Exercise Your License to Learn
When performed in a safe and controlled environment, stalls are a blast! But being caught off guard by an inadvertent stall can be a terrifying and dangerous experience. That’s why stall training is such an important part of the private pilot syllabus. But students are only trained in the methods of stall entry and recovery, but are left unaware as to the most high-risk phases of flight.
Like all ground reference maneuvers, S-turns are practiced to cement the fundamentals of aircraft control. The goal is to develop aircraft control coordination by flying the aircraft along a precise ground track at a constant altitude. Although rarely perfect on the first try, the maneuver is actually quite easy as long as you know what [...]
Going through private pilot training, I was taught to trim the airplane for all phases of flight. After fighting the controls for one too many flights, the lesson took. Like most students, I was also told to trim the airplane for steep turns. Although trim makes the turn much easier, I suggest that you try [...]
Pilots have some sort of machismo complex when it comes to making a smooth landing. I know it feels good to grease it right on the money. Not to mention that the landing leaves a lasting impression on each and every passenger. But a smooth landing is secondary to the primary goal of landing the [...]
