Small twin to a jet question.

[BoDEAN]

Quick question. Currently training in an EMB 145 sim. I've had 6 sim sessions, and I am having a tendency to constantly put in aileron inputs while flying. I also have a happy of occasionaly getting in a right roll, left roll, right roll, tendency.

I am coming from being a flight instructor, use to flying light twins. Any input on why this is happening, and how to fix it? My sim instructor told me I am too tense, and I need to relax. Maybe it is by focusing too much on the flight director. My sim instructor told me a lot of people from GA world have this issue.

Any input would be appreciated

 

[urflyingme?!]

In the Baron(s) I flew there was a little bit of a 'dead' zone where leaving the yoke at a 1-2 degree deflection would not impact the controls, and act as if they were perfectly centered. Maybe you flew an aircraft like that?

One rule that helped me a lot is "The less you fly it the better" meaning the fewer control inputs you put in the better you will do...

PS.
I could be absolutely wrong!

 

[BoDEAN]

Noted. Flew Seneca's and Seminoles mainly. Maybe it's nerves.

 

[Lear Wanna Be]

System management is all that is required. Learn how to use the AP.

 

[Flyerjosh]

I agree with LWB... in the sim, learn to use the autopilot. That's what it's there for... to make life easier.

Also keep in mind that you are flying a large hydraulically operated plane. It might take a half-second or so for the airplane to respond to your control inputs. Be slow and smooth when inputting your controls. Particularly in the simulator, which can be ultra sensitive. Remember it's a heavy airplane that flies twice as fast (or much more) as what you are used to, especially in the terminal environment.

 

[FL420]

I remember my first flight in a jet. I did exactly the same thing but had a stick rather than a yoke. Jets, especially those with fully powered controls, are much more sensitive than a straight wing prop.

My instructor told me to hold the stick lower(less mechanical advantage) and to hold it lightly with my fingertips. Oscillations were a thing of the past after a few minutes.

 

[Flyerjosh]

If this is your first training event at an airline, I suggest reading this article... it contains some very valuable advice from a well seasoned friend of mine...

http://aviation.crosswindlanding.com/professionalpilot/playingthegame.htm

 

[DrewBlows]

The first thing I thought when I read your post was that you have a heavy hand. You'll see it with students as a consistant but small left roll (when flying from the left seat, right roll from the right seat) when they are distracted. When they correct they bring the wings level, but any deviation is to the left, so it's a constant and annoying left roll, right roll to level, left roll, right roll to level, ect. From the right seat it would be right roll, left roll to level, ect. This usually happens when a student is holding on too tight, from nervousness or more likely because they are out of trim. If this sounds like what you are doing the solution is to conscioiusly relax, which can be more difficult than it sounds, but make sure that every few minutes you take a deep breath and take your hands off the yoke, and make sure you are trimmed.

The next thing that I thought might be happening is that you are a slightly behind the flight director. If you are not seated perfectly in the flight director it will constantly give you a correction in the opposite direction, hence a slight roll back and forth. Look past the flight director and make sure that when you are on your heading the wings are level, regardless of the flight director. You still have to think with a flight director, after all. And as Lear said, use the autopilot unless your instructor wants you to hand fly.

 

[BoDEAN]

Great replies! Ill give the tips provided here a try today.

 

[Cardinal]

occasionally getting in a right roll, left roll, right roll, tendency.

Don't worry, the EMB autopilot does this all day long anyway - nobody will notice

 

[b82rez]

You're not having a small twin to jet problem...you're having a small twin to sim problem. Remember that you're flying a computer. If you make tons of inputs, the thing gets overworked and will fly crappy. Make deliberate slow inputs, and point the thing where you know it needs to be, the FD will catch up.

 

[Fox-Tree]

Quick question. Currently training in an EMB 145 sim. I've had 6 sim sessions, and I am having a tendency to constantly put in aileron inputs while flying. I also have a happy of occasionaly getting in a right roll, left roll, right roll, tendency.

I am coming from being a flight instructor, use to flying light twins. Any input on why this is happening, and how to fix it? My sim instructor told me I am too tense, and I need to relax. Maybe it is by focusing too much on the flight director. My sim instructor told me a lot of people from GA world have this issue.

Any input would be appreciated

Bo,
Autopilots are nice but you still need to FLY the jet well. "Systems management" is not the answer (unless you want to hide behind your autopilot for your career and turn hand flying into an emergency procedure).

