Instrument Flying

Five hours of flying with reference to instruments is the minimum required for the Private Pilot Licence. This training is crucial because one might accidently fly into bad weather or clouds and have no outside visual cues to help fly the plane straight and level. The inner ear that provides a sense balance can also provide false cues which could cause you to accidently put the plane in a spiral dive. You are taught to ignore the body's sensations when you don't have the horizon as a visual flight reference.

Attitute + Power = Performance

- If you are straight and level on the ATTITUTE INDICATOR and your POWER is at cruise setting, you should be at a straight and level flight.
- Performance instruments are Air Speed Indicator, Altimeter, Vertical Speed Indicator, Turn and Balance Coordinator and Heading Indicator - these will be constant if Attitute and Power is controlled.

Tip: With reference to attitude indicator, concentrate on one thing at a time: 1. if height, concentrate on altitude indicator. 2. if heading, concentrate on heading indicator.

Failures

- If the vaccum system fails (you can tell by the suction gauge), use the turn and bank coordinator which is powered by electricity.

Rules of Thumb

- Taking away 100 RPM while maintaining airspeed = 100 Ft. drop
- Taking away 100 RPM while maintaining attitude = 5 KTS drop

Turning back 360 degrees

- Rate one turn is approximatly a 15 degree bank angle
- 15% of your airspeed should be your rate one turn (10% of airspeed + 7 KTS is rule of thumb)
- It takes 2 minutes to turn back 360 degrees ((3 degrees / second)
- check time, note heading, start turn, level out after two minutes.
- Use markings on Attitute indicator and Turn and Bank coordinator to help

Climbing
- Attitute - 10 degree marking
- Power
- Trim

Descending
- Power
- Attitude (slightly below horizon in attitute indicator)
- Trim

Turning
- No more than 15 degrees (rate one)

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate

- when flight into poor visibility
- make 360 degree rate one turn
- if not out of poor visibility, call FSS (126.7) (they might hand you off to Pearson)
- first and foremost: fly the plane; navigate as per instructions; then speak with FSS



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