Spiral dive up to vNE (CPL instruction)
Join Date: Dec 2009
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*** stoopid question alert ***
I'm not an instructor, so please forgive me! When recovering from a spiral dive, under the hood, maybe limited panel, I've never understood why it's not a good idea to use the kinetic energy created to recover back to the original (or as close as) altitude one was at when the departure from s&l occurred. Isn't there a chance that the unintended dive put one below msa, and that to recover just to s&l at the lower altitude, perhaps in cloud, is throwing away valuable time/distance to remain above an obstruction?
I'm not an instructor, so please forgive me! When recovering from a spiral dive, under the hood, maybe limited panel, I've never understood why it's not a good idea to use the kinetic energy created to recover back to the original (or as close as) altitude one was at when the departure from s&l occurred. Isn't there a chance that the unintended dive put one below msa, and that to recover just to s&l at the lower altitude, perhaps in cloud, is throwing away valuable time/distance to remain above an obstruction?
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Because straight and level it is the easiest attitude to recover to, and if you try to get straight into a climb there is considerable risk that you overpitch and end up in a stall.
When you are pulling out of the dive, at some point the speed will start to drop and the altimeter will stop unwinding, both indicating that you have found the horizon, so you have two instruments telling you that you got it right. The exact point is also quite easy to see - it is when the respective needle stops and starts going the other way.
In the climb, you only have the airspeed indicator, and you are aiming for a specific climb speed. You need to anticipate the point at which to relax the backpressure or you will undershoot the target speed. The inertia of the nose swinging up is not helping, either. Best case, you catch it before the stall and sort it out after a couple of oscillations. Worst case, you are halfway around the loop, flop out to one side and have to wait to do it all over again.... in IMC.... on limited panel. Well, at least the turn coordinator does not topple, let's hope the spin is upright and not inverted...
When you are pulling out of the dive, at some point the speed will start to drop and the altimeter will stop unwinding, both indicating that you have found the horizon, so you have two instruments telling you that you got it right. The exact point is also quite easy to see - it is when the respective needle stops and starts going the other way.
In the climb, you only have the airspeed indicator, and you are aiming for a specific climb speed. You need to anticipate the point at which to relax the backpressure or you will undershoot the target speed. The inertia of the nose swinging up is not helping, either. Best case, you catch it before the stall and sort it out after a couple of oscillations. Worst case, you are halfway around the loop, flop out to one side and have to wait to do it all over again.... in IMC.... on limited panel. Well, at least the turn coordinator does not topple, let's hope the spin is upright and not inverted...
Join Date: Feb 2009
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I get the students to do it, especially early on in their training as a reminder NOT to go 'ALL OUT' on the controls and over stress the frame. A minor thing, but I've seen a few get 'panicked' by the increasing attitude/speed and roll and pull "come what may". That little check just gives a more reasoned and cautious response by the student.
Consideration of VMO is the first objective in recovery from a high speed upset and recovery
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Speed - High = Close throttle, Low = Full power
g - Get it to 1
Roll - Roll to the nearest horizon (or to stop T/C showing turn)
Pitch - Pitch to normal attitude (or to stop ASI changing)
PM
g - Get it to 1
Roll - Roll to the nearest horizon (or to stop T/C showing turn)
Pitch - Pitch to normal attitude (or to stop ASI changing)
PM