One bit of advice you might try is armrests. If you're not using them, try it. It may sound like a small thing, but it helps relax your arms and helps moderate your control inputs.

 

[SeanD]

I have a question, may be a silly one to some. At what alt do you turn the AP on and let it fly on its own? Do you engage the AT at the same time and keep it set at 250 below 10,000? I have always been curious on how the AP process works. Thanks in advance .

SeanD

 

[smfav8r]

Armrests and rudder...that's all you need, don't use any aileron/spoiler!

I've been a check-airman on several transport category jets, trust me it works!!!

If the trim is set correctly, you can run down the runway with out touching the yoke, get a V1 cut, use the rudder to maintain the centerline and the aircraft will lift off the runway and fly profile. It may be 20+kts above V2, but it will work.

I would use this technique for pilots that were having trouble with V1 cuts, overcorrecting, etc.

Also, rotate very slowly, don't pop it off. Energy management is key in swept wing aircraft. Think about, when you pop it off, you start to dissapate a good amount of energy. The wing needs energy to fly and when 50% of your thrust is gone, any extra energy adds a tremendous amount of stability to the aircraft.

Try this method, V1 cuts will never be an issue for the rest of your carreer flying jets.

 

[b82rez]

I have a question, may be a silly one to some. At what alt do you turn the AP on and let it fly on its own? Do you engage the AT at the same time and keep it set at 250 below 10,000? I have always been curious on how the AP process works. Thanks in advance .

SeanD

Each aircraft manufacturer sets the minimum altitude you can use the AP after takeoff...somewhere around 500 to 1000 feet.

You can use the AP whenever you want, with or without the autothrottles.

You can use the autothrottles whenever you want (takeoff too), with or without the AP.

 

[smfav8r]

Each aircraft manufacturer sets the minimum altitude you can use the AP after takeoff...somewhere around 500 to 1000 feet.

You can use the AP whenever you want, with or without the autothrottles.

You can use the autothrottles whenever you want (takeoff too), with or without the AP.

Also depends on the airline. I've flown the A320 for three different airlines, each airline had a different minimum for autopilot on and off (autoland).

Depends on the Ops Specs for each individual airline.

Depending on the aircraft, autothrust may be used in all aspects of flight.

 

[CFIse]

Bo,
Autopilots are nice but you still need to FLY the jet well. "Systems management" is not the answer (unless you want to hide behind your autopilot for your career and turn hand flying into an emergency procedure).

One bit of advice you might try is armrests. If you're not using them, try it. It may sound like a small thing, but it helps relax your arms and helps moderate your control inputs.

This is all great advice - but he's trying to pass a checkride in, I imagine, the next few sim. lessons and he's got a series of emergency procedures to practice including V1 cuts and go-around cuts and non-precisions approaches and......

Use the auto-pilot, hand fly it to 800 ft (or whatever your companies rules are) and put the AP on and turn it off out of MDA or 100 ft on the ILS (or again whatever your airline allows).

I *GUARANTEE* you don't have enough time to learn how to hand fly the jet well in the sim. - for better or worse you're going to have to figure that out on the line, otherwise you're going to wash out of the sim. and won't get the opportunity to figure any of it out.

Just one persons advice.......

 

[smfav8r]

This is all great advice - but he's trying to pass a checkride in, I imagine, the next few sim. lessons and he's got a series of emergency procedures to practice including V1 cuts and go-around cuts and non-precisions approaches and......

Use the auto-pilot, hand fly it to 800 ft (or whatever your companies rules are) and put the AP on and turn it off out of MDA or 100 ft on the ILS (or again whatever your airline allows).

I *GUARANTEE* you don't have enough time to learn how to hand fly the jet well in the sim. - for better or worse you're going to have to figure that out on the line, otherwise you're going to wash out of the sim. and won't get the opportunity to figure any of it out.

Just one persons advice.......

If you don't get enough time to learn how to hand fly the jet well in the sim, you shouldn't make it to the line!

 

[BoDEAN]

I've found the toughest aspect of sim training is the constant ZAP REPOSITION then continue. We shoot an approach, the sim goes on freeze, you are put 2 miles from GS intercept, unpaused, and go. Im sorry but that can get overwelming quick. Been living in a hotel since Jan 23rd and it's starting to wear. I have a phase check tomorrow, checkride on Friday, LOFT monday, then IOE. Im hanging in there. It's tough when your sim partner (Capt) flies so well and you are still learning the power settings and how to fly the plane.

 

[urflyingme?!]

Hang in there man!!