AnthonyGA
30th Aug 2008, 13:25
As I have been happily simming in big iron on my PC, I have found, over time, that control movements in airliners seem to work better if I move the controls sharply in order to get the aircraft to start moving, then return them to a neutral position. At least it seems to work better this way than by gently moving the controls and holding them.
Looking at some cockpit videos of pilots hand-flying aircraft like 737s, 767s, 747s, etc., it appears that pilots do this in real life, too. During an approach, for example, I see them turning the yoke a good 30-45 degrees and then immediately returning it to neutral. I find this encouraging, because it implies that I'm doing things right (and that the sim is accurate), but I'd like to confirm.
So … what type of control movements do you find most effective on large airliners? It's it better to move sharply until the aircraft starts to respond, then back to neutral, or can you/should you hold it in place with less movement but longer duration?
This is all for Boeing aircraft. I understand that Airbus doesn't work quite the same way with the sidestick, although I don't understand what the difference is—comments on how the Airbus is flown are welcome.
Also, are the techniques for rudder and elevators different?
Looking at some cockpit videos of pilots hand-flying aircraft like 737s, 767s, 747s, etc., it appears that pilots do this in real life, too. During an approach, for example, I see them turning the yoke a good 30-45 degrees and then immediately returning it to neutral. I find this encouraging, because it implies that I'm doing things right (and that the sim is accurate), but I'd like to confirm.
So … what type of control movements do you find most effective on large airliners? It's it better to move sharply until the aircraft starts to respond, then back to neutral, or can you/should you hold it in place with less movement but longer duration?
This is all for Boeing aircraft. I understand that Airbus doesn't work quite the same way with the sidestick, although I don't understand what the difference is—comments on how the Airbus is flown are welcome.
Also, are the techniques for rudder and elevators different?