Hi Guys,
Thanks for your replies. I think you've helped me crack it. If I understand correctly, the feeling is that a heavy and a light aircraft will have the same glide angle if they fly at their optimum angle of attack. Right?
The only difference being that a heavy aircraft will require a faster speed to achieve this angle of attack, whereas a light aircraft achieves this best angle of attack at a lower speed.
Thus, a light aircraft descending at the same airspeed as a heavy aircraft will actually be diving at a steeper angle. Right?
This explains why my Training Captain said that it is better to dive off the profile in a light aircraft than to try and slow down. If I dive it off I achieve a steeper angle, then I can slow down easily in level flight. Whereas if I try and descend at a slower airspeed with my light aircraft I'll actually be coming closer to my best glide speed (or angle of attack), and actually sailing above the 'profile'...
I think it's becoming clearer and I'm no longer doing this
with my mind!
Any other thoughts on this?
Gusty