Flight Training - July 2021 - 28

TECHNIQUE
BY IAN J. TWOMBLY
ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLES FLOYD
TIME TO CLIMB
DECODING VY
AND VX
PICK A SPEED, ANY SPEED. OR, BETTER YET, PICK ONE OF TWO.
Typically when we take off in an airplane we choose whether
to climb at VY
, the best rate of climb speed, or VX
, the best angle
of climb speed. You can probably recite the definitions, but
understanding why we focus on those speeds will better help
you choose one.
Forget about airplanes and flying for a second and put yourself
in a car. You and a friend have made a bet. Before you are two hills
that both peak at 1,000 feet, and yours is a little steeper, but the
peak is closer. You look at the hill and bet that if you both floor
the gas you'll win a race to the top. But you're wrong. Your friend
wins easily. You check your odometers and he's driven farther than
you and still won the race. His hill required less power than yours,
allowing him to drive to the top faster.
Your friend is VY
and you are VX
. He has gained the most altitude
in the least amount of time, also known as the fastest rate. You
have driven the same height, and in a shorter distance, but it took
you longer to get there.
This is how you decide which speed to pick after takeoff. On
a normal flight our goal is to get as high as possible as quickly as
possible. This saves fuel, gets us into smoother air, and puts less
strain on the engine. However, if there were a bunch of large trees
at the end of the runway, time to cruise is the last thing we'd care
about. Then your goal is to get the car to the top of the mountain in
the shortest distance possible, or VX
.
ian.twombly@aopa.org
28
FLIGHT TRAINING JULY 2021

Flight Training - July 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - July 2021

Contents
Flight Training - July 2021 - Intro
Flight Training - July 2021 - Cover1
Flight Training - July 2021 - Cover2
Flight Training - July 2021 - Contents
Flight Training - July 2021 - 2
Flight Training - July 2021 - 3
Flight Training - July 2021 - 4
Flight Training - July 2021 - 5
Flight Training - July 2021 - 6
Flight Training - July 2021 - 7
Flight Training - July 2021 - 8
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Flight Training - July 2021 - Cover3
Flight Training - July 2021 - Cover4
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