Originally Posted by
bill fly
Hi Smythe,
You learn to trim from the first time you fly. You trim all aeroplanes of all sizes and speeds. It is basic to manual flying. You trim by feel, because the idea of trimming is to have a neutral feel at all times, so you trim out the load.
However... Fly by wire aircraft and earlier CWS - so called Control Wheel Steering (DC-10 type which operates through the AP) don’t require pilot trim input. There is no load for the pilot to trim out. That means that pilots have literally to make efforts not to want to trim when new on type and have to relearn when flying a traditional type - or CWS is off.
The 737 is not in the above category. In manual flight you trim instinctively as soon as there is any pitch load - except in a turn, when the load is expected.
Does that make more sense now?
Back to subject, hopefully.
If I may add just a soupcon of adjustment to the above. All the modern stuff is not real feel, it is only what the software has been programmed to let you feel. Yes of course the ancient B737 did have the old fashioned natural feel. But with the modern MAX, heaven forbid, but need be, elevator trim being nothing but a lettuce leaf, how could you possibly manually fiddle with the stab trim, especially if it is pelting along at a fair rate of knots. As I see the design concept, this particularly nasty buck is nay **** nor watercress.