Maneuvers / Execution / Techniques

Articles:

• How to prevent over controlling your plane.
• Tips & tricks from readers (GA News).

Braking: - see Landing below.

Climbs / Descents:

• 5 easy ways to increase drag quickly.
• Need to lose altitude? 5 things you can do to descend quickly.
• Cruise climb speed, what is it and when should you use it?
• When to descend on a long straight-in final. (Vid 49).

Coordination / Rudder / Yaw:

• Conquer the “Driving” Habit! (SAFE).
• Cross-Coordinated. (NAFI).
• Video: The Rudder - It Gets No Respect!

Emergencies:  separate page.

Energy Management:  From AFH Chapter 4 - Energy management can be defined as the process of planning, monitoring, and controlling altitude and airspeed targets in relation to the airplane’s energy state in order to:

1. Attain / maintain desired vertical flightpath-airspeed profiles.
2. Detect, correct, and prevent unintentional altitude-airspeed deviations from desired energy state.
3. Prevent irreversible deceleration and/or sink rate that results in a crash.

• Energy Errors (AvWeb)
• Energy Management. (FAASTeam)
• Energy Management - National FAA Safety Team.  Part 1 and 2.
• Pitch and Power: Energy management is key to mastery of flight.
• Power and Pitch (Aviation Safety).
• Also check Aerodynamics

Go Around(s):

• 8 times you should go-around during landing.
• The first item is "bad bounce" - not "bounce".
• 9 times you should go-around.
• Avoiding traffic during a go-around. (vid)
• Botched go around.
• Go-around technique. (Vid 96).
• How to fly a go-around.
• The aircraft will always go UP and LEFT (assuming a single engine piston aircraft)
• The 'binary' go-around.  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.  The plane could have easily landed from the bounce and if you're going to go around, do it correctly.  The video might be hard for some to watch.
• Also see My Morsals / Pilot Tips of the Week.

Ground Ops:

• Brief(s) - see Briefs / Debriefs.
• Holding short: How I do it at KFLY (or anywhere).
• Leaning: see Engines / Powerplants.
• Maintenance (MX) - see Systems.
• Parking (for runup): how I do it at KFLY.
• Preflight:
• 5 fall preflight items to watch out for.
• 5 things to look for when you sump your fuel.
• “COWS” (color, odor, water, sediment).  Odor can help if the entire sample is water.
• 9 things that can be easily overlooked during preflight.
• Don't forget to check these 6 small parts on every preflight.
• Knowledge Check/Quizzes:
• You're checking the maintenance logbook... 5Qs.
• Renting an airplane? 8 things you should always check.
• Runup (parking): how I do it at KFLY.
• Taxiing:
• 8 reasons you should use the 'airport moving map' during your next taxi.
• 9 common mistakes pilots make.
• How far should you taxi behind a jet?
• Taxi at large airports like a pro. (Flying Mag).
• Tips to handle icy runways and taxiways.
• Safety related.
• Why you shouldn't fly with a dirty windshield.

Ground Reference Maneuvers:

• Chandelle:
• How to fly one. (Sporty's)
• Learn the chandelle maneuver. (Thrust Flight)
• Eights on Pylons:
• How to fly 8s on Ps. (Thrust Flight).
• Rectangle course. (King).
• This is one way to do it.  I make the rectangle around a segment of road (just like a runway), not around four roads.
• Turns around a point...
• 4 tips to clean up your turns around a point.
• What’s the point of ground reference maneuvers?
• Why ground reference maneuvers matter. Fundamentals Series (MzA).

