moggie - please confirm that you were NEVER a RAF QFI! Because I have to say that I think that you're largely talking nonsense.
Incidentally, the oft-misused 'Power- Attitude-Trim' litany used by civil FIs is a misunderstanding of what they really mean. In the RAF, Power-Attitude-Trim is only used to describe what to do when changing power settings, for example in straight and level flight. First Power is set, during which the Attitude is held steady and the effect of the new power setting is Trimmed - you don't allow the ac to fly you, you control the effect of your power change. Then as the power change takes effect and causes acceleration or deceleration to a new steady state, the attitude is Progressively Adjusted and Trimmed! to maintain straight and level balanced flight.
I've also heard some people talking about 'Attitude-Power-Trim' when levelling off at top of climb in a prop-driven aircraft. Again that's rubbish - the correct technique is to Select, Hold and Trim the new straight and level attitude and then Progressively Adjust and Trim to maintain straight and level balanced flight as the aircraft accelerates to cruising speed.
In anything I've ever flown, elevator controls IAS and power controls Rate of Descent until you are aiming at a fixed reference point on the runway. Then elevator controls flightpath aim and power corrects rate of change of speed.
[ 20 October 2001: Message edited by: BEagle ]