Title:
Fundamentals of Pitch-and-Power in Lieu of Airspeed
Topic:
Airspeed or 'Pitch-and-Power' My Decisions. I Just Want to Fly.
Speaker(s):
Richard Eastman
Brief Description:
Essentially, my discussion points attempt to emphasize that we've ALL (myself included) been taught to fly with the wrong emphasis! If you look at any airplane POH or flight manual ... they all discuss airspeed criteria. As students, among the very first things we're taught are (a) rotation airspeed, (b) climb airspeed, (c) descent airspeed, (d) flare airspeed, and most importantly (e) stall airspeeds.
Location of Seminar:
EAA Chapter 14, Brown Field Airport
1409 Continental St
San Diego, CA 92154
Directions to Venue:
I-805 South to 905, take 905 East toward Otay Mesa. Take the Britannia exit. Turn left onto Britannia. Turn left onto Otay Mesa Rd. Turn right at the stoplight at Cactus Rd into Brown Field entrance. Turn right onto Continental St. Follow instructions at security gate to call EAA for entrance (EAA # 619-661-6520). Chapter 14 is next to Brown Field control tower. Meeting is in Hangar 1, closest to the flight line.
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Seating:
Seminar has been cancelled.
Registration Information:
Seminar has passed.
Sponsoring Division:
San Diego FAASTeam & EAA 14
Additional Event Information & Acknowledgement of Industry Sponsor(s):
EAA Chapter 14 is Hosting this Presentation
But what is airspeed? Airspeed is the combination of pitch (attitude) and power. That's true of any airplane with wings! However, our training rarely focuses on "pitch-and-power" -- rather, it focuses on airspeed.
The FAA notes ... << From October 2017 through September 2018, 382 people died in 226 general aviation accidents. Loss of Control (LOC) was the number one cause of these accidents. Loss of Control happens in all phases of flight. It can happen anywhere and at any time. There is one fatal accident involving Loss of Control every four days.
The FAA takes great pride in the fact that they have made marked improvement on accident rates in all categories of accidents that are studied -- EXCEPT LOC.
The FAA defines Loss of Control as A Loss of Control (LOC) accident involves an unintended departure of an aircraft from controlled flight. LOC can happen when the aircraft enters a flight regime that is outside its normal flight envelope and quickly develops into a stall or spin. It can introduce an element of surprise for the pilot (Apr 26, 2019).
Essentially, the flight envelope is reflective of pitch-and-power NOT airspeed. But we've all been taught to fly airspeed NOT pitch-and-power. The high LOC accident rate is reflective of pilots flying airspeed (or not, as the case may be), NOT managing pitch-and-power
The purpose of the discussion is an attempt to get pilots thinking and talking about how to measure flight as a function of pitch-and-power not necessarily airspeed. Airspeed IS a verification of correct pitch-and-power but it is the result of pitch-and-power ... not the actual flight condition itself.
Equal Access Information:
The FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) is committed to providing equal access to this meeting/event for all participants. If you need alternative formats or services because of a disability, please communicate your request as soon as possible with the person in the “Contact Information” area of the meeting/event notice. Note that two weeks is usually required to arrange services.
Credit Applicability:
1 Credit for Basic Knowledge Topic 2
FAASTeam Project Information:
NPP15
National Project:
Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) Outreach
Additional Event Documents: