Summary
Flight Three introduces you to operating the airplane in different configurations and at slow airspeeds. You will learn how to recover from stalls and to perform steep turns.
Before commencing Flight Three be sure to do a thorough Preflight inspection. The airplane used for this flight is a Cessna 152.
Using the techniques developed in Flights one and two proceed to the practice area.
Select a location where you will be able to maneuver without disturbing people on the ground and where you could land in the event of an emergency. Select an altitude such that at no point during the maneuvers you are less than 1,500 feet above the ground.
Before doing any maneuvers clear the area by reversing course or making two ninety degree changes of heading.
Flight at Minimum Controllable Airspeed
The first maneuver involves flying the airplane at Minimum Controllable Airspeed (MCA).
This enables you to learn how the controls feel and how the airplane performs at slow airspeeds. To achieve minimum controllable airspeed you need to put the airplane into the landing configuration. Your instructor will demonstrate the maneuver prior to you practicing.
Having cleared the area select your altitude and heading and reference your position with respect to outside visual references.
Apply carburetor heat, reduce power to 1500rpm and gradually apply back pressure to the control wheel to reduce airspeed but maintain altitude. Keep your wings level as you do this.
Once the airspeed is in the flap operating range (in the white arc on the airspeed indicator) lower the flaps in ten degree increments.
As the airspeed diminishes you will reach a point where it will be necessary to add power to maintain altitude. As you add power you need to apply some right rudder to counteract the left turning forces that become more apparent at slow airspeeds and high power settings. Carburetor heat should be off once the power is back in the green arc on the tachometer.
You will now be flying along with a nose high attitude and an airspeed about five knots above stall speed (Vso). The controls will feel mushy and the stall warning horn will be sounding in the background. In this configuration the airplane is experiencing a lot of drag and even a large increase in power setting will barely result in a climb.
Hence it is apparent that if one allows the airspeed to get too slow the airplanes climb performance will diminish significantly. Also note how much more difficult it is to precisely control the airplane at very slow airspeeds. The only time the airplane gets this slow during normal operations is during the final seconds of flaring to land. Therefore you can see that if you decided not to land at the last moment you would need to apply full power and increase your airspeed before the airplane will start to climb. This procedure is known as a go around and is very similar to the recovery from this demonstration of MCA.
To return to normal flight from MCA apply full power (carburetor heat off) and slightly lower the nose to regain airspeed. Retract the flaps to twenty degrees. Gradually retract flaps to ten degrees and once a positive rate of climb and best rate of climb speed (Vy) are established retract flaps to zero degrees. Return to straight and level flight and reduce power to a cruise setting.
Having experienced flight at MCA whilst flying straight you will then practice turns and climbs and descents in this configuration. You will soon discover that you will need to apply some extra power to maintain altitude whilst you turn. You will also find that even a large application of power will result in only a minimal rate of climb as you are operating on the back side of the power curve.
Currently the Private Pilot Practical Test Standards (PTS) do not mention flight at MCA. However they do require you to maneuver during slow flight in a configuration as specified by the examiner. This could be the landing configuration in which case you will be expected to stabilize the airspeed at 1.2 times the stall speed in the landing configuration.
Slow Flight
Slow Flight practical test standards
The next maneuver your instructor will demonstrate is slow flight in the clean (flaps up) configuration.
As with all maneuvers clear the area by making turns to look for traffic before starting the demonstration.
Having cleared the area select your altitude and heading and reference your position with respect to outside visual references.
Apply carburetor heat, reduce power to 1500rpm and gradually apply back pressure and the control wheel to reduce airspeed but maintain altitude. Keep your wings level as you do this.
As the airspeed diminishes you will reach a point where you will no longer be able to maintain altitude by pitch alone. At this point add power as necessary to maintain altitude. As you add power you will also need to apply some right rudder to counteract the airplanes tendency to turn left.
You will be flying with a nose high attitude slightly above stall speed (1.2 x Vs is specified in the practical test standards) the controls will feel mushy and you may hear the stall warning horn in the background.
To return to normal flight from slow flight simultaneously slightly lower the nose and apply full power (carburetor heat off) . Having stabilized the airplane in straight and level flight reduce power to a cruise setting.
Having experienced slow flight whilst maintaining heading and altitude you will then practice turning, climbing and descending whilst in this configuration.
Once you have developed a feel for operating the airplane at critically low airspeeds by practicing flight at MCA and slow flight you are ready to move on to learning how to recognize and recover from stalls.
Stalls
Select a location where you will be able to maneuver without disturbing people on the ground and where you could land in the event of an emergency. Select an altitude such that at no point during the maneuvers you are less than 1,500 feet above the ground.
Power-Off Stall
Power-Off Stall practical test standards
The first stall your instructor will demonstrate is the power-off stall. This is sometimes referred to as an approach to landing stall and is performed in the landing configuration.
Having cleared the area select your altitude and heading and reference your position with respect to outside visual references.
Apply carburetor heat, reduce power to 1500rpm and gradually apply back pressure to the control wheel to reduce airspeed but maintain altitude. Keep your wings level as you do this.
Once the airspeed is in the flap operating range (in the white arc on the airspeed indicator) lower the flaps in ten degree increments. Having deployed full flaps reduce the power to idle.
