My Morsels

We all know you can't consolidate the internet or hundreds of peoples' insights, techniques, lessons into a single document.  So, I will consolidate the things I've learned, used, and shared to keep flying upright.  First, I'll start with terms...

• Terms
• "Abeam the numbers" - see "perch".
• "Back pressure" - pull back on the stick/yoke, or "Release back pressure" which is the opposite.
• "Brick One" - meaning the very first inch (or brick) of the runway.
• "Buffet" - when the aircraft starts to shake prior to a stall.  Not my term, but you can use it even without a stall warning horn/light.
• "Chair fly" - to rehearse a maneuver (or anything) before you actually do it.
• "Horn" - the stall warning horn - or however the aircraft is equipped
• "Perch" - used for "abeam the numbers" (which is 4 syllables longer).  The Perch is when you are abeam the numbers, but it also instills the idea that you "jump" off the perch.  I.e., you start your descent.  Birds don't fly up from a perch, they jump off (down).
• "Roll out" - means to reduce your bank (whatever it is) to zero, so as to roll out of bank.
• "Unload" - lower AOA, push the yoke/stick forward (you're unloading Gs)
• "VAPI" - used to reference VASIs or PAPIs.  They only differ in configuration, but the concept is the same.
• "Walk around" - the preflight inspection
• "Wire".  This is the term I use for the approach angle.  3 degrees, right?  The 'wire' is a line between you and your aimpoint.  Ideally, it is always about a 3 degree wire.  You are either above, on, or below the wire.
• 1-2-3 From the Knee
• I use this at the perch.  1 is carburetor  heat, 2 is set your power, 3 is 10 degrees of flaps.  I return to power to refine it, but after it's refined, I leave it alone.
• Aimpoint vs Landing Point.
• First of all, there is no 'landing point' unless you've declared it for a precision landing (which is good practice for any pattern).  Normally, the landing point is slightly beyond the aimpoint.  The aimpoint is where you would crash if you never changed your approach angle.  Since we transition to level, wait for the airplane to lose its lift and then roundout, we will certainly land beyond the aimpoint.  As soon as you transition to level, your aimpoint has served its purpose and you can say thank you as you fly past it.  You will land XXX (~400) feet beyond it.  If you wanted to land at brick one, your aimpoint could never be on the runway.  My aimpoint is very seldom short.  In fact, if there is a VASI/PAPI, it's an imaginary line directly across from the lights.  See my VASI/PAPI tutorial.  If there aren't lights, it's usually the first centerline dash after the numbers.  I only bring it closer if the runway is REALLY short.
• Review the AIM discussion on runway markings
• Airspace +
• What I use...
• A = Altitude (FL180 and above)
• B = Big (the biggest cites and usually bigger altitude)
• C = Crowded (busy cities but not big enough)
• D = Dialog (dialog with the tower)
• E = Everywhere else (almost everywhere else)
• G = Go for it (uncontrolled)
• Anticipation Bucket (anticipation = fewer surprises): +
• Crosswinds – after landing, the wind hasn’t stopped.
• Flaps
• When you ADD flaps, the nose wants to rise.
• When you REDUCE flaps, the nose wants to sink.
• Rudder
• When you add power, you need rudder.
• When you turn, you need rudder.
• Single engine aircraft want to go up and left when you add power.
• Stalls - an aircraft can stall at any attitude.
• Crosswind controls on the ground
• The text version in many POHs (such as shown here) takes a bit of mental effort - at least they do for me.  So here's my technique...
• Tailwheel
• "Climb into, dive away from".  It's that simple.
• Climb into (stick/yoke into an up) a quartering headwind and dive away from (stick/yoke away and forward) a quartering tailwind.
• Watch the "dive" away from - if your propwash is stronger than the tailwind.
• Tricycle gear
• "Turn into, dive away from".
• Difference is no back stick/yoke for the headwinds
• AOPA has another technique if it works for you.
• Go-arounds
• The 'binary' go-around.  Not a fan. Have you been instructed, or is it your own notion, that a bounced landing should be followed by a go-around?  If so, be careful of any 'binary' flying.  Physics are binary but how we handle things is usually not.  Here is a video of a bounce into a go around.  First, the plane could have easily landed from the bounce.  Second, if you're going to do a go around, do it correctly.  The video might be hard for some to watch.
• Illusions
• Runways:
• If it's "WIde" you'll be "HI", if it's "narROW" you'll be "LOW" (where you typically end up on final, but not necessarily)
• You're tying to make it look 'normal'
• If they have VAPIs (VASI or PAPI) use them!
• Slope - it's opposite of the slope
• If it slopes down, you'll likely be higher (than you should be)
• If it slopes up, you'll likely be lower (than you should be)
• If they have VAPIs (VASI or PAPI) use them!
• "Pitch for airspeed" - this implies an unmodified power setting and you can only maintain a speed with pitch (forward/aft stick/yoke).
• Preflight / Walkaround:
• The point here is to start from and end where you enter your aircraft.  Piper (and others) and Cessna are clearly different.  Both pics are from the POHs (with edits on the Piper):

• Skid vs Slip
• If you skid, you'll leave too much rubber on the road - TOO MUCH rudder.  You'll  leave a skid mark.
• Slips then are the opposite - not enough rudder

- Flying IS Great - Improve Every Flight -

Pictures for reference only...