Flight Training - November/December 2021 - 39

SCRATCHING THE SURFACE
Wally Moran, an FAA examiner
and former airline chief pilot, said a
pilot's flying background is telling in
the way the person thinks and how
he or she performs.
" Glider pilots don't need an autoAEROBATICS
The
confidence that comes from
a proven ability to fly an airplane
through its full 360-degree range
of pitch and roll-as well as speeds
ranging from zero to redline-is
the reward that comes from aerobatic
flying.
It's exhilarating, strenuous, and
allows pilots to more fully enjoy
other types of flying because they
know that they can precisely control
their aircraft at every attitude
and airspeed.
The first difference in aerobatic
flight training is that students are
taught to use sharp, decisive control
inputs. Smooth, subtle, fingertip
control manipulation as learned
in private pilot training is gone.
Full-deflection, stop-to-stop control
inputs are normal.
An aileron roll in a typical
aerobatic trainer requires every last
inch of stick travel. Entering a spin
and allowing it to develop requires
pressing a rudder pedal to the floor
and keeping it there as well as every
FLIGHT TRAINING NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021
39
bit of aft stick. The result of all this
aggressive handling is a strenuous,
physical flight experience.
Private pilots accustomed to
a maximum two Gs, or twice the
normal force of gravity, pressing them
into their seats during steep turns
with 60 degrees of bank are introduced
to aerobatic maneuvers such as
loops, Immelmanns, and half-Cubans
that typically subject them to about
four Gs. And negative Gs that push
the occupants away from their seats
(such as during sustained inverted
flight) are entirely new. Such novel
sensations can be fatiguing, disorienting,
and exhilarating, all at once.
Spins are the schoolyard bully
of aviation. They've got an intimidating
reputation, an air of mystery,
and most pilots are taught only to
avoid them. But when confronted
with an experienced instructor,
thorough preparation, and proper
equipment (an airplane rated for
aerobatics, parachutes, and a safe
altitude) spins turn out not to be
so tough after all. With practice,
they become just another flight
maneuver that can be broken down,
dissected, and understood in detail.
mated weather report to know what
the wind is, " he said. " They can tell
by looking outside. When 10 knots
of wind can be 25 percent of your
ground speed, you tend to notice it. "
Tailwheel pilots are zealots for
the centerline because tracking
it precisely allows them to notice
lateral drift and avoid swerves, and
they bring that habit to everything
else they fly.
" A pilot with tailwheel experience
flying a tricycle gear airplane will
always demonstrate better rudder
control, " he said. " They perform
better low-energy landings and on
the centerline. "
All this hasn't even delved into
backcountry flying, high-altitude turbine
aircraft, seaplanes, helicopters,
ski flying, or the next generation of
electric propulsion and eVTOLs.
There are so many aspects to flying
and new areas to explore that no
pilot can expect to master everything.
By stretching, digging deep into the
topics you find most compelling,
learning-and possibly teaching-the
flying stays fresh and new.
It's not a test. It's the continuation
of a journey. FT
dave.hirschman@aopa.org
Flight Training - November/December 2021

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