A Collection of Little Things (That are nice to know)
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The Most Difficult Parts of Learning to Fly?
In my opinion there are three nearly equal aspects of learning to fly of equal difficulty.
Unlearning is first on my list. I may go back to they way you first played with toy airplanes where all your landings were no flare greasers. Works for Sirrus Design though. Part of unlearning is needed where you have been first exposed to thinking or procedures that are basically incorrect. I believe the most damaging thing that can be done to a student pilot is to be taught any aspect of flying the first time incorrectly. The problem lies in the learning law of primacy where under stress you will usually revert back to the first learned instruction.
The second area of difficulty trying to learn without due consideration of what is required to become a pilot.
Desire is a basic but must be accompanied by willingness to put in the time required for reading and flying.
two hours of study for every hour of flying as a minimum while being able to afford the cost without financial stress. If money is a problem it is always better to wait. The last requirement is frequency. You must be able to fly regularly over a few months at worst. Daily for a month will work. Your frequency of training also depends on having both an available aircraft and instructor. Any part of this matrix missing is going to be a problem.
The last of the three difficulties, I believe, is knowing where to look. Even when looking you must see specific aspects of what you are looking at, the way the scene changes is a most important aspect of seeing. Every student looks but only when you see what you should be looking for will you be able to recognize the required course of action. This looking, seeing and recognizing aspect of flying is why so much of learning to fly requires repetition. I honestly feel that one of the weakness of past and current flight instruction is the failure of instructors to teach toward this aspect
of all flying procedures.
The Ways We Learn and Remember;
I have been a teacher for as long as I can remember. I have not always been successful but I have succeeded where others have failed. I have opinions about teaching and the teaching of flying. Over the years I have tried and failed far more often than I have succeeded as I wished. The most successful experiences I have had, the "A Haaas" of my students have occurred when my students and I are in agreement that they have succeeded. Their success is also mine. You in my audience, when we agree I have succeeded.
Those who find, with little difficulty I might add, fault with my opinions, ideas, practices, collectables and writings are entitled to disagree. Disagreement has developed just as many good things as has agreement. Those who disagreed with my use of tape recorders have adopted the digital recorder as have I. In putting my digitals on my computer I have decided that I sound too much like an old man with far too many grunts, moans, and ahaaa. Ahaaas without the Ah in front. We agree to disagree. But, I know that what works for me may not be for anyone else. Those who disagree most fervently will remember well what I say and do.
Remembering is a major part of learning. Bad experiences with total disagreement are learning experiences.
Some teaching and learning involves the making of lists. Often it grows and grows until we are existing with a list of lists such as checklists. As with rules of thumb the unused list is as bad as no list at all. Teaching and learning hold no lasting value unless we have a means of remembering. The making and using of durable lists adds efficiency to what we do. Efficiency of effort is the hallmark of the craftsman who is good at what he does. Lists are good.
One way of making good lists is by keeping things together that belong together. This works for the mind and remembering as well. It is called associating. We will do better remembering if we have as many particulates floating in our associative memory bank as possible. The problem is that we have a broad collection of instinctive particulates that tend to override those we learn. Another hindrance is that the things first learned tend to take precedence over that which is learned later. The most difficult part of learning anew is overcoming that which has been learned before. Learning to taxi is a good illustration of how association can be a negative factor in learning and remembering. Unlearning is the most difficult part of learning.
When we are able to take new material and blend it through association into what we already know, both the learning and remembering becomes easy. Much of teaching is building upon a student's existing bank of knowledge that can be safely associated with what we are teaching. Keeping the good factors and blocking out the bad factors is a major difficulty in teaching anything and especially flying.
The Heading Indicator
The heading indicator is one of your gyroscopic instruments that is usually vacuum driven. The failures I have seen have always resulted in continuous spinning. Every operating HI (heading indicator) has to be set after several minutes operation to normal speed. In the air it must be a part of your instrument scan to have the compass heading and the HI reading the same. A vertical plate compass will read the same as the HI when the HI is properly set. The numbers of the more common compass will have all the numbers that can be seen reversed to those of the HI.
You must double check the setting of the HI by reading the two numbers on each side of the compass lubber line and then pick the one it is closest to as your reference. To set the heading indicator you must pick the two numbers as on the sides of the compass. Turn the heading indicator until the two numbers are on both sides of the heading reference and then put it closer to the same number as the same compass number. These numbers are backwards on the compass and the HI. In setting the HI you must adjust for this difference. .
Sum of the digits
On the heading indicator the sum of the digits a little known way of remembering how to make 90, 180, or 270 degree turns. It works for all the numbers of the heading indicator.
Pick any number say 030 add the digits and you get 0+3+0=3
A 90 degree turn takes you to 120 1+2+0 = 3
Another 90 degrees and you are at 210 2+1+0 = 3
Next 90 degrees and you are at 300 =3
This works no matter what number you start with.
