Out with the Rectangle; In with the Oval — new flight pattern

Guess who decided to add "configuration" changes around the pattern in a primary trainer that doesn't have flaps or gear to change?



The whole point of using the Citabria as a primary trainer was that it was so simple that the student could focus on flying instead of extra bells and whistles. But even that didn't last.
Beautiful.
 
It's amazing what aviation college professors will come up with to overcomplicate what should be very simple.
See, I sort of assume that every other discipline suffers from the same academic bubble so when some university research study or other announces a new breakthrough I'm immediately skeptical.
 
See, I sort of assume that every other discipline suffers from the same academic bubble so when some university research study or other announces a new breakthrough I'm immediately skeptical.

Like in the early 90s when it was proposed to require an instrument rating to fly night VFR? Made it all the way to the FAA before dying.
 
University study? If it's not in the Airplane Flying Handbook then it's illegal/prohibited/wrong.:rolleyes:

Next they're going to publish a paper that says I can cruise over square...actually, you know, I wish they would.

FWIW, I highly prefer the circular pattern, but having flown lots of wrapped up overshooting starts I can say it's not going to solve the problem they think it's going to solve; not without an AOA gauge anyway.
 
My first time flying the aviat husky amphibian they asked me why I didn't rest my head on the window so I could look down the nose to better judge height/descent rate, like I'm told they do in taildraggers.

Seems they thought all the flightschools should be doing it, I got the hang of it fairly quickly though...
 
My first time flying the aviat husky amphibian they asked me why I didn't rest my head on the window so I could look down the nose to better judge height/descent rate, like I'm told they do in taildraggers.

Uh, what?

Not at all familiar with that technique.
 
My first time flying the aviat husky amphibian they asked me why I didn't rest my head on the window so I could look down the nose to better judge height/descent rate, like I'm told they do in taildraggers.

Seems they thought all the flightschools should be doing it, I got the hang of it fairly quickly though...
Ahahahahahahahahahahaha:bounce:. What a bunch of goobers.
 
Uh, what?

Not at all familiar with that technique.

From Airfacts Journal:

Where to look when landing is a key point, especially on some airplanes. The Cessna P210 that I flew for years had such poor visibility out front that you had to look to the left and ahead (like in most tailwheel airplanes) to adequately judge altitude during the flare and landing.

If a pilot looked straight ahead, lousy landings would be the result. Yet after I explained this, some of the pilots I let fly the airplane adamantly stared straight ahead when trying to land. Predictably, they made lousy landings. I always thought that we made better landings in tailwheel airplanes because in most we were forced to look to the left and ahead to see what was going on.
 
From Airfacts Journal:

Where to look when landing is a key point, especially on some airplanes. The Cessna P210 that I flew for years had such poor visibility out front that you had to look to the left and ahead (like in most tailwheel airplanes) to adequately judge altitude during the flare and landing.

If a pilot looked straight ahead, lousy landings would be the result. Yet after I explained this, some of the pilots I let fly the airplane adamantly stared straight ahead when trying to land. Predictably, they made lousy landings. I always thought that we made better landings in tailwheel airplanes because in most we were forced to look to the left and ahead to see what was going on.
Yes but did you plant your head on the window? Also slips help.
 
Their idea for this is that it will help reduce workload because bank angle would be constant. Apparently they have never heard of wind.

I'm also friends with one of the lecturer/professors heading up the study.
 
why do we teach lazy 8s again?

Judgement or airmanship might be needed... in a landing situation...
 
From Airfacts Journal:

Where to look when landing is a key point, especially on some airplanes. The Cessna P210 that I flew for years had such poor visibility out front that you had to look to the left and ahead (like in most tailwheel airplanes) to adequately judge altitude during the flare and landing.

If a pilot looked straight ahead, lousy landings would be the result. Yet after I explained this, some of the pilots I let fly the airplane adamantly stared straight ahead when trying to land. Predictably, they made lousy landings. I always thought that we made better landings in tailwheel airplanes because in most we were forced to look to the left and ahead to see what was going on.

Yeah, I fly tailwheel airplanes, including ones with big engines and very poor forward vis like the T-6 and the Stearman, so I'm completely familiar with looking out the side to judge just about everything both in flight and in ground handling. Landing from the back seat of the T-6 is one of the most difficult visibility situations I've ever been in as a pilot, as the side is the *only* reference.

None of that side-reference involves, "rest my head on the window so I could look down the nose".
 
It's amazing what aviation college professors will come up with to overcomplicate what should be very simple.


If everyone in the real world wasn't already making an oval pattern, "square your base to final" would be redundant. Meanwhile, guys who have spent their whole careers in flight training have discovered what the rest of us have been doing all along.

Gotta justify that $180000 flight degree somehow.
 
Yeah, I fly tailwheel airplanes, including ones with big engines and very poor forward vis like the T-6 and the Stearman, so I'm completely familiar with looking out the side to judge just about everything both in flight and in ground handling. Landing from the back seat of the T-6 is one of the most difficult visibility situations I've ever been in as a pilot, as the side is the *only* reference.

None of that side-reference involves, "rest my head on the window so I could look down the nose".

That's cool, I'm just reporting what they made me do (on the dummy)...
 
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