Learning Factor – Relationship

Moving from the simple to the complex. There is only one stand alone exercise in the private pilot curriculum – Attitudes and Movements. Everything is built from this.

Straight and Level flight is a cruise attitude. You can now add to it trim, rudder use and speed changes.

Climbs, Descents and Turns are coordinated nose high, nose low and banked attitudes. You are now adding the use of rudder and climbing or descending at a constant power setting and airspeed. I recommend using the term “rudder in the direction of roll” rather than “rudder in the direction of turn”. It is more likely the students will then use rudder on roll out as well as roll in.

Range and Endurance is speed changes in level flight with the goal in mind of determining range and endurance speeds.

Slow Flight is what happens when one allows the airspeed to drop below endurance. The emphasis is now on the symptoms of slow flight. I actually demonstrate this for the first time from endurance.

The Stall is what comes if you do not pay attention to the symptoms of slow flight. I demonstrate the stall from slow flight.

A Spin occurs when you do not recover from a power on stall with a wing drop. For a private pilot, I demonstrate this from a power on stall with a wing drop. The method of spinning from the “kick-pull” entry is not necessary for private pilots and it actually teaches them that you must be very aggressive with the airplane to spin. Spins actually happen much more assiduously.

I teach Steep Turns here. The students are now competent with medium bank turns and are ready. Using relationship, I start the demonstration with a 30 degree bank turn. Once stable, I pitch up slightly, then 100 RPM and slowly roll into 45 degrees of bank and hold it. I have the student do it this way for the first few times as well. The seem to learn the turn much more quickly.

A Spiral Dive is an over banked turn that is losing altitude.