Airspeed Indicator

The airspeed indicator is an indispensable cock pit instrument. It's one of the few required by the regulations to be operational on all types of flights, which demonstrates its significant role in keeping us safely flying. A quick glance at aviation's speedometer can tell us much about the current state of the aircraft.

The air speed indicator is the only flight instrument that uses the pitot tube. It takes the air pressure that enter the front of the pitot tube (more speed means more pressure) and directs it to the back of the instrument. There, it meets a closed disc or diaphragm that sits inside the back case. That case is sealed, except for a small hole that is directly connected to the static port. As a result, the pressure that enters the pitot tube is compared to the static air pressure.

The differential pressure is the key to the instrument's operation. A gear or series of gears is attached to the diaphragm, which is then connected to a needle that indicates on the face of the instrument. What comes out on the calibrated face is the speed of the airplane through the air.

The different types of airspeed include: Indicated, which reads on the face of the airspeed indicator. Calibrated, which indicates airspeed corrected for inherent instrument errors. Can be obtained from the pilot's operating handbook. True, is the calibrated airspeed corrected for non-standard pressure and temperature; in other words, the actual speed of the aircraft through the air. And ground speed, which is the true air speed corrected for wind.

The air speed indicator is prone to certain errors, usually as a result of problems with debris or ice on the pitot tube or static source. A blocked pitot tube will cause the airspeed to go to zero. A blocked drain hole or pitot tube opening generally will cause the air speed indicator to read its last setting, but then act like an altimeter on any climbs or descents. A blocked static port will cause the airspeed indicator to falsely display an increase in a descent and decrease in a climb. It is very important to become familiar with these symptoms while flying, so you can gauge and adjust to the situation and properly fly at a safe airspeed. Especially when you are about to land, you don't want to come into a landing thinking you're flying the correct air speed when in reality you aren't.

Slipper Flying: Cross Controlled Maneuvers

The ability to perform slips effectively and confidently is a tool you will use not only on your checkride, but on nearly every one of your flights for as long as you fly. Of course, there are the accidental slips that occur when a pilot doesn't apply enough rudder pressure during turns, and doing those on your check-ride should be kept to a minimum, if possible.

The designated pilot examiner will ask you to demonstrate a couple of intentional slips that are an important part of every good pilot's bag of skills. There are two types of intentional slips: sideslips and forward slips. And while you may rarely need to do forward slips, you'll perform a side slip any time you correct for a crosswind during landing---which is nearly every flight.

Although the primary difference between the two is simply how much rudder deflection is used, they really are two very different maneuvers, with two every different purposes. The forward slip is a great device whenever you need to lose excess altitude and/or airspeed—usually for the purpose of landing—but it also can be helpful during an emergency descent. True, with proper approach planning, forward slips are rarely necessary, but we all have our days.

During the checkride, examiners prefer to see applicants who employ an unsolicited forward slip maneuver if they are high on approach to a simulated ening out landing, or during another of their landing approaches—thus demonstrating that correlation level learning has been achieved. When accomplishing a forward slip, first retard the throttle to idle, leaving power on above idle renders the forward slip highly ineffective. This is a surprisingly common error among applicants.

Also be sure to fully extend the flaps (unless prohibited by the manufacturer) to increase the drag component. This will increase the slip's effectiveness. Next, make your cross control inputs by smoothly and simultaneously applying enough upwind aileron to maintain the desired ground track as you apply full opposite rudder while lowering the pitch attitude to maintain the desired descent airspeed. Failure to adequately the nose is a common error that leads to airspeed decay toward stall speed, often while close to the ground in a cross control configuration. This scares examiners, the results of which are never pleasant.

Finally, when you reach your desired approach profile, simply recover from the forward slip by neutralizing the cross control inputs and adjusting the pitch attitude. Continue the approach or descent as appropriate to the situation. When making your crosswind landing, which is also a requirements for all check rides when an actual crosswind exists, it's time to demonstrate your sideslip maneuver. For the side slip, instead of using full rudder, apply only as much rudder as is needed to align the nose (longitudinal axis) with the runway while simultaneously applying enough upwind aileron to keep the airplane tracking along the runway centerline (no sideways drift). Be prepared to adjust both rudder and aileron inputs for changing wind conditions.

What makes the side slip more challenging is the fact that as the airspeed decays during the landing flare, the flight controls become gradually less effective, demanding ever increasing control inputs to maintain aircract directional control. And in gusty winds, this can be a huge challenge, especially for student pilots. During training, side slips often initiated moments before the actual touchdown. However, beginning the sideslip earlier on the final approach is a powerful teaching technique, because it permits a longer exposure to the maneuver and therefore more learing opportunity for each crosswind landing made. The number of aircraft bent each year while landing in crosswinds is strong evidence that the side slip maneuver not only is difficult to master, but also proof that its mastery is paramount.

Whatever you do, make sure to spend enough quality time learning, practicing, and mastering these important slip maneuvers. Remember: Full rudder equals forward slip; partial rudder equals side slip. The extra time and effort you spend now will be well rewarded—not just on your checkride day, but every time you fly when there's crosswind.

Learning to Enjoy the View

Every pilot in the world shares a common bond. We may make up melting pot of ages, races, cultures, languages, and values, but we've all done the same things and seen the world from the same perspective. These truths are hard to recognize in training. Learning to fly is a highly rewarding activity, but the intesnity of the training requires a singular focus that sometimes blocks out the pure enjoyment being up there can bring. The same thing also happens to experienced pilots who, after a lifetime spent in the air, may forget the special nature of what it is we do.

Thankfully, there are kids, and through their eyes we're able to remember what it means to do something humans haved dreamed about for centuries. A few months ago I was on a short early morning airline flight from San Antonio to Dallas. IT was drizzling and overcast. I don't fly the airlines enough to be grumpy about kids getting on board, so when a group of three sat in the row in front of me I didn't pay them much attention. Soon they started to argue,, so I listened. They were negotiating for the window seat, and it soon came out that it was the first time in an airplane for all three. A persistent boy of maybee5 won the round and took his seat against the side of the airplane.

As we taxied out and the other passengers settled in for their short naps to Dallas, the boy's face was glued to the window. We taxied onto the runway, the pilots ran up the massive engines, and we were off. “We're off the ground!” the boy announced. And just as fast we were in the clouds.

When you learn to fly on instruments you'll learn to accurately predict the conditions hiding above the overcast. This day I could tell it was going to be more than just a thin, solid overcast layer. Sure enough, we broke out to towering cumulus clouds that filtered the morning sun long and low over the top of the ground bound city to the brilliant light of morning was quick, and more than a little metaphorical. The boy was silent for a minute. And then, to no one in particular, he said, “I can see heaven.”

What we do is special. Yes, training can be difficult, and flying expensive. But there's always time to simply look outside and enjoy the view.