Only one or both hands on controls during take-off
At the risk of thread drift I think the idea of adopting airline style operating practices in light aircraft is frequently derided as "pish".
Some airline practices clearly do not belong in little airplanes. When I am at my day job flying a large 2 crew T-Prop during the take off one hand is on the wheel and the other hand is on the power levers until the "V1" call at which point that hand goes to the wheel. In a light aircraft I teach one hand on the throttle and the other hand on the wheel until 1000 feet AGL.
However there are many aspects of airline flying that IMO are directly relevant to light aircraft like checklist discipline, applying performance calculations, takeoff emergency briefing and a host of others.
Arrogantly dismissing all large aircraft operating practices as irrelevant to light aircraft flight training is iMO a disservice to the student.
Some airline practices clearly do not belong in little airplanes. When I am at my day job flying a large 2 crew T-Prop during the take off one hand is on the wheel and the other hand is on the power levers until the "V1" call at which point that hand goes to the wheel. In a light aircraft I teach one hand on the throttle and the other hand on the wheel until 1000 feet AGL.
However there are many aspects of airline flying that IMO are directly relevant to light aircraft like checklist discipline, applying performance calculations, takeoff emergency briefing and a host of others.
Arrogantly dismissing all large aircraft operating practices as irrelevant to light aircraft flight training is iMO a disservice to the student.
Last edited by Big Pistons Forever; 16th May 2012 at 18:12.
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there is common areas BPF as you rightly say.
But what we have in the UK is a group of people that try and fit as much airline ops into SEP flying as they can.
They want 3 deg glide all the time using PAPI's which means the student never learns to judge the aspect for an none prompted approach.
They add stupid amounts of speed onto approach as per a jet SOP.
And the list goes on.
But what we have in the UK is a group of people that try and fit as much airline ops into SEP flying as they can.
They want 3 deg glide all the time using PAPI's which means the student never learns to judge the aspect for an none prompted approach.
They add stupid amounts of speed onto approach as per a jet SOP.
And the list goes on.
A good command / pre-take-off brief surely is simply good flying practice, and has nothing to do with the size of aeroplane.
Checklists are different: "do -confirm" that is standard in multi-crew is less sensible than "read - do" in a light aeroplane.
But I have seen single engine Cessnas provided with massive book-form checklists when everything important could easily be on a single sheet of A4 - A5 with brevity. Ye gods I went to do some training on a microlight the other day and was presented with a 10 page printed checklist. The owner looked rather disgruntled when I threw it in a locker and wrote a simple mnemonic on his kneeboard and told him to use that.
3 degree glideslip belongs when following an ILS, or flying a multi-engined aeroplane. I have been doing teaching at Booker where a 3 degree approach will put you if the engine coughs anywhere between 800ft and 100ft in the middle of High Wycombe. Fly a single engined aeroplane as a single engined aeroplane - that is, one in which a single engine failure must be survivable. But the number of pilots I've flown with who try to fly that bloody 3 degree approach - and there isn't even any instrument approach at Booker.
Performance calculations are necessary. At shorter runways. Anybody doing them in a C152 on an 1800m runway arguably has too much time on their hands!
Weight and balance calculations on the other hand are done far too rarely. And here's another recent bugbear of mine - people (usually syndicates) who leave a f****ing great bag of tools in the back of an aeroplane all the time, without every considering what it's doing to the CG.
Big aeroplane CRM has its place on occasion as well. I got phoned the other day by a PPL who was struggling to cope with another PPL they were flying with who couldn't keep their hands off the controls without permission and needed advice on how to deal with it. A firm talk on good CRM helped fix that.
So yes...
(a) Some big aeroplane practices belong in little aeroplanes, but not all:-
(b) I'm worried that I'm starting to sound like Mad Jock.
G
Checklists are different: "do -confirm" that is standard in multi-crew is less sensible than "read - do" in a light aeroplane.
But I have seen single engine Cessnas provided with massive book-form checklists when everything important could easily be on a single sheet of A4 - A5 with brevity. Ye gods I went to do some training on a microlight the other day and was presented with a 10 page printed checklist. The owner looked rather disgruntled when I threw it in a locker and wrote a simple mnemonic on his kneeboard and told him to use that.