45 turns work as well but a bit differently since they will all end in a 5. When you use the sum of the digits system you keep adding the digits until you have only a single digit. 335 adds to 11 adds to 2. 45 degrees from any heading ending in zero will always end in a 5 beginning at 360 = 9 a 45-degree right turn takes you to 045 = 9 Every 45 degrees to the right will always equal 9. 090=9 135=9 180=9 225 =9 270 = 9 315=9. When making turns in the pattern regardless of the runway direction the no wind directions always have the same sum of the digits total.
Sum of the Digits on Heading Indicator
---The 90/270 course reversal, as an alternate and approved way of making a procedure turn, has a tremendous advantage when making turns and remembering where to turn.
---The system is called the 'sum of the digits'
---Take any number of the heading indicator and add all three of its digits and keep adding until you get a single digit.
Example #1 030 = 3
Example #2 290 = 11 = 2
---The sum of the digits every 90-degrees all the way around the dial will equal 3 or 2 in both cases. It works for every number on both the 90-degree numbers and 45-degree numbers.
Example #1
030 = 3; 120 = 3; 210= 3; 300 = 3
Example #2
290 = 11 = 2; 020= 2; 110 = 2; 200= 2
Works all the time every time.
Re: Sum of the Digits
Certainly interesting in an academic sense, but I don't see how it is very helpful in the real world. So if you already know the correct number, the digits will sum the same, but how do you use this to derive the correct number in the first place?
A much simpler, faster, and easier to remember rule is, for 90 degree right (left) turns: add (subtract) 100, then subtract (add) 10. For 180 degrees, use 200 and 20; for 270 degrees, 300 and 30.
Ross Oliver
Cecil writes;
I do something similar..
180 degree turn from 135 add 2 to the first digit (1) and subtract 2 from the second digit (3) for 215 degrees
180 degree turn from 335 subtract 2 from the first digit and add 2 to the second digit for 155 degrees
For a 90 degree turn from 135 degrees (to the right) add 1 to the first digit and subtract 1 from the second digit for 225 degrees.
I mainly use the 2 - 2 method for quickly calculating reciprocal headings.
Cecil Chapman
Cecil,
I also use the two-two system but it is a bit more difficult on numbers either side of 180. Another thing I do is use the bug-less heading indicator to set myself up on 45-degree entries to downwind either left or right patterns by noting that on a right-45 entry the runway number is at the lower right 45-pip of heading indicator. When on a left-45 entry the runway number is on the left 45-pip of the heading indicator.
Gene
Heading Bug
For those of us fortunate enough to have a heading bug on their heading indicator. many procedures related to taxiing, airport patterns, course reversals VOR radial tracking and most IFR procedures are much easier and well worth the extra money.
As part of your post-start checklist you should set the heading by to the wind direction. This is an eye catcher when it comes to holding the yoke correctly for the wind.
On making arrivals at controlled airports you can set the heading bug to the active runway and make the 45-entry. Aim for the runway numbers in right traffic and the heading bug will be at your lower right 45-degree marker on your heading indicator. Left traffic and it will be to your lower left 45-degree heading marker.
Downwind it will be to your rear in no-wind. The heading bug is an in-house GPS when used properly.
It takes new pilots considerable experiences at unfamiliar airports before they are able to combine all the factors for a good 45-entry to a runway. At uncontrolled airports it may involve circling the windsock to get the wind direction and preferred runway. Then setting the heading bug to the runway heading. My recommendation is that you initiate your turns to the right since the standard direction is left traffic. Once you have selected your runway you can widen your circle to include an over-flight at right angle to the touchdown numbers of the runway. The heading bug will be to your right. This place is where you can most easily make the 45-degree outbound leg above .pattern altitude. You can use the heading bug here but you should need to but by setting it to the inbound number it can be very useful in the course reversal to follow the end of the outbound 45. This outbound leg is where you plan your descent to pattern altitude and the course reversal for the inbound leg. All 45s must be adjusted for wind direction and velocity. The runway numbers are also your aiming point for the inbound leg. Once established on the inbound leg it is time to set the bug to the runway heading.
Once fully utilized the heading bug it becomes as indispensable as does the GPS.
you can learn to fly without it but you would rather not.
Sectional Chart Folding
The purpose of this process is to reduce the two-handed in the cockpit difficulty pilots have in using sectionals. It is not practical in every flight but very helpful when it works for you.
---Open out the sectional to full size
---Draw a line full length on the chart for the intended flight.
---Fold the chart horizontally so as much of t first part of line shows as possible.
---Accordion fold the chart end to end.
---Open part of fold where flight begins.
---You can keep your flight in a single open fold about a foot square
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