Flight Training - April 2013 - 8

LETTERS

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will be edited for style and space.

CLIMBS, DESCENTS,
AND FEET

READERS WEIGH IN ON VARIETY OF STORIES

enjoyed Jamie Beckett’s article on takeoff procedures (“Solve
the Takeoff Equation Quandary,” February 2013 Flight Training). However, the statement that VY “won’t change with weight
or weather, but will change with altitude” struck me as suspicious. So I grabbed one of many aircraft manuals lying around the
house, for a 1974 Cessna 172. At sea level the VY speed drops from 91
mph at 2,300 pounds to 83 mph at 1,700 pounds. I had also grabbed a
manual for the V35 Bonanza to look up something else, so I decided to
check that one out as well. It is a very
extensive manual and the information
there is conflicting. On the one hand, the
climb table specifies climb speed of 96
knots or 110 mph for all weights. However,
the table for takeoff distance that immediately precedes that one calls for speeds
at liftoff and at 50 feet which decrease
with weight, e.g. liftoff 71 at knots at 3,400
pounds to 59 knots at 2,400 pounds.
Whit Beckett (no relation)
Rochester, New York
USE YOUR FEET

Ian Twombly’s piece on turning poweron stalls in the February issue was a good
review (“Technique: Turning Power-On
Stalls”). The FAA’s increased emphasis on
stall recovery technique might perhaps
have precipitated more detail on the stall
recovery—particularly the use of rudder
instead of aileron to level the wings during
a stall, as the aileron will be quite ineffective in most airplanes during a stall.
Mike Pidek
Owosso, Michigan

HERE TO HELP

I just wanted to say that I read Flight
Training to find the errors. It never lets
me down. The February issue has a doozy!
There are not four left-turning tendencies except in a conventional tail-wheel
airplane with a standard engine. Even then
they are encountered primarily on takeoff.
I am constantly having to “help” students, instructors, and other what we can
loosely call professionals in the aviation
business. With your magazine pooring
[sic] out the errors, I have many, many
years of work ahead. Thanks.
In a standard-engined, Cessna-style
airplane (excludes the pushers), when the
aircraft is pitched up the yaw tendency
from precession is to the right.
Laury Weitzel
Meadow, Texas
Weitzel’s is the most direct of the many
letters we received about this mistake, for
which we apologize. –Ed.
BLAME THYSELF

I always enjoy Wayne Phillips’ articles. I

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Flight Training - April 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - April 2013