Control Performance Flashcards
What is basic attitude instrument flying?
the control of an aircraft’s spatial position by
using instruments rather than outside visual references.
Define control and performance
Aircraft performance is achieved by controlling the aircraft attitude and power
(AOA and thrust to drag) to produce the desired performance
Three categories of instruments in control performance
The three general categories of instruments are control, performance, and navigation instruments
Define control category and what instruments are involved
Display immediate attitude and power indications and are permit precise
adjustments
Control is determined by reference to the Attitude Indicator and Power Indicators
Define performance category and what instruments are involved
Indicate the aircraft’s actual performance
Performance is determined by reference to the Altimeter (AI), Airspeed Indicator (ASI),
Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI), Heading Indicator (HI), and Turn Coordinator (TC)
What is the navigation category and instruments involved
Indicate the position in relation to a selected NAVAID facility or fix
Determined by course indicators, range indicators, glide-slope indicators and bearing points
What are the procedural steps in control performance
Establish
Trim
Crosscheck
Adjust
Describe the established step
Establish an attitude / power setting on the control instruments which result in the desired performance
Known or computed attitude changes and approximate power settings will help reduce workload
Describe the trim step
Trim until control pressures are neutralized.
This is essential for smooth, precise control and allows attention to be diverted elsewhere
Describe the crosscheck step
Crosscheck the performance instruments to determine if the desired performance is being obtained
Involves seeing and interpreting
If a deviation is noted, determine the magnitude and direction of correction necessary
Describe the adjust step
Adjust attitude and / or power setting on the control instruments as necessary
What three controls are achieved when in the Establish procedural step?
Pitch Control
Bank Control
Power Control
How do you achieve Pitch control?
Changes are made by changing the pitch attitude by precise amounts in relation to the horizon
Changes are measured in degrees or bar widths
The amount of deviation from that desired will determine the magnitude of correction
How do you achieve bank control?
Changes are made by changing the bank attitude by precise amounts in relation to the bank scale
Normally use a bank angle which does not exceed 30o
How do you achieve power control?
Made by throttle adjustments and reference to the power indicators
A small amount of attention is necessary to ensure the power setting remains constant
From experience, you know how far to move the throttles to change the power a given amount
Make power changes primarily by throttle movement and then crosscheck the indicators
DO NOT FIXATE on the indicators while setting the power
CE – Applying control inputs without reference to the AI
How do you achieve trim control?
Trim the plane for hands off flight
CE – Not trimming or over / under controlling
CE – Trim frequently and in small amounts
Why do we do an instrument crosscheck?
The pilot maintains an attitude by reference to instruments that will give the desired performance
It is impossible to establish an attitude and have performance remain constant for a long period of time
It is therefore necessary to constantly check the instruments and make appropriate changes
What are the types of crosscheck
Select Radial Crosscheck
Inverted V crosscheck
Rectangular Crosscheck
Describe the select radial crosscheck
Eyes never travel directly between the flight instruments, but move by way of the AI
Begin with the Attitude Indicator, scan an instrument and return to the AI before moving on to another
Describe the inverted V crosscheck
Moving your eyes from the Attitude Indicator to the Turn Coordinator, up to the Attitude Indicator, to the Vertical Speed Indicator, and back to the Attitude Indicator
Describe the rectangular crosscheck
Move your eyes across the top three instruments and drop down to scan the bottom three
This gives equal weight to each instrument, regardless of its importance to the maneuver
However, this method lengthens the time for your eyes to return to a maneuver’s critical instrument
What are the crosscheck errors and descriptions
CE - FIXATION
Staring at a single instrument (Attitude Indicator is the most common)
This occurs for a variety of reasons and eliminates the crosscheck of other important instruments
CE - OMISSION
Omitting an instrument from the crosscheck
May be caused by failure to anticipate major instrument indications following attitude changes
CE – EMPHASIS
Putting emphasis on a single instrument, instead of the necessary combination of instruments
Chasing the VSI is common or emphasizing pitch or bank instruments. You may naturally tend to rely on the instrument most understood
How do you “adjust”
Make the adjustments necessary in relation to the Attitude Indicator, then go through the process again
The amount of deviation from the desired performance will determine the amount of correction needed
Restrict the Attitude Indicator’s to 1 bar or ½ bar width up or down
Use a bank angle that approximates the degrees to turn, not to exceed 30o
CE – Incorrect interpretation of instruments and improper controls to correct
Example: Using the rudder to fix heading
