CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 25
CFI'S POINT OF VIEW
NO AIRSPEED INDICATOR!
CAN YOU FLY THE AIRPLANE?
BY ED HELMICK
CAN YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS FLY A LIGHT GENERAL AVIATION AIRPLANE BY
SIGHT, FEEL, AND SOUND? Airspeed indicator failures are rare, but not uncommon.
Summer is the season which brings to us bugs that like to make their homes in small
holes found on our airplanes, resulting in a blockage in the pitot static system. I also
know of a pilot who has launched off into the air and did not notice the flag on the
pitot tube cover that says, "Remove Before Flight." Then there is the fellow who went
flying right after the airplane had been washed-he failed to notice the static port
had been taped over to prevent water from entering. In case of airspeed information
failure, your physical senses and knowledge of the airplane are what will keep you
from becoming a "failure to maintain safe airspeed" statistic.
So, we should ask ourselves if we can fly without a functioning airspeed indicator.
The answer should be, "Yes I can fly and land an airplane without an airspeed
indicator." However, a few students and one instructor recently were hesitant in
providing an affirmative response to that question. Maybe as flight instructors we
need to review our flight training regarding an inoperative airspeed indicator.
A fundamental primary flight instruction technique is to integrate the performance
of flight maneuvers by comparing outside visual references and the flight
instruments. Fundamental to altitude and airspeed control is "pitch + power
= performance." During flight training exercises we need to have our students
correlate in their mind the sensual input their brain is receiving in terms of the
visual picture out the windscreen and the airplane's flight instruments, the sound
of the engine, the sound of the airflow, and tactile sensations or feel of the flight
controls. Pilots should learn that flying an airplane is an extension of their senses
and their brain's ability to process and interpret what that information means. They
need to understand how the airplane feels and sounds in different flight conditions,
and not to rely solely on the flight instruments to assess what the airplane is doing.
Flight instructors emphasize this well in teaching aerodynamic stall recognition
at altitude with a discussion of mushy control feel, diminished outside airflow
sound, and the onset of a stall buffet. But it appears we do not provide a similar
understanding in other flight conditions, including our topic of flight without a
functioning airspeed indicator.
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2
CFItoCFI Newsletter—Vol. 11, Issue 2
CFI Notes and Letters
In the Spotlight: COVID-19 and How to Prepare to Fly Again
Rejected Takeoffs—Lessons Learned from a First Solo
Safety Webinars: Hone Your Skills—Be Well-Informed
ASI Message: Fly with Focus—Help Lower Insurance Rates
CFI News
CFI Tips: Share the Joy!
Teaching Technique: Simplifying Airspace with Rocket Science
There I Was... Midair
CFI Tools: Public Benefit Flying—Feed Your Passion
CFI's Point of View: No Airspeed Indicator! Can You Fly the Airplane?
Beyond Proficient: Teach Your Students Well
You Can Fly: Flight Training Experience Project—Lights, Camera, Action!
Safety Quiz: Thunderstorms
Lessons Learned: Onboard Weather Display—What You See May Not Be What You Get
Chief's Corner: New Checklists
Pilot Safety Announcement: Phone Home
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - CFItoCFI Newsletter—Vol. 11, Issue 2
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - CFI Notes and Letters
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 3
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - In the Spotlight: COVID-19 and How to Prepare to Fly Again
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - Rejected Takeoffs—Lessons Learned from a First Solo
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 6
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 7
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 8
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - Safety Webinars: Hone Your Skills—Be Well-Informed
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - ASI Message: Fly with Focus—Help Lower Insurance Rates
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 11
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - CFI News
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 13
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 14
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 15
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - CFI Tips: Share the Joy!
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 17
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 18
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - Teaching Technique: Simplifying Airspace with Rocket Science
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 20
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 21
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 22
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - There I Was... Midair
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - CFI Tools: Public Benefit Flying—Feed Your Passion
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - CFI's Point of View: No Airspeed Indicator! Can You Fly the Airplane?
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 26
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - Beyond Proficient: Teach Your Students Well
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 28
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - You Can Fly: Flight Training Experience Project—Lights, Camera, Action!
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 30
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - Safety Quiz: Thunderstorms
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - Lessons Learned: Onboard Weather Display—What You See May Not Be What You Get
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 33
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - Chief's Corner: New Checklists
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 35
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 36
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - 37
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 2 - Pilot Safety Announcement: Phone Home
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