PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Attitude = speed control/power = pitch
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Old 8th May 2012, 13:37
  #39 (permalink)  
99jolegg
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
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I'm not an instructor but I've been trained various ways and fly jet transport aircraft now.

Like the original poster, I found that concept utterly confusing in the early days, to the point that I would sit and think about what needed to be done given what I was seeing out the window and confirmed with the ASI. It left me massively behind the aircraft and as such, I haven't entertained the concept since.

The easiest way I found to fly an approach that works in your C150 to your heavy jets is use pitch and power in unison. Imagine a piece of string connects your hand on the throttle to the hand on the yoke. If you move one, you move the other in the opposite direction. A bit like when you swing your arms when you run; when one arm goes forward, the other goes back. Of course, in this case, those movements can be as minimal as a squeeze of pressure or a 2mm move in throttle.

If you're high, you lower the nose slightly and simultaneously reduce the power slightly. Once you're on the correct path, you'll raise the nose slightly, not forgetting that you'll need an increase in power to maintain the speed. The same goes for being too fast or too slow. If you alter one, alter the other.

Two caveats to that. One is that you'll find, as you get more experienced, that you can work combinations of that technique to be more efficient and effective but it's a good process to hang your hat on to start with. Particularly, you'll find that a small change in power on an approach that is spot on in pitch requires, in some cases, no change in pitch if you were looking to alter your approach speed by a few knots.

The second is that you should be wary of bringing your own techniques, and those of people on an anonymous forum, to your training regime. It can in some circumstances do more harm than good, especially if you haven't consulted your instructor or the school. That said, it's a recognised technique that works for most but can be fairly dependent on experience.

Good luck!
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