Changing stabilizer trim from recommended
After receipt of the loadsheet with our final numbers including, amongst other things % mac and stab trim setting some of our pilots are changing the setting away from this.
Usually adding one to one and a half units nose up to "make for an easier rotation"
Seems like a bad idea and I have always spoken up and persuaded them to reset it to the recommended value.
Bearing in mind the occasional 'rotation surprise' of nose heavy or light loading, in the latter case it would appear with this 'technique' you could be tempting a tailstrike and/or rotation to a slower than optimal airspeed.
While this recommended setting (off the loadsheet) may not always be completely accurate it seems like a good place to start!
Any thoughts?