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3 Answers

Importance of coordinated straight and level flight

Asked by: 3358 views
Aerodynamics, General Aviation, Private Pilot, Student Pilot

I know it's important to keep the plane coordinated in turns, but should you keep the plane coordinated (i.e., keep the ball centered) when in straight and level / cruise flight when you don't have rudder trim? 

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3 Answers



  1. Kris Kortokrax on Oct 07, 2016

    Yes, you should be coordinated in S&L.

    If you are not, then the airplane is not streamlined with the airflow and is experiencing higher drag, which translates to slower speed, less endurance and less range.

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  2. Ben E. on Oct 07, 2016

    Makes sense. How do you handle that from a practical standpoint? A lot of times when I’m flying I notice that the ball doesn’t stay in any one position for long, so I can’t just hold constant rudder pressure to keep it centered. Should I be looking frequently at the slip indicator and adjusting the rudder inputs in cruise flight to keep the ball centered? I guess I still have a hard time determining when the plane is coordinated without looking at the slip indicator.

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  3. Mark Kolber on Oct 07, 2016

    Your aircraft should be set up for coordinated straight and level flight in smooth conditions without needing to keep constant rudder pressure on one side or another. Sounds like you may be flying an airplane that is out of trim.

    Aside from that, it’s not that easy in most small light GA aircraft to feel yaw except when there’s a lot of it. We sit so close to the CG that, for us, a lot of what we have to develop is seeing rather than feeling.

    OTOH, back seat passengers will feel every yaw movement. I used to use that to my advantage in training, Once we got past the early stages, I’d suggest a flight with a significant other in the back seat. I’d give the passenger a rolled up newspaper with instructions to whack his or her partner in the head whenever the passenger felt a sideways butt slide.

    Amazing how quickly I started seeing decent rudder work 🙂

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