Landing: +

• 3 common landing errors - how to fix them.
• 3 tips for the perfect landing. (MzA vid)
• 5 common landing errors, and how to fix them.
• 5 reasons your landings aren't smooth.
• 5 tips for better night landings.
• 5 tips for MASSIVELY better landings (That Actually Work).
• 6 ways to perfect your landings or 10 ways to perfect your landings.
• 8 different types of landings.
• 8 steps to make your first solo landing perfectly smooth.
• 10 tips for safer takeoffs and landings. (FAA).
• Avoid hard landings (AOPA video).
• Bad landings and scary takeoffs (great Backcountry 182 video).
• Defeated by Da Feet (Machado video).
• How to make smooth landings. (Backcounty182 vid).
• Landing - Fundamental Series (MzA) Entire Fundamental Series.
• On landing well: 9 steps for success. (Article)
• This ONE technique instantly improved my landings. (vid)
• ----------------------
• Aimpoint:
• Aimpoint vs touchdown point. Vid 1, Vid 2.
• Airspeed:
• Why landing too fast can lead to a wheelbarrowing accident.
• Approach:
• 9 approach to landing problems - how to recover from each.
• Follow the PAPI/VASI on final, or aim for the numbers?
• ATC and Communication (separate page).
• Bounces/Bouncing:
• How to prevent a bounce on landing. (Vid 143).
• Bounced landing, how to recover.
• What if I balloon or bounce on landing? (MzeroA vid).
• Why am I bouncing my landings? (Vid 13).
• Braking:
• 4 braking tips for every landing.
• Contaminated runway? Here's how to know the braking conditions.
• If your brakes failed on landing rollout, would you perform a go-around?
• Communication and ATC (separate page).
• Controls / Control Inputs:
• Grip - is it causing bad landings? (Vid 88 or Vid 146).
• Should you trim during landing?
• Crosswinds:
• 3 common crosswind landing mistakes, and how to prevent them.
• 7 steps to make the perfect crosswind landing.
• Crosswind landing tips. (Vid 133).
• Crosswind landings (Sporty’s vid - shown from behind).
• Feeling crabby-mastering crosswind landings. (MzeroA vid).
• Flaps in a gusty cross? (AvWeb).
• Flaps, should you reduce them in a strong crosswind? (Vid 55 or Vid 142).
• Handling strong crosswinds. (Vid 26 or Vid 39).
• How maximum demonstrated crosswind is calculated.
• How much rudder and ailerons? "It depends" is gray...
• The amount is 1) to keep longitudinal axis aligned (rudder) and 2) to stay on centerline (aileron).
• How to make a perfect crosswind landing.
• How to touch down in a strong crosswind. (Vid 147).
• Left crosswind - how to handle it. (Vid 166).
• Light crosswinds cause three landing accidents.
• Maintain control after touchdown - how to.
• Prep for private pilot exam. (vid).
• Tips to handle strong crosswinds. (Vid 161).
• Tips to improve your crosswind technique. (Vid 114).
• Also see My Morsels.
• Excursions - techniques to avoid them.
• Feel like your landings are getting worse?
• Final
• High on final?
• Here are 6 ways to fix it.
• How should you correct?
• Low on final? How should you correct?
• Flaps
• 4 reasons you might not use full flaps on landing.
• Full flaps all at once?
• How to fly a no-flap landing.
• Partial flaps - when should you land with them? (Vid 128)
• Raise flaps on landing for a shorter ground roll? (Vid 165)
• Flare / Roundout:
• Having trouble with your flare and touchdown? (Vid 112).
• How to correct a high flare during landing.
• How to recover from a balloon during your landing flare.
• Late or rapid flare - how to correct.
• When should you start?
• Where to look. (Machado vid).
• This is opinion. I look way down the runway and/or the horizon. 
