Let your mind fly the aircraft

[9 lives]

When you learn to fly, an instructor teaches you to pull or push this or that, to make the aircraft do what you want it to. That is the way to start to learn to fly an aircraft. However, more valuable to you will be allowing your mind to fly the aircraft directly, and forgetting what you hands and feet are doing. They still need to do it (feet in particular ;)), but don't have the control flow stop and restart at your hands and feet - it's simply distracting!

For those who have operated machines like backhoe or excavator, after a while, when you've caught on to it, you'll watch the bucket digging a great trench, and you might stop to watch your hands. You will notice them moving rhythmically, but not really connected to your mind, it's operating the bucket, and your hands are just in the circuit.

An aircraft will respond to your mind very well. Sure, you're allowed a little transition time from type to type, but allow your mind to guide the aircraft, and don't think about your hands and feet any more than necessary. Save it 'till you're back on the ground talking about air combat, and need your hands to show your audience how you snuck up on the enemy's six high, and rolled in on him....

[Chuck Ellsworth]

and need your hands to show your audience how you snuck up on the enemy's six high, and rolled in on him....

Jeses....that brings up all kinds of scenarios..:E

[9 lives]

Okay Chuck, I clarified!

[Chuck Ellsworth]

I was only trying to be funny.

Your topic is very good and I agree with what you said.

[India Four Two]

ST, a very interesting and timely post. I was reading another thread about the ongoing discussion about whether pitch or power controls airspeed, which started me thinking about my flying.

When I'm in a glider, I definitely use pitch for airspeed control and on final, use the airbrakes for approach path control. However, I realized that when I'm in a powered aircraft, I'm not sure what I do.

As you said, I just think about what I want the aircraft to do and my hands and feet make appropriate adjustments, without me being aware of what they are doing.

When in the circuit and particularly on final, the only instrument I occasionally glance at is the ASI. I have no idea what the MP or RPM gauges are displaying.

[echobeach]

I have found watching how instructors achieve this with us (all who continue to try and improve skills) fascinating.
It's about the transition from being unconsciously incompetent on your first lesson.
To being consciously incompetent when you start to realise what you need to do. But just can't.
To being consciously competent. When you can fly down the final approach but have to think about what you do with power and elevator to achieve it.
To finally being unconsciously competent. Where you fly on slope and on speed to the touchdown point and don't know how you did it.
This latter skill of unconscious competence is the one you refer to and the key to all the manual skills of flying. This leaves you with extra brain power for everything else that may need attention

The excellent flying instructors I have met can take your level of skill and make something of it. The best ones I have met, are just masters at helping us achieve this.