Flight Training - December 2013 - 41

oncoming traffic. When either of these
things happen, we refocus on the primary
and most accurate visual reference for
control: In the car, quit tuning the radio
and look at the road; in the airplane, look
out the windscreen and note the nose-low
attitude. In both cases we correct our situation with direct reference to the outside
visual cues.
Flying is three-dimensional, and we
don't always pull up to go up, or push
down to go down. But even when we are
making counterintuitive inputs-pitching down to climb when operating on the
backside of the power curve, for example-we do so by measuring this input
specifically on the horizon. Like looking at
the curve in the road as we drive around
it in a car, this is the most accurate way to
control the airplane in flight.
BOTH OF THE PILOTS in the example are
able to produce acceptable results with
different techniques-one proactive, the
other reactive. Maybe this clouds our
ability to differentiate between right and
wrong when it comes to control technique.
If my student or I can perform a steep turn
to PTS tolerances using this "incorrect"
method, how incorrect could it be?
On my first takeoff in the left seat of a
Cessna 172, my instructor told me that
when the airspeed reached 60, I should
pull back on the control yoke until the hole
in the control column (the one that the
control lock fits into) was two inches aft
of the locked position. Just because this
worked, however, does not make it a correct or valid technique for learning control
inputs during takeoff. The first pilot in the
example directly measured aircraft attitude by horizon reference, and controlled
the airplane proactively by this reference
with brief glimpses at the resulting instrument indications. The second pilot used
a technique that can work, but can't be
precisely measured, is less accurate, and is
more difficult to repeat with any reliability.
So when we talk of stick-and-rudder flying skills we are describing attitude flying,
and we are actually describing the most
fundamentally correct concept of airplane
control. The proof that this method of flying is most correct is that it yields the best

results. The way we control the airplane
is to use the flight controls, in the correct
sequence and proportion, to change or
maintain aircraft attitude with respect to
the natural horizon or the runway environment as appropriate for phase of flight.
ALTHOUGH WE DO SEE EXAMPLES where
pilots exert control over the airplane by
using the power controls alone, power is

which quickly turns into a habit and subsequently degrades the accuracy of every
flight maneuver.
ATTITUDE FLYING IS MORE EFFECTIVE

because the direct measurement of pitch
and bank results in proactive instead of
reactive control inputs. Control of the
aircraft by visual reference also is more
accurate because of the visual geometry

THE APPLICATION OF STICK-AND-RUDDER ATTITUDE FLYING
SKILLS CAN REFRESH AND IMPROVE EVERY ASPECT OF
AIRCRAFT CONTROL.
not a primary flight control. We adjust
involved. When making pitch inputs with
power to increase or decrease thrust
reference to the horizon, think of a laser
as necessary. Aerodynamics for Naval
beam projecting straight out from the
Aviators says, "For the airplane to remain
spinner of the airplane to the horizon-
in steady level flight, equilibrium must
a very small pitch change results in a
be obtained by lift equal to the airplane
dramatic change in the reference of the
weight and a powerplant thrust equal to
imaginary laser to the horizon, which is 20
the airplane drag." We must have sufficient miles away.
thrust available to balance aircraft drag for
Experiment with this at altitude. You
the specific aircraft attitude selected.
will find that you can make easily discernNow that we have defined what we are ible pitch changes when looking outside
talking about-stick and rudder means
that do not register at all on the static
attitude flying, and attitude flying means
instruments, and perhaps just barely on
controlling the airplane with direct refer- the attitude gyro. When using attitude
ence to the natural horizon or the runway against horizon, we can measure pitch to a
environment-let's examine the performuch finer tolerance than when using the
mances of the two pilots. Is this really
lagging reference of altimeter, or even the
an accurate description of the perforattitude gyro.
mance of a steep turn by one pilot using
Even when flying behind the most
stick-and-rudder attitude flying skills,
advanced aircraft display systems, the
and the other using the instruments that
application of stick-and-rudder attitude
register the values of the maneuvering
flying skills can refresh and improve every
parameters?
aspect of aircraft control. We can improve
The first pilot flew a better steep turn
the results of each maneuver and flight
using stick-and-rudder attitude flying
condition when accomplished using speskills. The difference between the two
cific outside visual references, compared
pilots is that one is proactive, and the
to less effective techniques. Steep turns
other is reactive. The stick-and-rudder
are an excellent maneuver to practice and
attitude pilot recognizes that every aircraft experiment with this orientation to flying.
control input is made with the intention of At a safe altitude, no misstep should turn
changing or maintaining aircraft attitude.
into a safety-of-flight issue, and we are
The airspeed indicator, the altimeter, the
less constrained by other limitations on
heading indicator, and the inclinometer
our freedom to experiment. Practice under
all register the results of the attitude
the supervision of a qualified CFI when
selected combined with the selected thrust changing anything in your usual flight
setting: "Pitch plus power equals perforprocedures.
mance." The second pilot fell into the trap
Charles B. McDougal is a corporate pilot and desigof looking at these resultant instrument
nated pilot examiner who lives in San Antonio, Texas.
indications while making control inputs,
DECEMBER 2013 FLIGHT TRAINING

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Flight Training - December 2013

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