Well, so much for PRIMACY (five pages ago)!!!

Oh well, moving on...
... If I can find the Induced and Parasite Drag values and produce a Power Curve for my training aircraft for any aircraft I fly, won't it be possible to locate the exact region [range] of throttle positions for all of the six (6) phases of flight that are optimal for that particular aircraft? And, if I can do that, won't that give me an advantage over this pilot who ended up crash landing short of the runway because he either forgot or never knew what the power requirements were for that particular segment of his flight [the Approach and Landing]?
In my mind, I don't yet see a compelling enough argument for merely "guessing" at these critical operational numbers.
Yes, a gust of wind here and there while on Final, or a downdraft, or all of the smaller details of unstable air masses that will impact the aircraft while on Final, will be at play. But, if I have a range of values [high through low] for the Power setting based upon the Pitch attitude of the aircraft, does that not put me light years ahead of most brand new students? If not, why?
Thanks, again!
Do you two mind if I respond to this one too?
Approach Control, I see that you are a very logical and analytical thinker like I am...
You can logically analyze everything you've read, but until you get in the airplane you wont know if your ideas work well if you try to apply them.
So, good idea on knowing the throttle settings, but here's why you don't want to do that:
1. If it puts your head down in the cockpit looking at the Tach for a grand total of 3 to 5 seconds on final- that is too long to not be looking outside. You would become the crashed plane when teh windshear hit you while you were looking at the Tach and thinking about the next memorized power setting you might need.
2. In practice here is what you really do on final: because you are below best glide speed with the flaps out and you have a bunch of induced and parasite drag you ARE in the region of reversed command. REVERSED. You use power for altitude, because you have lots of induced drag to overcome. By default, airspeed is controlled with pitch- what you have actually done is TRIMMED for 65kts... while adjusting descent rate with power.
3. When you get low or windshear hits, your eyes need to be outside so you see the sink and add power to arrest your descent rate (don't let the windshear part scare you- it is not THAT common (and you'd know to expect it is certain gusty wind conditions), but you need to be spring-loaded for it.
Adjusting descent rate on final with power is as seat-of-the-pants as it gets! That's all it is. Just have it trimmed for 65 and let the nose stay down at that low pitch attitude- leave it alone and don't lift it.... unless you are adding power for a go-around and are pitching up for Vy.
I have to get to sleep so I'm going to post more tomorrow to explain precisely the two sides of the argument that are actually both saying the same thing... one side is forgetting that they are subconciously pitching and trimming down after they add power... which means that if they didn't subconciously pitch and trim down after they add power the airplane would climb because of POWER.
I had to think it through to realize this for myself because. like many here, I too was thinking Region of Normal Command vs. Region of Reversed Command (below best glide speed- 73 in a 172?), like of final when you are using the reverse... power for altitude.
WHEN SPECIFICALLY THINKING ABOUT the REGION OF REVERSED COMMAND (above best glide speed- least induced drag) we *THINK* of power controlling airspeed and pitch controlling altitude... only BECAUSE IT IS SAFE TO DO SO, when not on the back side of the power curve in the region of reversed command, BUT that is wrong because we are all forgetting that, WITH THE TRIM LEFT ALONE, when we add power, the airplane DOES CLIIMB... it doesn't accelerate unless we prevent the nose form rising with pitch and trim.
I've got to get going to bed... I have a whole page of notes and responses form reading 4.5 pages of this thread to post here tomorrow.
One point is that, when on final at 65kts on the back side of the power curve, in the region of reversed command, adding power for altitude works great in a PROP aircraft because teh prop blows an accelerated slipstream of air over the wing, adding lift, and also over the horizontal stabilizer, increasing its lift (which is down because it is an upside-down wing), causing the nose to rise.
This is why power for altitude works so well in prop airplanes! Especially in the ones that have a conventional horizontal stabilizer right smack in the middle of the propwash!
(During a go-around in the T-tail Diamonds I instruct in you do have to add a bit of back pressure to raise the nose to maintain Vy or it will accelerate too much- when you could be exchanging that airspeed energy for altitude energy.
I am ALWAYS talking about the airspeed indicator and altimeter TRADING ENERGY and adding energy with the throttle.
Honestly, that is more important than "pitch power trim" or any other difference of opinion all us CFis can get in to. A pilot is an energy manager so it perfect that you like thinking about energy!
Guess what? Power for altitude does not work in a jet because the jets are not blowing air over the wing to increase lift or over the horizontal stabilizer to push the tail down.
If you are on approach in a 737 and you add power for altitude, without pitching up, you are gonna have a bad day (but all I've flown is a C-Jet for 2 hours).
In a jet without the Cessna's helpful propwash you have to pitch up to climb and also power up to maintain airspeed. Re: Physics...
[EDIT: F-15 pilot didn't say what I just deleted!!! tgrayson did]
This is what my understanding is.
Jet pilots please correct me if neccessary, but I wouldn't have posted it to a student if I felt unsure about what I was saying. And I've never flown an F-15, so go easy on me!!!
Oh yeah... there is no " Myth or rumor or innuendo in flying"- it is all physics and aerodynamics- things that are not subject.
But there are differences in how people present their understanding of those carved-in-stone laws and how think *THINK* about moving the controls.
Everyone here moves the controls in the same order- but some are thinking in opposite orders!
If you're low on final and you think you just need to pull up for altitude... that will be your last flight! Because you are in the region of reversed command with a huge prop on the front of your airplane that is just begging to blast a bunch of air over the wing and stabilizer, that adds lift and a pitch up, respectively- and also overcomes the induced drag of the wing caused by the high angle of attack and flaps drag.
When you trim you are trimming for an AIRSPEED.
When you fly an Instrument Landing System glideslope as an instrument pilot you are going 90 kts, which is above best glide so you are not in the region of reversed command and that is why you pitch for the desired descent rate and power for airspeed.
That opens a whole 'nother can of worms because there are CFIs who teach power for altitude on an ILS glideslope.
If I was an judgemental and opinionated person who was not thinking clearly because of lack of sleep I would go ahead and say that discussion should not go anywhere because using power for altitude on the glideslope is simply wrong unless you are flying it below best glide at 65kts (which no one does).
So there!!!
Comments and corrections are welcomed!
Now go easy on me everyone- I'm really tired and my judgement is not good for social interaction right now:
