Slow Flight

M

meritflyer

Well-Known Member
I was in somewhat of a debate regarding slow flight today.

The question is -

Do you control airspeed with pitch and altitude with power; or

Do you control airspeed with power and altitude with pitch?

What say my fellow CFIs?
 
I'm not a CFI but I'd say my previous banner experience might make me somewhat of a slow flight expert. I control airspeed with pitch and altitude with power during all phases of flight, including slow flight.

That being said, I've found that my idea of slow flight is quite different from what a few CFI's I've flown with consider to be slow flight. The last time I got a BFR, we were in a Warrior and the CFI said lets see some slow flight, reduce airspeed to 60kts and put in full flaps. I said I can fly at 60 knots with full flaps or I can show you slow flight. Which would you rather see? He said slow flight, so I showed him slow flight. Then I offered to speed up to 60kts and put in full flaps if he wanted to see that as well. ;)
 
It's the same ridiculous debate as the one about which controls which when on final approach to landing.

No thanks. Not even worth popcorn.
 
hahaha i love it! you crazy gremlin!!!!

Joe Gremlin said:
I'm not a CFI but I'd say my previous banner experience might make me somewhat of a slow flight expert. I control airspeed with pitch and altitude with power during all phases of flight, including slow flight.

That being said, I've found that my idea of slow flight is quite different from what a few CFI's I've flown with consider to be slow flight. The last time I got a BFR, we were in a Warrior and the CFI said lets see some slow flight, reduce airspeed to 60kts and put in full flaps. I said I can fly at 60 knots with full flaps or I can show you slow flight. Which would you rather see? He said slow flight, so I showed him slow flight. Then I offered to speed up to 60kts and put in full flaps if he wanted to see that as well. ;)
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In the planes I fly, pitch for airspeed and power for rate of climb/descent.
 
Slow flight = any airspeed slower than cruise. A.K.A. the reverse region of command. Since we have increased our AoA to just below a stall for our given airspeed, our only option to climb is to increase power.
 
If your mind is unsettled I suggest you read or reread Stick and Rudder by Wolfgang Langewiesche.
 
meritflyer said:
The question is -

Do you control airspeed with pitch and altitude with power; or

Do you control airspeed with power and altitude with pitch?
Click to expand...

The answer is Yes.


Pitch, power, airspeed, and vertical speed are 4 variables in an equation. Change one, and the other three change as well.
 
Joe Gremlin said:
I'm not a CFI but I'd say my previous banner experience might make me somewhat of a slow flight expert. I control airspeed with pitch and altitude with power during all phases of flight, including slow flight.
Click to expand...


How do you do it when towing a banner and a kite??? :D
 
I like this question, for those that think pitch controls airspeed, next time you are at the end of the runway, push forward on the yoke only and see how fast you go. :p:D
 
400A said:
I like this question, for those that think pitch controls airspeed, next time you are at the end of the runway, push forward on the yoke only and see how fast you go. :p:D
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Yes, but you are maintaining your altitude (ok, gravity is helping with this) and the angle of attack is fixed (wheels glued to the ground and flaps set) from 0 kts to Vr.

This is like the student who is "climbing" at 100 kts and 300 fpm after take off and, in order to attain Vy (LOWER airspeed), reduces power. :eek: After all, power controls speed, right?

"Oooh, ummm...yea about those trees..."
 
The cobra maneuver uses pitch, the chopping all power method uses power, the combination of the cobra maneuver and the chopping maneuver uses both.

So both control airspeed.
 
Pitch+Power=Performance

This is what the Chicago Fed's wanted for all their CFI Apps.
 
...A note on the region of reverse command..it's not that we can't climb because we don't have enough power, its that we don't have the airspeed to attain climb so the only way to climb is to lower the nose, increase airspeed, and then start your climb, hence you are doing the reverse of what is intuitive=to climb I need to pull the nose up=in the reverse command region, you push the nose down.
 
Without going into serious depth, I teach my students the following.

Pitch and power work together and are always balancing each other. Initial corrections and inputs are sometimes made differently, but pitch and power will always be manipulated together. During slow flight you will have to add power to climb, but you may also have to reduce pitch(or raise depending on amount of induced drag). To accelerate in level flight you will have to add power, but you will also have to reduce pitch to maintain level. On final approach you should pitch to maintain the glide path, but if you don't adjust your power as well you will deviate from Vref.

In each scenario I teach that sometimes your initial input or correction will be either pitch or power, but regardless it will be a combination of BOTH.

SO, my answer is this: Yes. I use Pitch for altitude AND airspeed, and I use power for altitude AND airspeed. I use them together.
 
400A said:
I like this question, for those that think pitch controls airspeed, next time you are at the end of the runway, push forward on the yoke only and see how fast you go. :p:D
Click to expand...
Well power sure as hell doesn't control airspeed in the gliders I fly. :D
 
bLizZuE said:
Without going into serious depth, I teach my students the following.

Pitch and power work together and are always balancing each other. Initial corrections and inputs are sometimes made differently, but pitch and power will always be manipulated together. During slow flight you will have to add power to climb, but you may also have to reduce pitch(or raise depending on amount of induced drag). To accelerate in level flight you will have to add power, but you will also have to reduce pitch to maintain level. On final approach you should pitch to maintain the glide path, but if you don't adjust your power as well you will deviate from Vref.

In each scenario I teach that sometimes your initial input or correction will be either pitch or power, but regardless it will be a combination of BOTH.

SO, my answer is this: Yes. I use Pitch for altitude AND airspeed, and I use power for altitude AND airspeed. I use them together.
Click to expand...
This is actually the most accurate and complete answer so far. Nicely done.
 
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