Keeping proper pitch in turns

[Savate]

Howdy!

New to this board. Under 10 hours in my log book, working towards my PPL.
Fly in Western North Carolina.

Question:
When practicing turns, slow flight, etc. I know to always keep back pressure on the yoke to compensate for loss of altitude during the turn.

Yet when practicing turns during the descent, I found it harder to keep the pitch the same without watching my VS increase substanially (as I would expect it to in the nose down position).

Do you still have to maintain some back pressure during a descending turn?

 

[yzf6]

Hi, welcome to the board. You'll find alot of good information here and even more useless information.

Yes, you'll probably still need some back pressure in a descending turn, especially for a normal (around 500fpm) rate of descent.. it won't take much pressure though. Exactly how much is going to depend on your trim and power settings. Just use the VSI to verify your rate of descent once you've got the pitch selected, the VSI will take a few seconds to stabilize. Just like everything else you've learned so far it's something that takes a bit of practice, but after a while you'll be able to pick the proper pitch without even thinking about it.

 

[Savate]

__________________
you ever take it off any sweet jumps?
Napoleon! Right on!

Thanks for the welcome.
I thought so (it seemed intuitive) but my CFI made me feel dumb for pulling back during my descent. Or maybe he was just trying to emphasize to not pull back that I lose my pitch?

 

[aucfi]

Do you still have to maintain some back pressure during a descending turn?

Yes but let the trim do it for you. Any change in pitch or power is going to require a change in trim. Remember, the trims purpose is not only relieve control pressures, it’s to help maintain a particular performance (i.e. airspeed or rate of climb/descent).



Welcome to the board and good luck with your training. Hope this was informative



au

 

[nosehair]

Yes but let the trim do it for you.

...eeaaahhiiii...I dunno 'bout that one, au. This is gettin' into technique preferences, but there are reasons to do it both ways.

Learn to make turns (level, climbing, and descending) without trimming, to be able to apply the approximate amount of backpressure during a short turn when you would have to re-trim immediately after rolling out; to learn the feel of the necessary back pressure during various turns and to do it automatically when you roll in and don't have a free hand to trim with.

Then learn to use trim when it is a long turn and trimming would reduce workload.

Personally, I don't think you should teach trimming in turns, even steep turns, initially. I think the new student needs to teach his/her muscles how much back presure to apply, even in steep turns, and then....learn to use the trim when appropriate.

 

[aucfi]

I think the new student needs to teach his/her muscles how much back presure to apply, even in steep turns, and then....learn to use the trim when appropriate.

I agree 100% with you. Initially (first few hours) students need to know the feel of the turn, climb, or descent. Thereafter trim should be reinforced to, like you said, reduce workload.

After 10 hours, most students should have a good feel for their airplane. Sounds like we are both on the same page, just a different book hehe.

Thanks for the input.

au

 

[midlifeflyer]

Savate, try this:

You're learning how to fly visually, so let's stick with visual cues. If you think about it, if you were completely trimmed for straight and level flight and made a hands-off turn, the nose would drop and the airplane descent because some of the lift is being diverted to make the airplane turn. So, in a level turn, all you're really trying to do with back pressure is maintain the same pitch attitude that you has with it was straight.

Same thing for a descending turn. When you develop a "pitch picture" for the straight descent, try to maintain that pitch during the turn.

I know. It's easier said than done. The bank and your seat position skews the picture, and it's slightly different depending on which way you turn. But that's why you're taking lessons, isn't' it?

Have fun with your adventure.

 

[MTpilot]

This guys CFI is going to be so pissed off...