) – 10 o Slow to 80 mph, then let nose fall to maintain 80 mph Clear! Turn to base On base: Radio call if nontowered Apply appropriate wind correction 80 mph Flaps – 20 o Assess glidepath Lead turn to final to line up with runway “Knapp State Traffic, Cessna 5749R, left downwind 17, Knapp State” “Knapp State Traffic, Cessna 5749R, left base 17, touch and go, Knapp State” 49R, 93L

DownwindDownwind BaseBase FinalFinal Wind o to Downwind Prior to Downwind: Clear! SEATS/BELTS/HARNESSES – SECURE FUEL SELECTOR - BOTH LIGHTS - ON AS REQ MIXTURE - FULL RICH “Descent /Before Landing Check complete” Appropriate altitude and direction On Downwind: About 95 KIAS Radio call if nontowered Maintain altitude Appropriate wind correction Appropriate distance from runway Abeam touchdown point: CARB HEAT – ON “Landing Check Complete” On Final: Flaps – Landing setting Airspeed – 60 KIAS Assess glidepath Pitch for speed; Power for glidepath Touchdown point 45 o behind wing: (this drawing not to scale) RPM Maintain level flight Flaps (check airspeed below white arc) – 10 o Slow to 75KIAS, then let nose fall to maintain 75KIAS Clear! Turn to base On base: Radio call if nontowered Apply appropriate wind correction 75 KIAS Flaps – 20 o Assess glidepath Lead turn to final to line up with runway “Knapp State Traffic, Cessna 738ZD, left downwind 17, Knapp State” “Knapp State Traffic, Cessna 738ZD, left base 17, touch and go, Knapp State” 8ZD

DownwindDownwind BaseBase FinalFinal Wind o to Downwind Prior to Downwind: Clear! SEATS/BELTS/HARNESSES - SECURE FUEL SELECTOR - ON LIGHTS - ON AS REQ MIXTURE - FULL RICH “Descent /Before Landing Check complete” Appropriate altitude and direction On Downwind: About 100 mph Radio call if nontowered Maintain altitude Appropriate wind correction Appropriate distance from runway Abeam touchdown point: CARB HEAT – ON “Landing Check Complete” On Final: Flaps – Landing setting Airspeed – 65 mph Assess glidepath Pitch for speed; Power for glidepath Touchdown point 45 o behind wing: (this drawing not to scale) RPM Maintain level flight Flaps (check airspeed below white arc) – 10 o Slow to 80 mph, then let nose fall to maintain 80 mph Clear! Turn to base On base: Radio call if nontowered Apply appropriate wind correction 80 mph Flaps – 20 o Assess glidepath Lead turn to final to line up with runway “Knapp State Traffic, Cessna 5943T, left downwind 17, Knapp State” “Knapp State Traffic, Cessna 5943T, left base 17, touch and go, Knapp State” 43T

Final Approach Objective: arrive over the runway numbers  On final approach speed  Over the runway centerline  With the planned flap setting  At a height suitable for the roundout/flare maneuver

Final Approach Flap settings  First 20 0 extension – mostly extra lift  Further extension – mostly extra drag  Which is very helpful if you want to descend Trim changes  As you slow, you’ll need to trim nose up. Until…  Flaps more than 20 0 – get less flow over horizontal stabilizer, resulting in requirement for nose down trim

Final: Airspeed/Aimpoint Adjust airspeed with nose position; “Pitch for speed”  Want to go slower? Nose higher!  Want to go faster? Nose lower!

Final: Airspeed/Aimpoint Adjust aimpoint with power; “Power for glidepath”  Too shallow? More power!  Too steep? Less power! And don’t forget to stay on centerline

Common Error on Final It’s common to get the previous 2 slides backwards  Student may just point the nose at the runway numbers, which results in nose low/higher speed  And try to slow by pulling the throttle back  Which doesn’t work because the nose is low  All this results in a long, fast landing

Estimating Glidepath Aim for the runway numbers  Shouldn’t be so slow or steep that you lose sight of the runway numbers The point at which your flight path intersects the planet is the point which does not move up or down on your windscreen

Estimating Glidepath You only have one engine, so why not approach a little steep?  That way, if the engine quits on final, you may not have to settle for landing in the trees just short of the runway For normal approaches, use the PAPI/VASI “on glidepath” indications as a lower limit until nearing flare The more headwind there is, the steeper your aircraft can approach

Roundout/Flare A slow, smooth transition from a normal approach attitude to a landing attitude Gradually round out the flightpath to one that is parallel with, and within a very few inches above, the runway Look ahead half- to three quarters the way down the runway Begin at about half a wingspan in altitude  Start a little higher, flare more quickly if steep; lower, less quickly if shallow Once started, should be a continuous process until the airplane touches down on the ground  This means the yoke should be slowly moving throughout the flare

Common Error in the Flare As you descend below 100 feet, you’ll notice the ground seem to approach you rapidly Natural tendency is to pull the nose up to slow the rate at which the ground is approaching This gets you very slow, high above the runway Hold the nose down to maintain final approach airspeed until it’s time to flare  At about half a wingspan in altitude

In the Flare Level off a few inches above the runway Power to idle stop Align nose with runway with rudder Try to keep it from touching down  It’ll eventually touch down anyway if the power is in idle  But you’ll need to continually and slowly keep the yoke coming back as you decelerate

After Touchdown You’re not done flying! Don’t just release all pressure on the yoke Ease the nosewheel to the runway  Nosewheel steering available after nosewheel touches down Maintain runway centerline until slowed to taxi speed Brake as required

Really Bad Common Error Never try to touch down at a particular place by releasing back pressure in the flare You will bounce, every time  And this can lead to very disappointing results We’ll go over how to recover from a bounce in later lessons

Touch and Go Make sure there’s enough runway remaining! While rolling down/correcting to the centerline:  Flaps –up  Either trim back to takeoff index or be prepared to pull back harder to rotate at proper speed  Power and carb heat all the way in; hand remains on throttle  Be prepared for left yawing tendency  Rotate at proper speed

CrosswindCrosswind UpwindUpwind Wind 57 Upwind leg: Maximum Power Normal climb speed (Nontowered) Climb straight ahead until 300 ft below pattern altitude Clear! Turn crosswind On crosswind Roll out with wind correction Clear! Climb to pattern altitude Prepare to do Descent / Before Landing and Landing checklists Turn downwind

After Landing When clear of runway… 49R, 93L

After Landing When clear of runway… 8ZD

After Landing When clear of runway… 43T

Shutdown Flow 49R, 93L

Shutdown Flow 8ZD

Shutdown Flow 43T