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Rather than accept your deteriorated state, take some steps to hone your skills to a fine edge when you go back into the air after a layoff.We all know that flying an aircraft is like riding a bicycle; we never really forget how, but we can certainly get out of practice. 0000084605 00000 n 0000004178 00000 n Never attempt to stall an airplane while holding a wing up with an uncentered stick. Check out AOPA Rusty Pilots Online, a fun, interactive refresher program giving you the information you need to get ready to return to flying as pilot in command. 0000084189 00000 n All you need is to take up the challenge and get ready to fly again. To cap off a great practice session, aim for perfection even in the let-down to the traffic pattern entry. 0000139080 00000 n
If you’re uneasy about putting your airplane into a stall, it’s probably because you’ve avoided practicing a stall-and-recovery sequence for far too long. Your flight review is still current, but you haven’t been flying much lately. 0000081351 00000 n
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Don’t be too proud to seek out assistance to rebuild your skills.You probably know your own airplane, or the one you regularly rent, fairly well. Bank continues to increase while you lower the nose to reach the horizon at the 90-degree point, then bank is decreased as the nose continues below the horizon to a 135-degree change from entry direction, as the lost airspeed is regained. 0000131063 00000 n
When the time-to-destination readout approaches the minutes-required figure, walk the power back and nudge the nose into descent attitude; allow extra time for the descent rate to stabilize and, if you want to build up speed to get home quicker, start down a bit earlier in anticipation of increased ground speed. 0000138748 00000 n 0000041994 00000 n America’s owner-flown aircraft enthusiasts and active-pilot resource, delivered to your inbox!Plane and Pilot builds on more than 50 years of serving pilots and owners of aircraft with the goal of empowering our readers to improve their knowledge and enthusiasm for aviation. 0000032475 00000 n The goal is to stay on target, not by moving the stick fore and aft to direct the ASI needle but by adjusting pitch attitude, so the airspeed rests where it’s desired. The intent is to fly them smoothly and with precision, not just to do zooms and wingovers.
But then, put in some solo time. A couple of hours of training every two years may satisfy the regulations, but between those endorsements, you must satisfy your own standards of excellence. GPS makes this simple, as you can easily determine how many minutes you’ll need to let down from your altitude above the pattern while using a constant rate of descent; I use 500 fpm for unpressurized light airplanes, or 300 fpm if passengers need careful handling.
0000143620 00000 n Level off by leading the climb rate so that the airplane comes to rest in level … 0000058641 00000 n If you haven’t flown for a significant amount of time, begin by taking an instructor with you, or at least invite an experienced current-in-type pilot to ride along. Like with bicycling, the ability is still there, under layers of rust. 0000000016 00000 n 415 51 Dedication to improvement is the key to regaining skills, encouraging growth as a pilot.
Nail the three into immobility. In these steeper turns, you may need to add a little power to overcome the increased wing loading, unless you can afford to lose airspeed while you’re in the wind-up period. 0000083264 00000 n You’re juggling three balls in the air at once: airspeed, controlled by pitch changes; altitude, responding to power adjustment; and heading, using rudder to offset torque changes during speed and power changes. Nevertheless, we’re going to feel uncertain until the rusty skills get some elbow grease.The problem is not that your brain has forgotten how to fly but your hands have. Instead, fly by attitude, and simply verify the result by glancing at the indicated airspeed once in a while.Level off by leading the climb rate so that the airplane comes to rest in level flight exactly on the target altitude.