I Learned About Flying From That: Back to Basics

Bradley Sunshine

Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 06:25 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Modern pilots, even experienced ones, risk degrading essential hand-flying skills due to increasing reliance on cockpit automation.
Maintaining proficiency in manual flight is crucial for pilot confidence, safety, and the ability to effectively respond when automation fails.
Regularly hand-flying aircraft helps pilots understand system behavior, reinforces fundamental skills, and sustains the inherent satisfaction of piloting.

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“You need more right rudder,” Bill Martin scolded as I sloppily put the Cessna 172 into a climbing right turn. My recollection of P-factor and torque effect, it seemed, had gone the way of the dodo bird.

“I guess I’m used to yaw dampers in the jets,” I mumbled. “It’s been 10 years since I’ve flown one of these.”