User Guide

Learning To Fly with Rod Machado
125
7
Entering Climbing and Descending Turns
From the previous tutorials you learned that turns were made at 20 to 30 degrees of bank. This is
appropriate for instrument flying, too. What you don’t want to do is make turns in excess of 30
degrees of bank. Why? Turning too steeply increases a pilot’s workload while flying under instrument
conditions. Instrument flying is hard work and the last thing a pilot needs is to struggle with the
aerodynamic forces associated with steep turns. Let’s agree to use 20 degrees of bank for all turns
while flying instruments. Later, you’ll learn advanced turning concepts like standard rate turns.
Entering a Climbing Turn
Since I know you’re already skilled at turns, let’s make them a little more challenging for you (yes, I
want to see some sweat, enough to short-circuit that keyboard). In Step one of the scan, let’s
combine the turn and the climb entry. This is just like a fancy dance step where moves are combined
but no one’s toes are jeopardized. Enter a 20-degree bank turn while simultaneously pitching to
climb attitude. Give it a try.
1. Reset the simulation to straight and level by pressing Ctrl+;
2. Press P to activate the simulation.
3. Roll into a 20-degree bank turn to the right and simultaneously pitch
up to climb attitude (Figure 5).
4. After pitching up, apply climb power (full power).
5. Trim to maintain climb attitude.
6. Press P to pause the simulation.
Entering a Descending Turn
Now try entering a left-descending turn.
1. Press P to activate the simulation.
2. Select the attitude for a left-descending turn (Figure 6).
3. Simultaneously reduce power to flight idle.
4. Trim to maintain this attitude.
5. Press P to pause the simulation.
Practice maneuvering between a left-descending turn and a right-
climbing turn. This is excellent practice. Remember, think attitude,
power, and trim. You can press Ctrl+; any time you want to reset the
simulation to straight-and-level flight.
Finally, try climbs, turns, and descents using Tutorial 10, Situation 4. What’s so special about this? It
has a little turbulence associated with it. My friend, if you can change attitudes and handle
turbulence at the same time, you’re ready for the next tutorial. Which you’ll want to do once your
carpal tunnel specialist leaves.
Figure 5
Figure 6