maintaiing steep turns
 

Hi!

Ok call me a flight sim pilot. . .Why do I find it so hard to maintain zero on the VSI (Or near enough zero) while on a steep turn (45 degree bank)? I seem to be all over the place no matter how much I try esecially on the VSI. Maybe I need a bit more practice and a steady hand. Or is Flight Simulator a bit more sensitive then the real world airpane?

Although this will probably go straight to private flying, I'll answer - you are probably looking too much at the VSI; if you pick the correct point on the horizon and monitor the bank angle by the artificial horizon, and height alternately, you will find eventually a 'picture' outside that will give you the correct level flight attitude for a steep turn.

Although this will probably go straight to private flying, I'll answer - you are probably looking too much at the VSI; if you pick the correct point on the horizon and monitor the bank angle by the artificial horizon, and height alternately, you will find eventually a 'picture' outside that will give you the correct level flight attitude for a steep turn.

Although this will probably go straight to private flying, I'll answer - you are probably looking too much at the VSI; if you pick the correct point on the horizon and monitor the bank angle by the artificial horizon, and height alternately, you will find eventually a 'picture' outside that will give you the correct level flight attitude for a steep turn.

Spooky <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Are you talking about a flight simulator or a real aircraft? In the real aircraft case a continuous lookout-attitude-instruments scan is the key, with the majority of the time spent looking out, primarily in the direction of the turn, integrating the attitude check (AoB and horizon). The instruments (altimeter/VSI, horizon[AoB pointer only], ball and ASI) should be scanned briefly but frequently and changes made to the attitude in response to errors evident on the instruments. Another useful helper is the feeling in your rear end which should be a constant pressure (~1.5 g for a 45 degree AoB). . .If it's a flight simulator you're talking about then just program it to do it for you.

I could send this to Computer & Internet issues, but they'd probably ignore you. I could send it to Private Flying, but they'd laugh. To be nice, I'll send it to Questions, where you might get more than one answer repeated three times (please don't keep pressing the Add Reply button!).. .You may well be a Wannabe, but that doesn't mean you can use this Forum as a personal encyclopedia. This Forum is for information pertaining to achieving a professional flying licence, or a first commercial flying job, and nothing else. Flying computer flight sims is not a suitable subject.

[ 15 February 2002: Message edited by: Scroggs ]</p>