Why does loss of control while maneuvering remain the top cause of fatal LOC accidents?
In his 1944 classic, "Stick and Rudder," Wolfgang Langewiesche wrote, "pilots, as a group, simply don't know how to turn..." Loss of control while maneuvering still remains the perennial top cause of fatal LOC accidents. When asked, “What is the primary control surface you use when turning an airplane?” eighty-three percent of pilots did not recognize “elevator” as the correct answer. Alarmingly, one-in-four believed rudder turned the airplane.
Although pilots can perform rudimentary turns to certification standards, few are able to describe the mechanics of their turns accurately. Thus the Learn To Turn Initiative adopts the following worldview:
· Airplanes follow one of two flightpaths, i.e., either a straight line or a curve
· These flightpaths can occur anywhere in space, i.e., in the horizontal, oblique, or vertical planes
· The flightpaths are controlled primarily with elevator inputs
Review turn fundamentals from a three-dimensional perspective and with a pilot-centric approach wherein pilot actions lead to performance consequences, i.e., flying does not happen TO the pilot, but BECAUSE OF the pilot.
Those skeptical about elevator-as-turn-control are welcomed. A few simple exercises will be offered as well that attendees can try next time they go flying!
Schedule:
7:00-7:15 — Host Introductions/Announcements
7:15-8:05 — Seminar Topic, Part I
8:05-8:20 — Break
8:20-9:00 — Seminar Topic, Part II + Q&A