Flight Training - June 2019 - 20

PREFLIGHT CHECKRIDE

FORWARD SLIPS

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BY BOB SCHMELZER

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SPEED BRAKES FOR GENERAL AVIATION

MOST TURBOJET AIRCRAFT ARE EQUIPPED

with aerodynamic lift dump devices known
as spoilers or speed brakes. In contrast,
few propeller-driven and smaller general
aviation aircraft have these devices, used
when excessive altitude or airspeed needs
to be quickly dissipated. Whether you're
experiencing an emergency that requires an
immediate rapid descent or just find yourself a little high and fast on final approach, a
forward slip could be your best solution.
The FAA considers the forward slip
maneuver an important enough skill to
require its demonstration during all private
pilot checkrides. Unfortunately, checkride
applicants sometimes struggle to perform
this task properly or effectively. The most
common errors include not reducing
power to idle, not using full flaps when
applicable, incorrect aileron (downwind)
input, applying only a partial rudder input,
and not sufficiently lowering the nose to
maintain a desirable/safe descent speed.
Examining each of the five ingredients
that produce an effective forward slip, the
first three are easy because they are fixed:
Power IDLE; Flaps FULL; Rudder FULL
deflection. The remaining two are variable
inputs: Upwind aileron as needed to maintain the desired ground track, and elevator
input needed to obtain a pitch attitude
that yields the desired descent airspeed.
Common sense dictates that when you are
higher than desired, your first corrective
action should be to reduce power-to idle
if necessary. If your airplane has a variable-pitch propeller, setting the rpm to
full (flat) pitch will create maximum drag.
Then if you are still too high, lowering the
landing gear in retractable-gear airplanes
while extending full flaps would be next.
Still too high? Time to consider performing
an S-turn or a forward slip-or both.
For forward slips, if you're descending
toward a runway while in a crosswind
condition, lower the upwind wing with
aileron inputs while simultaneously
applying FULL downwind (opposite)
rudder. Remember to "pitch for airspeed"
by lowering the nose attitude to obtain and
maintain the desired descent airspeed.
What airspeed? If you're planning to
20 FLIGHT TRAINING JUNE 2019

land, your normal approach speed would
be good. But if you need to lose a ton of
altitude fast, the higher your airspeed, the
greater the drag produced, thus yielding
a greater descent rate. However, there is a
limit. Be careful not to exceed the maximum flap operating range (VFE), which is
presented on the airspeed indicator at the
upper end of the white arc. Exceeding VFE
could cause structural damage to the flap
system. Equally nasty would be allowing
the airspeed to get too slow by not lowering
the nose enough. Either of these common
errors will scare examiners.
To become proficient at forward slips,
as with other flying skills, you must practice them. Instead of only doing a forward
slip when you find yourself too high, try
accomplishing one in each direction-left
aileron, right rudder, and then vice versa-
for maybe 500 feet of descent during each
of your practice sessions to help you get a
better feel for the control inputs and proper
pitch attitude needed for success. Before
long, you'll be much more comfortable and
proficient with forward slips, and even find
yourself enjoying them.
Be on the lookout for an opportunity
to demonstrate your forward slip skills if
you discover a need for a rapid descent.
Because the airman certification standards
emphasize effective risk management and
sound decision-making skills throughout
the checkride, examiners especially love
to see their applicants proactively decide
to use their various tools as conditions
dictate without being advised to do so by
the examiner. So whether you simply find
yourself too high on final approach, or if
you need to increase your descent rate
during a simulated engine failure or emergency descent scenario, take the bull by the
horns, exercising your excellent pilot-incommand judgment and skills by using the
appropriate tools at your disposal-like a
forward slip, perhaps-and you'll notice a
big smile on your examiner's face.
BOB SCHMELZER is a Chicago-area designated

pilot examiner, a United Airlines captain and
Boeing 777 line check airman. He has been an
active gold seal flight instructor since 1972.

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Flight Training - June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - June 2019