Continue to pitch to reduce airspeed and maintain altitude. As you get close to stalling the controls will get mushy, the stall warning horn will sound, and you may feel buffeting as the airflow over the wings deteriorates. The stall occurs when the critical angle of attack is reached and the airflow breaks away from the upper surface of the wing. At this point the wings will no longer be producing lift and the nose will start to drop.
To recover simply reduce the angle of attack by lowering the nose (as you will have been pulling back to induce the stall you simply need to relax the back pressure) whilst simultaneously applying full power(carburetor heat off). Retract the flaps to 20 degrees and then gradually retract them to 10 degrees and once a positive rate of climb and best rate of climb (Vy) airspeed have been obtained retract them to zero degrees.
As you add power remember to apply some right rudder to keep coordinated.
If at the moment when the airplane stalls the nose moves to one side (yaws) apply the opposite rudder to counteract the yaw. Resist the temptation to use ailerons to level the wings until you are no longer stalled.
On completetion of the recovery return to straight and level flight and a cruise power setting.
You will notice that the initial set up and recovery from the power-off stall is very similar to the set up and recovery from flight at Minimum Controllable Airspeed(MCA).
A common mistake when recovering from stalls is to lower the nose too much and hence lose more altitude from the resulting dive than from the stall itself. It is only necessary to lower the nose enough to reduce the angle of attack to less than the critical angle of attack. This usually means it is not necessary to lower the nose below the horizon. By initially pitching for the best angle of climb speed (Vx) and than transitioning to best rate of climb speed (Vy) loss of altitude can be minimised.
Having learnt how to recognize and recover from a power-off stall your next maneuver will be the power-on stall. This is procedurally simpler than the power-off stall but more dramatic to experience in that the entry occurs with full power and a significantly nose high attitude. Your instructor will demonstrate before you practice.
Power-On Stall
Power-On Stall practical test standards
Having cleared the area select your altitude and heading and reference your position with respect to outside visual references.
Apply carburetor heat, reduce power to 1500rpm and gradually apply back pressure to the control wheel to reduce airspeed but maintain altitude. Keep your wings level as you do this.
Once you have slowed the airplane to approximately rotation speed (the speed at which you start to raise the nose during the takeoff roll) apply full power and continue to pitch up so that the airspeed continues to diminish. Remember to apply right rudder to counteract the left turning tendency. As you pitch and approach the stall the controls will become mushy, the stall warning horn will start to sound and you may feel some buffeting as the critical angle of attack is reached and the airflow breaks away from the wings.
To recover simply reduce the angle of attack by lowering the nose (as you will have been pulling back to induce the stall you simply need to relax the back pressure). You already have full power and flaps up. By initially pitching for the best angle of climb speed (Vx) and than transitioning to best rate of climb speed (Vy) loss of altitude can be minimised.
If at the moment when the airplane stalls the nose moves to one side (yaws) apply the opposite rudder to counteract the yaw. Resist the temptation to use ailerons to level the wings until you are no longer stalled.
On completetion of the recovery return to straight and level flight and a cruise power setting.
Initially you will practice stall recoveries whilst flying straight. Once you have built up your confidence your instructor will have you try them whilst turning during the entry. By doing this you will discover the importance of remaining coordinated and that the airplane will stall at a higher speed when turning (due to greater wing loading).
During normal flight operations you should not be flying at angles of attack high enough to result in stalls. However an ability to recognise the aerodynamic indications of an oncoming stall and to recover from stalls is required in the practical test and is an essential skill for any pilot to have in order to avoid or recover from abnormal situations.
The final new skill your instructor will demonstrate for this flight is steep turns.
Steep Turns
Steep Turns practical test standards
Having cleared the area select your altitude and heading and reference your position with respect to outside visual references.
Establish straight and level flight at the airplanes recommended entry speed which should be at or below maneuvering speed (Va). For the Cessna 152 steep turns are usually entered at 95 KIAS. This will require a power setting in the region of 2300 rpm.
Check for traffic just before rolling into the turn and assertively bank the airplane to establish 45 degrees of bank. As you establish the bank apply a little extra back pressure and power to help maintain altitude in the turn. Reference the position of the nose with respect to the horizon and imagine you are drawing a straight line parallel to the horizon with the nose of the airplane (a slight addition of nose up trim may help you maintain the correct attitude). The objective is to maintain constant altitude whilst maintaining 45 degrees of bank and to roll out on the entry heading. In order to roll out on your entry heading lead the roll out by approximately half your angle of bank. As you roll out you will need to apply some forward pressure on the control wheel and once you are back in straight and level flight adjust the power to a cruise setting (if you added trim in the turn you will need to retrim once you are straight and level).
When demonstrating steep turns be carefull not to exceed the recommended airspeed and bank angle. As the bank angle increases beyond 45 degrees substantial additional load is imposed on the airplane and most trainers are only designed to withstand 3.8 gs. Also avoid getting too slow since stall speed increases with bank angle since it is related to load factor.
Practice steep turns both to the left and right being careful to check for traffic before commencing any turns.
This completes the new material for Flight Three. Return to base and go over the new procedures on the ground. You may decide with your instructor to practice these skills some more before moving on to the new items in Flight Four.
Flight Four features ground reference maneuvers and introduces emergency procedures. Ground reference maneuvers are intended to develop your understanding of how the wind influences your ground track.