Eights of pylons

Ok, I think I'm just not anticipating what is going to happen. WHen the pylon starts to move is when I react. Will try the adivce mentioned above when I go up today.
 
Went up and did them today... Anticipation, it worked well. Still wasn't exactly on the, but was miles better than what it previously had been. Will go back up Monday.
 
Still wasn't exactly on the, ..
..on the what?..on the point?..:rolleyes:

Anyway, this point is worth mentioning. the point you are using for reference needs to be more specific than the 'wing tip'. Unless you're flying a pointed-tip wing. .:rolleyes::rolleyes:
The point on the wing tip has to be like a gunsight thru which you sight another equally precise point.
Not a "wing tip on a cross road", but "the wing tip light on the very tip top that telephone pole".

If you use very very specific, and easy to see and keep lined up reference points, you will see them getting out of line and be able to correct smoothly and easily.

...kinda like keeping the nose lined up with a centerline of a runway.. imagine if we didn't have a "centerline". Keeping it lined up would be harder.

Make a gunsight on your wingtip and a specific bullseye on the ground.
 
..on the what?..on the point?..:rolleyes:

Anyway, this point is worth mentioning. the point you are using for reference needs to be more specific than the 'wing tip'. Unless you're flying a pointed-tip wing. .:rolleyes::rolleyes:
The point on the wing tip has to be like a gunsight thru which you sight another equally precise point.
Not a "wing tip on a cross road", but "the wing tip light on the very tip top that telephone pole".

If you use very very specific, and easy to see and keep lined up reference points, you will see them getting out of line and be able to correct smoothly and easily.

...kinda like keeping the nose lined up with a centerline of a runway.. imagine if we didn't have a "centerline". Keeping it lined up would be harder.

Make a gunsight on your wingtip and a specific bullseye on the ground.


+1.
 
Make a gunsight on your wingtip and a specific bullseye on the ground.

I'd like to add to this...

A LOT of people don't realize they're pivoting on the lateral axis of the aircraft--and the wingtip is NOT the lateral axis. The lateral axis will be defined differently for each person in the aircraft, based on their seat position and height of their eyes.

The way to see your lateral axis is to sit in the seat exactly as you would when performing the maneuver. Fly straight and level, oriented with some long/straight roads or section lines. Look out to the side, all the way to the horizon. When you're directly over a straight road or section line, note where it is relative to the wingtip, as in, front to back. For instance, it might be a foot aft of the wing's leading edge, or line up with a particular rivet line. Or if you're in the back seat, it might even be out in space, aft of the trailing edge.

Next, while flying straight and level, note how far the horizon is from the wingtip. In a high wing plane, the horizon will be below the wingtip, or in a low wing plane, the horizon will be above the wingtip.

Use these two references, the fore/aft along the wingtip, along with the vertical measurement of the horizon above/below the wingtip to define your "gunsight." THIS is the lateral axis of the aircraft, as viewed from your perspective.

When doing 8's on pylons, this lateral axis MUST be on the pylon at ALL times. Do whatever it takes with your bank angle to hold the pylon the same vertical distance from the wingtip as the horizon would be during straight and level flight.

It won't be until you do this that you'll get an accurate idea of how pivotal altitude affects the fore/aft position of the pylon to the wing. If you do this correctly, it won't matter if your pylons are 1/2 mile apart or 3 miles apart. Pivotal altitude is the same regardless of the pylon spacing. Pylon spacing only affects bank angle.

If you don't use the true lateral axis of the aircraft as your "gunsight" you'll end up either spiraling towards or away from the pylon (because your bank angle isn't correct or you're pitched up or down) and will never be able to see pivotal altitude in action.

Not meaning to brag, but I flew with a lot of commercial students back in the day who had trouble with this maneuver. I was almost always able to bring them up to PTS standards in one two flights by getting them to understand how to view the lateral axis. They consistently told me I was the only instructor who'd explained it this way and it helped tremendously. I'm not sure why this isn't stressed more in written explanations of the maneuver.
 
Lazy 8's kicked my ass.

I just couldn't visualize the maneuver.
That's the same issue I am struggling with. My instructor said for me to be patient but It is extremely hard to do a maneuver like that in what feels to be in super slow motion.
 
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