• Floating: see Ground effect below.
• Go around(s) - see above.
• Ground effect:
• Floating down the runway? Here's how to fix it.
• How to fix your float. (AV Safety).
• Struggling with floating during landing? (Vid 41).
• What is it? See Aerodynamics.
• Why your plane floats during landing.
• Gusts:
• Gusty crosswind landings. (MzA vid).
• Landing in gusty winds. (Vid 38).
• What's your limit for landing in gusty winds? See also My Morsels.
• Why add half the gust factor for windy day landings? (or Vid 127).
• High Altitude airports:
• How can I land better at high altitude airports? (Vid 1).
• How to time your flare for a perfect landing.
• Hydroplaning:
• Quiz: Hydroplaning only occurs to ___. 5Qs.
• The 3 types of hydroplaning, and how to prevent them.
• Impossible or Improbable turn:
• All or Nothing. (Aviation Safety).
• FAA to CFIs: Teach the impossible turn.
• Is the impossible turn possible? (FlightInsight Vid).
• NAFI CFI.
• SAFE Broadcast.
• The Impossible Turn 500FT (it's not impossible). FLY8MA.
• The-Not-That-Impossible Turn. (Cub Theatre).
• What NTSB reports say about impossible turns and AOA (Part I, Part II).
• See My Morsels on this topic.
• Knowledge Check / Quizzes:
• In preparation for a normal landing... 9Qs.
• You are practicing landings in your Piper... 6Qs
• You're flying into Flagstaff, AZ… 5Qs
• Landing Gear:
• How trailing-link gear helps pilots make smoother landings.
• Low approach - how to fly one.
• Pilot Induced Oscillation (PIO) or Porpoising. My Morsels.
• Pitch for airspeed, power for glideslope? Or the other way around?
• Porpoising or Pilot Induced Oscillation (PIO). My Morsels.
• Power-out 180s
• 180 power out landings - nail your landing spot every time. (vid)
• NAFI video 1. NAFI video 2.
• Why you should practice Power-Off 180 landings.
• Runway / Conditions:
• 4 ways to make safer landings in the winter.
• Contaminated runway? Here's how to know the braking conditions.
• Separation:
• There's an airplane on the runway. Can I land?
• What if an airplane taxied in front of you during touchdown?
• Short Field:
• 9 tips to pass the checkride short field landings.
• Achieving short field success. (FAA).
• How to fly a perfect short field landing.
• Runway overrun caused by short field landing technique...
• Short and rough field landings. (article)
• Why this landing went wrong and part deux. (AvWeb vid).
• Soft Field:
• How to make a perfect soft field landing.
• Stabilized approach (and landing).
• Flyer from FAASTeam.
• Stop-and-go landing - how to fly one.
• Tailwinds:
• 6 hazards of tailwinds during takeoff and landing.
• Why landing with a tailwind increases your risk of an accident.
• Takeoff and landing refresher. (Wally Moran).
• Tips to get on the centerline. (Vid 46 and Vid 82).
• Touch-and-Go:
• How to fly a touch-and-go landing.
• Touchdown / Touchdown Point:
• Aimpoint vs touchdown point. Vid 1, Vid 2.
• Avoid hard landings (AOPA video).
• Perfecting your touchdown point. (Vid 40).
• Stop landing left of center. (MzA vid)
• Tips to perfect your touchdown point. (Vid 56).
• Why you can't hold centerline on landing. (vid)
• Turbulence:
• How to make smooth touchdown when landing in turbulence.
• Turn back to land - see Impossible or Improbable Turn above.
• Wake turbulence:
• How to avoid wake turbulence during takeoff and landing.
• No matter what you fly, this wake turbulence accident could happen.
• Quiz: The greatest vortex strength occurs... 6Qs.
• Tips to avoid wake turbulence. Vid 21, Vid 62 or Vid 162.
• See also Pilot Tips of the Week and Human Factors.