3 degree glideslip belongs when following an ILS, or flying a multi-engined aeroplane. I have been doing teaching at Booker where a 3 degree approach will put you if the engine coughs anywhere between 800ft and 100ft in the middle of High Wycombe. Fly a single engined aeroplane as a single engined aeroplane - that is, one in which a single engine failure must be survivable. But the number of pilots I've flown with who try to fly that bloody 3 degree approach - and there isn't even any instrument approach at Booker.
Performance calculations are necessary. At shorter runways. Anybody doing them in a C152 on an 1800m runway arguably has too much time on their hands!
Weight and balance calculations on the other hand are done far too rarely. And here's another recent bugbear of mine - people (usually syndicates) who leave a f****ing great bag of tools in the back of an aeroplane all the time, without every considering what it's doing to the CG.
Big aeroplane CRM has its place on occasion as well. I got phoned the other day by a PPL who was struggling to cope with another PPL they were flying with who couldn't keep their hands off the controls without permission and needed advice on how to deal with it. A firm talk on good CRM helped fix that.
So yes...
(a) Some big aeroplane practices belong in little aeroplanes, but not all:-
(b) I'm worried that I'm starting to sound like Mad Jock.
G
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A good friend of mine is one of the few internationally recognized trainers on Lake Amphibians. To my amusement, he insists on two hands on the control wheel during takeoff. This deviates from my normal practice of maintaining control of the throttle during takeoff. I asked him about this.
He explained that for new pilots it takes a lot of concentration to get the planing attitude right on the water, so being distracted by the throttle is not so good. Two hands on the wheel, and you concentration is there too. So, when I went for refresher training with him last summer (required, as I am named on his fleet insurance), this came up again, as I had a firm hold of the throttle during takeoff. I got the "reminder". Being a bit too bold, I reminded back that of my 150 hours in flying boats, 100 is in the Teal, which does not have a place for a second hand on the controls, so the throttle seems the best place for that extra hand. So takeoffs are perfectly natural with one hand. He did not disagree with the logic, and said I could fly as I liked when I was alone, but any demo/training flying I do is to be two hands to set a good example, and be consistent. I'll see if I can remember that!
In the mean time, all other aircraft, one hand on the controls, the other on the throttle(s). I have had them creep back, and that is insidious!
While checking myself out on a Cessna 207, I was doing circuits, as I had to bring the plane home, into a shorter runway, so I wanted to be ready. Its pretty heavy to fly, and after a number of circuits my arm was getting tired (no electric trim), so I did a few two handers - it is an option....
He explained that for new pilots it takes a lot of concentration to get the planing attitude right on the water, so being distracted by the throttle is not so good. Two hands on the wheel, and you concentration is there too. So, when I went for refresher training with him last summer (required, as I am named on his fleet insurance), this came up again, as I had a firm hold of the throttle during takeoff. I got the "reminder". Being a bit too bold, I reminded back that of my 150 hours in flying boats, 100 is in the Teal, which does not have a place for a second hand on the controls, so the throttle seems the best place for that extra hand. So takeoffs are perfectly natural with one hand. He did not disagree with the logic, and said I could fly as I liked when I was alone, but any demo/training flying I do is to be two hands to set a good example, and be consistent. I'll see if I can remember that!
In the mean time, all other aircraft, one hand on the controls, the other on the throttle(s). I have had them creep back, and that is insidious!
While checking myself out on a Cessna 207, I was doing circuits, as I had to bring the plane home, into a shorter runway, so I wanted to be ready. Its pretty heavy to fly, and after a number of circuits my arm was getting tired (no electric trim), so I did a few two handers - it is an option....
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You see thats a good valid reason to be different.
So is pulling the handle to dump the glider.
Spraying your never above 200ft anyway and its so specialised you can do what the hell you like.
PPL hand on the tit please because i really can;t see anything that is going to endanger you more tha the lever jiggling back.
So is pulling the handle to dump the glider.
Spraying your never above 200ft anyway and its so specialised you can do what the hell you like.
PPL hand on the tit please because i really can;t see anything that is going to endanger you more tha the lever jiggling back.
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Arrogantly dismissing all large aircraft operating practices as irrelevant to light aircraft flight training is iMO a disservice to the student.
