User Guide

ALL CROSSED UP
Next, let’s look at something that’ll seem counterintuitive at
first: intentionally un-coordinated flight. Thus far, we’ve been
using the rudder to keep the skid ball centered. Now, however,
we’re going to use aileron one way and rudder the other to per-
form a sideslip.
Start a normal turn in either direction - but once it’s estab-
lished, feed in a footful of outside rudder. The skid ball will drop
toward the inside of the turn - and, on a larger scale, so will the
airplane altogether. Take a look at the VSI, and you’ll see an
impressive rate of descent. This is a “slipping turn,” and while it
feels uncomfortable - in the real airplane you’d feel yourself lean-
ing to the inside - its’ a very handy way of losing altitude.
Even more precise is a forward slip. First, let’s return to level
flight. Now, gently lower either wing, as if you were starting a turn
- but, at the same time, feed in just enough opposite rudder so the
airplane keeps going straight ahead. Actually, while it’ll maintain
the same track across the ground, the nose will move toward your
“heavy foot,” and if you could see the airplane from above, you’d
see that it would be moving crabwise.
This is actually a very useful maneuver in a couple of differ-
ent landing situations. First of all, if you’ve botched your landing
pattern and find yourself way high on final approach, a forward
slip like this is a great way to get rid of excess altitude without
building up excessive airspeed. (Be aware, however, that Cessna
recommends against slips if the flaps are extended more than 20
degrees, since the displaced airflow produces an uncomfortable
“buffeting” of the elevators.)
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A forward slip is even more useful if you have to land in a
crosswind - sooner or later you’ll find an airport where none of
the runways lines up with the wind! If you point the nose right at
the end of the runway on final approach, you’ll find yourself drift-
ing to one side or the other. Simply making a slight turn into the
wind could stop the drift - but now you’re approaching the run-
way slightly sidewise, and touchdown in this “crabbed” position
would be hard on the landing gear.
Instead, you can use a forward slip. If you like, you can start
it well out on final, lowering the upwind wing enough to stop the
drift and adding enough opposite rudder to keep the nose point-
ed right at the end of the runway. Alternatively, you can fly your
final approach in a crab, then, as you cross the end of the runway,
lower the upwind wing and use opposite rudder to line the nose
up with the centerline (called “kicking out the crab”). Either way,
just before touchdown you’ll have the upwind wing lowered a bit
and plenty of downwind rudder - and, if it’s done right, the air-
plane will touch down one wheel at a time. Want to try it? Just set
up the simulator environment for a brisk crosswind at the airport
you’re using and give it a whirl!
THE “DREADED TAILSPIN!”
That’s what they used to call it in the old flying movies.
Actually, a spin involves the whole airplane, not just the tail; and,
unless you’re a member of the Rastafarian Air Force, it doesn’t
have to be “dreaded” at all!
What happens in a spin? It’s a stalled condition, with the air-
plane subject as much to gravity as to aerodynamics; but, because
the stall was entered asymmetrically (in other words, the airplane
wasn’t flying quite straight ahead at the stall “break”), one wing
isn’t “quite as stalled” as the other, and is still developing some lift
- not enough to keep the airplane in the air, but enough to make
it rotate.
Don’t panic! The docile 172 has to be prodded pretty hard
to even start a spin; and, once one develops, it takes a determined
effort to hold it into the stalled and spinning condition. We’ll try a
couple of spins, making a positive recovery from the first one - but
for the second, we’ll just turn the controls loose and let it recover
all by itself.
Flight Instruction
Flight Instruction
Forward Slip