Teaching students to HOLD ALTITUDE?

[KigAir]

Electric Cattle Prod coupled to the altimeter?

 

[IP076]

The following work for a C172SP at about 7500' and std temp.

1. VERT IMPORTANT!! and probably least emphasized. Teach student how to adjust seat height so that the seat is the same position every time. I would set the seat so that my eye level is the same as the upper edge of the side window.

2 Cover all flight instruments

3. You fly: Set a level Attitude at Cruise Power Setting
Cessna 172SP at 7500' about 2300 RPM. Horizon should be about 2.5 to 3" above dash. This will yield about 90 kias.\

4. Student Flies: Have student describe what he is looking at. How he can tell the horizon hasn't moved. ie, horizon is at the top of the mag compass. Tell student to keep the attitude (Distance between dash and horizon) the same. The point where the horizon is, straight infront of the student, will be referred to as the "Reference Point"

5. You fly. Increase the aircraft attitude, and then start decreasing the attitude. Have the student tell you when to stop in order to maintain altitude. Repeat Until student can do this repeatedly without error. Should not take more than a few moments.

6. Instruct the student to look at a point on the horizon 45 degrees to the right. Now, have him describe where the horizon is while you fly the aircraft in the level attitude. Change the attitude, have him tell you when you are back to level. He can verify this by looking back at the reference point straight in front of him.

Repeat process for a point about 45 degrees left, and then another point about 80 to 90 right and left. This will allow the student to know the level attitude picture while looking any direction forward of the airplane (ie, visual scanning, vfr??, traffic avoidance?)

This same concept can be used for any pitch and power settings, ie, climb, descent, cruise climb. Also, the same theory can be used for setting bank angles.

Only reference the flight instruments after the student can do all the desired pitch/power/bank combinations with only outside reference. For every minute, you should spend no more than about 6 to 10 seconds inside. I ensure my students can do every manuever in the Private PTS within standards, with the 6pack covered. The only instrument you need is the tachometer. (And, with a fixed pitch prop and a little practice, you can do it without that.) Remember, the PTS standards are for evaluation. I don't want my students worried about 100 feet or 10 knots, because then they spend too much time staring at the instruments and don't learn what the manuever is really about.

Now, its been a little while since I did this, I've got a word doc somewhere with a Control/Performance checklist for flight instruction I got from an AirForce IP. If anyone is interested, I can try to find it.

Pitch/Power debate? Oh no, might as well settle the Chicken/Egg scenario while we're at it!! Ask a Navy pilot, pitch controls Airspeed, ask an Air Force Pilot and power controls airspeed.

 

[mudkow60]

My flight instructor in the Navy took me down to about 200 feet above the trees and told me to hold altitude. It was probably more like 100 feet, but it worked. I did not descend at all, and he wacked the stick when I started to climb.

 

[cubpilot]

I use the low altitude method all summer long. With a Piper Cub on floats you don’t have to be in the Navy to be legal and safe at 15 feet.

Not that being in the Navy is bad, it’s a real good thing, but some of us don’t qualify for that.

 

[nosehair]

Yep, low altitude works real good, too. I have students do steep turns at 500 feet - works every time. Remember that the 1500 foot minimum number is from the PTS and applies only to the actual Practical Test. Flying 500' AGL in a safe, level, non-inhabited area works really good for a lot of control problems in new students. The higher you get, the more foriegn the environment is. The new student cannot "see" the horizon or ground details as easily.

 

[flyifrvfr]

Any teaching techniques or excercises I can use to get 2 of my students to do a better job at holding and maintaining their altitudes? Two of them can't hold altitude at all, and climb/descend 500-1000 ft without even correcting.

I would suggest telling your student to level off and reduce power to cruise.Trim away forward pressure,and hold thier hand up on top of the instrument panel palm facing the student.Using thier open hand fold the thumb over so you are looking at only four fingers and palm.Place the horizon on the top of the index finger and viola!

 

[cargodawg]

In my opinion first look to see if they try to fly with both hands/ or the classic death grip. They only need 2 fingers and a thumb. Honest. Then cover most or their instruments and make them look outside do this for a couple of lessons. After and only after they have it try and have them maintain alt. as they focus inside the plane (don't use the hood yet they will learn to use their Perf. vision) then put it all together. Also like many have said fly the plane and trim away the pressures. If they fly with only 2 fingers and a thumb they will feel the pressures. Happy instructing.

 

[Kaman]

Hello,
I've found that the best way to teach any part of basic airmanship is to fly the airplane totally by visual reference. I usually cover the attitude indicator on the second dual and leave it covered until they can accurately fly by looking outside. I am also really big on "see and avoid". Getting them to look ahead of the direction of the turn vice staring straight ahead. Same goes for stalls and slow-flight. All the airwork maneuvers should be done by complete visual reference. And only occasionally cross-checking the instruments to make sure the correct parameters are maintained.

Regards,

ex-Navy rotorhead

 

[BoDEAN]

Thanks guys
When I cover the instruments, they do a hella a lot times better!

 

[Cat Driver]

Generally these problems result from the student not completely understanding attitudes and movements.

Generally the reason for that is the instructor does not ensure that these basics were actually absorbed and understood by the student.

And the second biggest impediment to smooth accurate visual flying is unnecessary reference to the flight instruments.

Cat Driver:

 

[Timebuilder]

I always made a point of telling the student that any change will first be seen in the windshield before it registers on any instrument. Really helped a couple of them to not porpoise around the traffic pattern.

 

[Kaman]

Hello,
Timebuilder is right on the money with his comments. It's all about relative motion, and being able to visually percieve changes in aircraft attitude and how they affect aircraft performance. I teach my students to early on to rely very little on the instruments, yet still use the integrated instruction method of cross-checking the instruments occasionally for desired parameters.
One thing that also helps, is to use the aiming points (if at an airport with them) to guide the airplane consistently to the same spot on the runway. If you hold the aiming point in your field of view and it neither rises or falls. You will always arrive there. The trick of course is maintaing the correct speeds, configuring at the right time and coordinating pitch and power to hold that desired flight path. It is a very intuitive method and really forces the student to be looking outside in addition to cross-checking the instruments, watching for traffice, communicating, etc...

Regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead

 

[flyingwildfires]

Bath Towel

Cover the instrument panel with a bath towel and let the outside references really sink in... I would get other CFIs' students who were "having trouble" and that seemed to be the most direct line to picturing their attitude, placing the airplane where they wanted it, then (lastly) checking instruments to confirm the results. It didn't take long, and worked with everyone. Plus, their confidence was incredibly reinforced when they would peek behind the towel to see they were right on altitude, etc.