AFH 3-24

1. Decrease in lift due to the direction of the lifting force. 2. Excessive rudder inputs as a result of reduced flight control pressures. 3. The normal stability and inherent characteristics of the airplane to nose-down with the power off. These three factors make it necessary to use more back pressure on the elevator than is required for a straight glide or a level turn, and they have an effect on control coordination. The rudder compensates for yawing tendencies when rolling in or out of a gliding turn; however, the required rudder pedal pressures are reduced as a result of the reduced forces acting on the control surfaces. A learner may apply excessive rudder pedal pressures based on experience with powered flight. This overcontrol of the aircraft may cause slips and skids and result in potentially hazardous flight control conditions. Some examples of this hazard are: ⦁ A low-level gliding steep turn during an engine failure emergency. If the rudder is excessively deflected in the direction of the bank while the pilot is increasing elevator back pressure in an attempt to retain altitude, the situation can rapidly turn into an unrecoverable spin. ⦁ During a power-off landing approach. The pilot depresses the rudder pedal with excessive pressure that leads to increased lift on the outside wing, banking the airplane in the direction of the rudder deflection. The pilot may improperly apply the opposite aileron to prevent the bank from increasing while applying elevator back pressure. If allowed to progress, this situation may result in a fully developed cross-control condition. A stall in this situation almost certainly results in a rapid and unrecoverable spin. Level-off from a glide is really two different maneuvers depending on the type of glide: ⦁ First, in the event of a complete power failure, the best glide speed should be held until necessary to reconfigure for the landing. The pilot should plan for a steeper approach than usual. A 10 percent lead (100 feet if the descent rate is 1,000 feet per minute) factor should be sufficient to slow the descent before landing. ⦁ Second, in the case of simulated power failure training, power should be applied as the 10 percent lead value appears on the altimeter. This allows a slow but positive power application to maintain or increase airspeed while the pilot raises the nose to stop the descent and re-trims the airplane as necessary. The level-off from a practice glide should be started before reaching the desired altitude because of the airplane’s downward inertia. The amount of lead depends on the rate of descent and the desired airspeed upon completion of the level off. For example, assume the aircraft is in a 500 fpm rate of descent, and the desired final airspeed is higher than the glide speed. The altitude lead should begin at approximately 100 feet above the target altitude. At the lead point, power should be increased to the appropriate level flight cruise power setting. The airplane’s nose tends to rise as airspeed and power increase, and the pilot should smoothly control the pitch attitude such that the level-off is completed at the desired altitude and airspeed. When recovery is being made from a gliding turn to a normal glide, the back pressure on the elevator control, which was applied during the turn, needs to be decreased or the airplane may pitch up and experience a loss of airspeed. This error requires considerable attention and conscious control adjustment to re-establish a normal glide airspeed. Common errors in the performance of descents and descending turns are: 1. Failure to adequately clear for aircraft traffic in the turn direction or descent. 2. Inadequate elevator back pressure during glide entry resulting in an overly steep glide. 3. Failure to slow the airplane to approximate glide speed prior to lowering pitch attitude. 4. Attempting to establish/maintain a normal glide solely by reference to flight instruments. 5. Inability to sense changes in airspeed through sound and feel. 6. Inability to stabilize the glide (chasing the airspeed indicator). 7. Attempting to “stretch” the glide by applying back-elevator pressure. 8. Skidding or slipping during gliding turns and not recognizing the difference in rudder forces with and without power. 9. Failure to lower pitch attitude during gliding turn entry resulting in a decrease in airspeed. 10. Excessive rudder pressure during recovery from gliding turns. 11. Inadequate pitch control during recovery from straight glide. 12. Cross-controlling during gliding turns near the ground. 13. Failure to maintain constant bank angle during gliding turns.