Slow For Slows Sake

If youve heard this once, youve heard it a hundred times: "Im really behind the power curve today." Youve heard it, but do you really know precisely what it means? Can you sketch the relevant graphs, fill in the data points, then relate it to the real, practical world of flying an airplane? Theres good reason to be able to do this, for a fundamental understanding of the basic lift/drag curves that remorselessly govern aircraft performance relate to directly to refined stick and rudder skills. It may be enough to have a good seat-of-the-pants feel for what the airplane is doing, but its far better to have both that and a lucid grasp of the physics. Where this applies most directly is in that great undersung skill we all had to learn to muddle through a private pilot checkride but havent used since: precise control in slow flight. Slow flight is undersung because its so rarely used where its of most practical advantage: high performance short field landings and adjusting the interval in a crowded pattern. Next time you fly, try this experiment: Set up your best shot at a short field landing and see if you can match the POH numbers for touchdown and rollout. Or set yourself the goal of always making the first turnoff on every runway and see if you make it. Chances are, you wont. Top performance in short-field work requires absolutely precise control of speed just above the stall. Most of us dont do this very well because it takes a lot of work and no small amount of nerve. With no compelling need to stuff the airplane into short runways, why bother? Who cares if you float 600 feet and make the third turnoff because you flew the approach 10 knots fast? Probably no one. On the other hand, that sort of laziness leads to skill atrophy and before you know it, youve smoked off the end of a runway that wasnt really very short.

Key Takeaways:

• A fundamental understanding of lift/drag curves and the "back side of the power curve" is crucial for refining stick and rudder skills and overall flight proficiency.
• Precise slow flight, an often-neglected skill, is vital for practical applications such as executing high-performance short-field landings and managing crowded air traffic patterns.
• Pilots should experiment with deep slow flight at altitude to develop comfort and control just above stall in the region of reversed command, enhancing safety and landing precision.

Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->

See a mistake? Contact us.