Maneuver Guides:

• C172 (Rick Aviation, 2018)
• C172 (EKU Aviation, 2020)
• C172 S/R (Thrust Flight, 2021)
• Also see Ground Reference Maneuvers above.

Night Flight/Flying:

• 5 tips for better night landings.
• 7 ways to find an airport hidden by nighttime darkness.
• 8 of the most common night flying hazards.
• 9 ways to avoid the hazards of night flight.
• 22 tips you need to know for flying at night.
• Quizzes / Knowledge check:
• You're doing 3 night takeoffs and landings... 6Qs.
• When can you log night flight and night landings?
• See also Illusions in Human Factors.

Passengers:

• 9 ways to make nervous passengers more comfortable.

Rudder / Yaw / Coordination: see Coordination above.

Slips:

• Forward slip - how to correct a high final.
• Real pilots know how to slip.
• Slipping with full flaps.
• Slips and Skids. (NAFI).
• Stalling in a forward slip. (Vid 53, Vid 153).
• What happens if you stall in a forward slip? (Vid 53).

Spins:  go to Upset Prevention & Recovery Training.

Stalls: +

• 4 ways to get better at stall recoveries.
• Aircraft stalling: 3 basic kinds.
• Cross-controlled stalls: How to prevent them.
• Decelerated stalls - do they exist? (GA News)
• Elevator trim stalls:
• How to prevent it from happening to you.
• Fear of / reluctance to:
• Afraid of stalls? Try a falling leaf.
• Fear of stalling. (MzeroA vid).
• Power-on stalls
• Power on stalls can happen where you least expect them.
• Practicing them.
• Video from Sporty's.
• Quiz on stalls:
• Any point beyond _____ is where... 6Qs
• Assuming your aircraft's weight... 6Qs
• What happens when you increase... 5Qs.
• Recovery: 6 common mistakes made by pilots.
• Stall horn fallacy of stall prevention.
• Stalling with the nose pointed down. (Machado vid)
• Weight, how does it affect stall speed? (Vid 163).
• Also see My Morsels.

Steep Spirals:

• Ultimate tutorial on steep spirals. (Thrust Flight vid).

Steep Turns:

• Aerodynamics of a steep turn.
• Article by Aviation Safety.
• How to master steep turns.
• Sporty’s flight maneuver spotlight.
• Steep turns. (AvWeb).
• Video Tip: Steep turns in flight.

Takeoff: +

• 6 common takeoff mistakes, and how to avoid them.
• 10 tips for safer takeoffs and landings. (FAA)
• Aborted / Rejected Takeoff:
• 8 times you should reject a takeoff.
• #2 is a misspeak – half of planned TO distance is better.
• #9 (not in the list) – anytime you think you should.
• Brief (see Briefs).
• Can you take off with another plane on the runway?
• Crosswind takeoffs:
• How to handle crosswinds during takeoff. (Sporty's vid)
• How to make a perfect crosswind takeoff.
• Prep for private pilot exam. (vid).
• Also see Landing.
• Go around(s) - see above
• Impossible turn.
• Improbable turn. (YouTube)
• Rejected Takeoffs:
• How to safely stop during a rejected takeoff.
• Rotation:
• Questions from the Cockpit: Rotate what, exactly?
• Runway centerline: 
• Should you fly runway heading or runway centerline on takeoff?
• Short/soft field takeoffs:
• Achieving short field success. (FAA).
• Clearing the 50’ obstacle. (Backcountry182).
• How to fly the perfect short field takeoff and climb. (FTC).
• How to fly a perfect soft field approach and landing. (FTC).
• How to make a good one (short field).
• See My Morsels on short/soft fields.
• Takeoff and landing refresher. (Wally Moran)
• Techniques for better takeoffs. (video)
• Wake turbulence:
• How to avoid wake turbulence during takeoff and landing.
• See also Takeoff Briefing, Performance and Pilot Tips of the Week.

Traffic Patterns:

• 6 ways to avoid irritating other pilots on your next flight.
• 8 tips to make a textbook traffic pattern every time.
• Aircraft in front of you isn't turning base. What should you do? (Vid 6).
• Back to basics in the traffic pattern. (NAFI).
• Base to final turn. (NAFI).
• C172, how I execute patterns in a Skyhawk.
• How I tweak it for 'localisms' at KFLY.
• Commit to Pattern Precision (FAA).
• Departure leg vs upwind leg. (Vid 9).
• Fly a flawless traffic pattern at a non-towered airport.
• Fly a perfect pattern. (Pilot Workshops).
• Go arounds (see takeoff section above).
• Impossible turn.
• Improbable turn. (YouTube).
• Knowledge check / quizzes:
• The numbers 4 and 22 on the approach... 10 Qs.
• Non-Towered Airport:
• How to fly traffic patterns at non-towered airports.
• Upwind vs. departure leg. (vid 66).
• See also Pilots Tip of the Week.

Trim: see Systems / Equipment.

• Should you trim during landing?
• Weber’s Law – how it relates to trimming. (Machado Vid).
• When should you use trim?
• Also check: Systems / Equipment.

Turn performance (radius):

Visual Flight: - how to enforce it

• If you have students who stare at the gauges, my first recommendation is to cover them.  So as not to keep them from recognizing a 30° bank turn, I let them see it.  I cut a suction cup to hide the ADI minus the 30° bank turn.  Why?  Because I want them to hear, feel, sense their energy state by using their nose position.  This is also where the stall warning comes into  effect.
  

Yaw / Coordination / Rudder: see Coordination above.

Flying IS Great - Improve every flight!