Attitude instrument flying – primary and supportive

5 Answers

1. 
   

   
   

   Richard Eastman on Jan 09, 2020

   dgssss asked <>

   You’ve identified one of my primary “concerns” about the process by which we all are taught to fly! When airplanes were in their infancy … airspeed was one of the few “reference instruments” available to pilots. It became embedded in the culture of learning to fly! But aviation technology has come a very very long way since that time — but as a function of FAA rules/regulations and pilot culture — airspeed remains a primary reference point for achieving “correct” flight status.

   Airspeed is nothing other than the combination of attitude and power! If the airplane is in the correct pitch attitude for the desired state of flight — and the power is at the correct power setting for the desired state of flight — THE AIRSPEED will be at the correct state for the desired state of flight.

   Said slightly differently — if you manage pitch and power — airspeed will result! Importantly, you won’t be “chasing” airspeed (which lags the correct pitch and power settings). Thus, pitch (attitude) and power should be primary in your flight management — and airspeed AFTER the airplane has stabilized in the pitch-and-power setting the pilot has chosen –should ONLY be a confirmation or validation that pitch-and-power are correct.

   Your point above about the need to “remember” back-and-forth which is primary and which is supportive simply proves the point.

   As an aside, in non-aerobatic states of normal flight — there are basically only five correct pitch attitudes and five power settings. Even more interesting, the five pitch attitudes are pretty much the same for all general aviation aircraft — as are the power settings (whether you use inches of mercury or rpm).

   For reference, I’ve been a flight instructor since 1965 (yeah — a long long time). I have taught the “old school” way for most of my life. About 15 years ago, I read material by Ralph Butcher (at the time, a Chief Flight Instructor at a Southern California flight school) that discussed the pitch-and-power issues in both his Private Pilot and Instructor Rating books. I experimented with the concept and it has more than proven itself in all sorts of training aircraft. Butcher’s material is available at <>.

   Or, there’s a four page document on “Attitude Flying_V5” that addresses the issue directly at my Web Page <>. It’s available at no cost.

   // Richard Eastman
   CFIIMEI : FAAST Representative

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2. 
   

   
   

   Richard Eastman on Jan 09, 2020

   Well … the system didn’t like the direct URLs at the end.

   Skyroamers sells Butcher’s books and their URL is <>
   I have not economic, business, or relationship at all with Skyroamers. My main point for referencing the Butcher material is to show that I’m not the only person with this mindset.

   My web site is Eastman Group. It was an active web site dealing with my business before I retired. I set aside a sub-section for material that I wrote and write about flying techniques. the URL for the Attitude Flying document is << eastmangroup dot com/Pilot Techniques/Attitude Flying_V5.pdf.

   Readers will have to insert a space period space in lieu of the "… dot com" references above to see this material.

   // Richard Eastman
   CFIIMEI : FAAST Representatie

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3. 
   

   
   

   Craig on Jan 10, 2020

   If you’re in straight & level unaccelerated flight & you increase power, then the plane will try to climb. To not climb but rather stay at the same altitude, you’ll have to pitch the nose down and this will decrease induced drag & the airspeed will increase until the parasite drag increases enough so the total drag = thrust & you restabilize at the new airspeed. If you decrease power, the opposite happens. So you increase or decrease power based on what airspeed you want to fly so airspeed is the primary for power & engine instruments are secondary.

   In a constant airspeed climb, you use pitch to control airspeed. You could be at a high density altitude where full power might only give 200 fpm of climb rather than the usual 500 fpm climb, but airspeed is what you’re trying to keep constant. You’ve already maxed out the power so you have to pitch down to get the desired airspeed and accept the 200 rpm clim rate. Thus airspeed is now primary for pitch & engine instruments are primary for power in this instance.

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4. Best Answer
   
   

   
   

   John D Collins on Jan 10, 2020

   So I look at it this way, a primary instrument answers the question: am I performing the specified IFR assignment, so with straight and level you are expected to hold altitude, heading, and speed. Guess which instruments are primary,

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5. 
   

   
   

   Warren Webb Jr on Jan 10, 2020

   Agree with John – simple reason. The primary changes because the objective changes – level flight pitch/altimeter, 500fpm descent pitch/VSI, etc.

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