How many of you teach your students to always keep their hand on the throttle?

Pachong said:
Alrighty...so taxi, takeoff, landing, maneuvers? Does that seem like a good idea to everyone?
Click to expand...

My impression is that there are a lot of posts here of over-controlling instructors....

Seriously, critical phases of flight, when you need the throttle. Otherwise you aren't teaching your student how to manage the aircraft correctly.

What is the friction lock for?

When are you making power adjustments?

But, requiring them to have hands on throttle at specific altitudes? What if my TPA is 700' AGL then what? Should I use my left hand (taking it off the yoke) to reach to the floor on my right side to check the position of the gas? do I need it on the trhottle while I'm downwind?

Common sense here folks. Teach the way your students are going to fly, not how they are going to fly maneuvers.
 
My instructor has mentioned to me twice that I need to keep my hand on the throttle during takeoff. I see why and it's good practice.
 
Anyone ever had the throttle retard on the climb out? If so, then you know how much of a non event it is... that is if you're capable of thinking I guess. Hmmmmmmmm engine power is dropping off a bit with airspeed, oh and this lever here is coming back a bit, albeit rather slowly. I guess maybe I should push that back forward. If they can't recognize that and correct for it before they stall, then there's other issues at hand, and it has nothing to do with where their hand is. And to that, why would they stall, if you're pitch isn't achieving the airpseed you expect, lower the pitch! A trainer typically still climbs even with 75% power.

I agree with moxie. To me, this issue is rote memory vs understanding and awareness of the airplane. I hate rote memory, it does nothing for understanding and higher level learning.
 
z987k said:
Anyone ever had the throttle retard on the climb out? If so, then you know how much of a non event it is... that is if you're capable of thinking I guess. Hmmmmmmmm engine power is dropping off a bit with airspeed, oh and this lever here is coming back a bit, albeit rather slowly. I guess maybe I should push that back forward.
Click to expand...


You would think that is common sense, but you would be surprised. I have been in situations where the student is climbing at 100 FPM at 60 knots in a 172 sitting there fat, dumb, and happy, because the throttle backed out. Pretty scary, actually.
 
I have always taught:

  • On hand on the yoke at all times, the other hand does what it needs to do.
Exceptions:
  • If on the ground, one hand on the throttle at all times, ready to go idle then mixture cut off.
  • If on takeoff and landing, everything is set before going onto the runway or into the pattern. Once in the pattern or taking off, yoke and throttle is all that you mess with until stabilized in a climb or on the ground. If no PTT on yoke, change of story, but I haven't training in one of those, ever.
 
mojo6911 said:
You would think that is common sense, but you would be surprised. I have been in situations where the student is climbing at 100 FPM at 60 knots in a 172 sitting there fat, dumb, and happy, because the throttle backed out. Pretty scary, actually.
Click to expand...
Well then my statement remains that there's more than a hand placement issue going on.
 
Doug Taylor said:
I was a bastard when I was a CFI.

If I caught the student with the friction lock not set and his hand off the throttle for too long, it presented itself as a potential opportunity for some engine failure practice! :)

757VX, if the lock wasn't set, would vibrate itself out to about 50% power if you didn't watch it.[/quote]
Had something similar happen to me in a cherokee. Sad part is that it took me a second to realize why I wasn't climbing:cool:
Click to expand...
 
I tell my students that for takeoff, pattern, and landing their hand should be on the throttle... I tell them that I really, REALLY like to hold hands and that if they are not busy guarding the throttle and the mixture then we might as well hold hands for a while... As you can imagine most of my students do a pretty good job of guarding the throttle!
 
joe.wyo said:
I tell my students that for takeoff, pattern, and landing their hand should be on the throttle... I tell them that I really, REALLY like to hold hands and that if they are not busy guarding the throttle and the mixture then we might as well hold hands for a while... As you can imagine most of my students do a pretty good job of guarding the throttle!
Click to expand...
I'd probably hold your hand in spite of the ridiculousness. It'd take a lot more shame than that.
 
joe.wyo said:
I tell my students that for takeoff, pattern, and landing their hand should be on the throttle... I tell them that I really, REALLY like to hold hands and that if they are not busy guarding the throttle and the mixture then we might as well hold hands for a while... As you can imagine most of my students do a pretty good job of guarding the throttle!
Click to expand...

That is so evil, its good. Definitely in my toolbox
 
gotWXdagain said:
We have procedures, checklists, and protocols to assist a competent pilot with a busy task. They do not exist to relieve the duties of basic airmanship.
Click to expand...


I argue that they do more than that. They are a touchstone when you have a brain-fart/loss of situational awareness/panic situation.

Quick, from memory--what are the light-gun signals?

Quick, from memory--MikeD just intercepted your ass--what are the procs? (short answer: die, bitch--its MikeD in his Moderator A10)
 
beasly said:
Quick, from memory--MikeD just intercepted your ass--what are the procs? (short answer: die, bitch--its MikeD in his Moderator A10)
Click to expand...
Laugh my ass off at an A-10 intercepting me, squawk 7700, monitor 121.5, listen for instructions via radio, then dredge out my Intercept Procedures card because I don't remember the signals beyond "You have been intercepted - follow me."
 
auw2fly said:
Don't remember exactly how I was taught, but I keep my hand on the throttle (and guard the mixture) through most of the climb in piston singles. Habit from giving a lot of airplane rides to kids who seem to want to touch/move everything in the cockpit.
Click to expand...

Flying out of Addison, Texas students will once in a blue moon reach over and pull the mixture out approx 300-500 ft above a tall building. Keeping their hand on the throttle not only during takeoff and landings, but in say a power on stall series, will reinforce the notion that to properly recover an application of power is a must. Some CFI applicants fail to mention that in a power on stall you've got to push the power up just in case.
 
moxiepilot said:
My impression is that there are a lot of posts here of over-controlling instructors....

Seriously, critical phases of flight, when you need the throttle. Otherwise you aren't teaching your student how to manage the aircraft correctly.

What is the friction lock for?

When are you making power adjustments?

But, requiring them to have hands on throttle at specific altitudes? What if my TPA is 700' AGL then what? Should I use my left hand (taking it off the yoke) to reach to the floor on my right side to check the position of the gas? do I need it on the trhottle while I'm downwind?

Common sense here folks. Teach the way your students are going to fly, not how they are going to fly maneuvers.
Click to expand...
This
 
inigo88 said:
During cruise, if the throttle backs off because the friction lock isn't set then you are inconvenienced. During takeoff and initial climb, if the throttle backs off then you could face a potential departure stall and death. I still remember taking off, taking my hand off the throttle at about 300 ft and my CFI pulling the power and saying "Now what?" :)
Click to expand...

That was one of my favorite things to do. Only I'd distract them and slowly work the throttle out to a very reduced setting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top