Some poor airplane handling skills I have observed.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

When I was in the advanced flight training business there were several faults that were common to a high percentage of the pilots I was training.

Very poor understanding of how to taxi.

Airspeed chasing in the climb after take off.

Incorrect level off procedures.

Poor runway alignment on final and in the landing phase.

No real idea of height below fifty feet during the approach, flare, hold off and touch down.

Anyone here interested in how I re-programmed these faults?

[ScudRunner-d95]

Ok you got me with the fist one, what sort of rocket surgery did you witness from folks taxiing ?

[Chuck Ellsworth]

They set the power sufficient to get going and once under way instead of reducing the throttle setting they control taxi speed with brakes.

It is very common because their instructors were taught that way, common sense as we all know has no place in teaching flying.

[fluff]

Would love to read anything at all that makes one a better pilot.


Re: I'm surprised about the brake thing. Wouldn't it feel quite unnatural to be riding the brakes the entire time you taxi?

[Colonel]

Most people ride the brakes, until you yell
at them, not to.  Get the toes down.

Three simple things to make you a better
pilot:

1) on a nice day, go flying with an instructor
with the entire instrument panel covered up
with paper.  No flight instruments, nothing.
This forces you to look outside and use the
Big Attitude Indicator.  Take off, climb up,
fly out to the practice area, level off at
around 3000 AGL, still with the panel covered.
Slow down, half flap, drive around with
the stall indicator on, occasionally dropping
a wing.  Learn to live there.  Look outside.

2) on a day with a howling, gusty crosswind,
go up with an instructor that has a clue.  Brief
on the effects of wind on the circuit, and how
you are going to compensate.  Spend an hour
riding the mechanical bull on final.  Builds
character.  Put it on the extended centerline
and keep it there, first with a crab, then in
a slip.  Learn to keep the slip on, in the flare.
Most people don't.

3) learn about essco.  Buy a manual, and learn
to read it.  The people that write these books
hide the important stuff as best as they can. 
Learn to quickly find the important stuff in a
POH/AFM.  The crew of Asiana 214 could learn
a thing or two about this skill.

[Eric Janson]

How about flipping switches without thinking.....

During climb with a new F/O in Line Training I asked for the Engine Anti-Ice to be turned on. This is on the 737-300.

He reaches up and turns off the Elec 1 Hydraulic pump - realises his mistake and rapidly turns it back on. (This switch is located just below the engine anti -ice switches).

There is a loud 'CLUNK' - the autopilot disconnects and all my screens go dark. I have to transfer control to him as his screens are still working.

The number 1 Generator has tripped due to the electrical surge caused by doing the above.

It won't reset.

I start the APU and that finally restores power to the left side of the aircraft. After 5 minutes the number 1 Generator can be connected again and everything returns to normal.

It was very quiet on the right side of the cockpit.....

[b]There's no rush to flip switches[/b] - take the extra 0.5s to confirm you have the correct one.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Always think first then act.

Part of the training problems are a result of instructors teaching people to do things based on neat sounding rhymes or check list items that are performed without any real understanding of exactly what they are doing.

I call this kind of instructing " Paint by numbers training " they just color inside the lines with no thought process or talent required.

[Eric Janson]

And then there's the crosswind landing..... ::)

The following happened [b]over and over[/b] again on my flights (large 4 engine jet). I started briefing it with First Officers as the Airline didn't give any crosswind training or any techniques to be used (and I was fed up having to experience this over and over again...).

Arriving from the Northwest and landing on runway 18 (visual approach). Wind from 240 degrees at 20-25 knots (crosswind from the right).

Aircraft flies through the runway centre-line so we are now downwind. Not only are we crabbing for wind there is now additional crab to regain the centre-line.

Crossing the threshold the aircraft is still downwind with the additional crab still in place.

Kicking the aircraft straight at this point will put the wheels in the grass. Most First Officers don't touch the rudder on landing....

First Officer is out of ideas at this point.

What follows is a firm touchdown well left of centre-line followed by a very pronounced swing to the left as the aircraft aligns with the runway.


Since I flew aircraft that had to be correctly aligned with the runway otherwise you'd get a groundloop - I land all aircraft I've flown since like this.

IMHO - landing crabbed is poor technique and puts extra stress (sideloads) on the tires and landing gear.


What works very well is to put the cockpit over the upwind edge of the runway. At 100' just slowly feed in rudder to align the aircraft with the centreline and a little wing down to stop any drift. All that remains is to flare and land. Works perfectly.

[Colonel]

I have done thousands of crosswind landings with
students, using only half the runway, on the downwind
side!

Using the upwind side is a novel idea.  And as you
point out, it's easy to move downwind.  Hard to move
upwind.