"The Leans"
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"The Leans"
Never happened to me.
Should I be worried? - if my brain is going to stop working I think I'd rather it had happened dual. Or am I safe from it having got through the IMCr course?
Should I be worried? - if my brain is going to stop working I think I'd rather it had happened dual. Or am I safe from it having got through the IMCr course?
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Sorry to say, but you are not safe from vertigo... although you are probably safe when it hits.
You probably experienced a bit of "mini-leans" at the beginning of the IMC training - the illusion of turning when in the climb, the illusion of flying straight and level in a prolonged turn etc. etc..
You then got over it by trusting the instruments, in particular the AI, and developing your scan. You probably barely notice it now.
When real vertigo hits you and you feel your head is spinning (in my case, over 100 hours after getting my IR) you have to go back to basics, do only the most fundamental scan (AI, turn coordinator, airspeed) to convince yourself that the aircraft is in control. Make sure that your AI actually works, though...
Reverting to straight and level helps, although that might not be an option depending the phase of flight. Just keep things nice and stable until vertigo subsides.
How much time in your training did you spend in actual IMC?
You probably experienced a bit of "mini-leans" at the beginning of the IMC training - the illusion of turning when in the climb, the illusion of flying straight and level in a prolonged turn etc. etc..
You then got over it by trusting the instruments, in particular the AI, and developing your scan. You probably barely notice it now.
When real vertigo hits you and you feel your head is spinning (in my case, over 100 hours after getting my IR) you have to go back to basics, do only the most fundamental scan (AI, turn coordinator, airspeed) to convince yourself that the aircraft is in control. Make sure that your AI actually works, though...
Reverting to straight and level helps, although that might not be an option depending the phase of flight. Just keep things nice and stable until vertigo subsides.
How much time in your training did you spend in actual IMC?
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This is no laughing matter.
If flying in solid IMC you will one day get it and you must be prepared. You'll need to cross check your instruments, trust them if consistent and if inconsistent find out which is lying and ignore it double quick.
You will find that your whole body is screaming at you to do the thing that will kill you. It's a very unpleasant feeling and it takes some minutes flying straight and level and utterly focussed on instruments to recover from it.
If flying in solid IMC you will one day get it and you must be prepared. You'll need to cross check your instruments, trust them if consistent and if inconsistent find out which is lying and ignore it double quick.
You will find that your whole body is screaming at you to do the thing that will kill you. It's a very unpleasant feeling and it takes some minutes flying straight and level and utterly focussed on instruments to recover from it.
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How much time in your training did you spend in actual IMC?
Probably three or four hours in actual IMC.
When real vertigo hits you and you feel your head is spinning ... you have to go back to basics, do only the most fundamental scan (AI, turn coordinator, airspeed) to convince yourself that the aircraft is in control. Make sure that your AI actually works, though...
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Yes, I'd worked out that scanning the AI and the TC should tell me whether the instruments agreed with each other ... whether I'd get it right for real would be another thing of course.
In a G1000 plane, you are MUCH better off - other than a failed vacuum gyro which just topples (and before it dies completely, can mislead you badly), you get the big red cross. If you still see the attitude, you are pretty much guaranteed that it is accurate.
In a vertigo situation behind a G1000, I would trust the PFD after a quick cross check with the standby gyro.
Last edited by Cobalt; 6th Sep 2013 at 17:10.
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I remember getting the leans flying a DA42 back from the Miramar airshow at night. It was cloudy, dark, bumpy and raining. And it was quite bad. But trusting the instruments and it was not really an issue, just an observation. You also might get it worse if you have a slight cold or something going on with your ears.
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I get it occasionally. Most common and unhelpful time is levelling out after the base turn on a procedural approach - just when I'm trying to correct to the centreline and look out for the FAF. Happened at Gloucester last week.
Never had serious vertigo, though - that sounds extremely unpleasant.
Never had serious vertigo, though - that sounds extremely unpleasant.
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I've had it a couple of times in the first few minutes IMC in a Piper. It was not a serious bout, just a compelling need to turn left. I reckon the curved glareshield was a factor. I usually fly a Cessna with a flat glareshield.
D.O.
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Strangely I have never had vertigo badly while flying...
But I have had hugely once or twice while scuba diving.
its always been linked to clearing my ears. Especially when I thought they are clear then I used a nose pinch instead of just flexing my jaw and you can feel the air rushing into them. The only thing to do was hang onto the shot line and wait for it to settle.
But I have had hugely once or twice while scuba diving.
its always been linked to clearing my ears. Especially when I thought they are clear then I used a nose pinch instead of just flexing my jaw and you can feel the air rushing into them. The only thing to do was hang onto the shot line and wait for it to settle.
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Only had it once in 500 hours of flying, on take-off and steep turning climb out on a moonless night over open water so no visual references, with a slight head cold.
Horrible sensation, but as earlier posters have said, trust your instruments.
Horrible sensation, but as earlier posters have said, trust your instruments.
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If you get it bad, don't worry about the performance instruments, just concentrate on keeping the AI in the level flight position, that is assuming that you have power set. Trust the AI. If it decides to fail just as you got the leans, it is just not your day!
Early in my instrument training I often had the leans. Helped me to learn and trust my instruments. Better to experience it in training than for the first time in single pilot IMC!
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Not had it yet but did have a brain fade moment in cloud once. My attention was diverted by something for probably only four or five seconds and when I looked back at the AI I was in a 30 degree left turn. Oops I thought, no probs so I applied left aileron...then when the AI went the wrong way the message hit home and I recovered.
Time was probably about two seconds, it seemed like two minutes and I can still clearly remember the 'WTF is happening' feeling. It isn't nice.
Lesson learned: don't get diverted by anything, fly the bloody aircraft.
Time was probably about two seconds, it seemed like two minutes and I can still clearly remember the 'WTF is happening' feeling. It isn't nice.
Lesson learned: don't get diverted by anything, fly the bloody aircraft.
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My attention was diverted by something for probably only four or five seconds and when I looked back at the AI I was in a 30 degree left turn.
