10/23 - CPL Training Update

G'Day, friends and family. How are you all doing? I hope the answer is at least "well!" Despite the crummy weather here in NY, this past week, I have continued to do "the little things" that make all the difference for pilot performance.

The 1st thing I have done is to "customize" my PA28-200R Arrow checklist. As I have talked about in previous postings, the more complex-aircraft require the use of "cockpit flows" to make the checklists more relatable to muscle-memory. The standard "flow" for a complex airplane is "GUMPS..."

• GAS (Fuel Tank Selection, Fuel Pump)
• UNDERCARRIAGE (Landing Gear)
• MIXTURE (Fuel/Air)
• PROPELLER (Set Pitch)
• SEATS (Belts, Climate, Lights/Strobes As Req'd)

I added an appendix to my standard Arrow checklist for this, and also added in a gentle reminder about prop/throttle controls...

That should help!

2nd, while waiting for weather, I opted to start practicing the commercial pilot maneuvers within Flight Simulator X (FSX) on my PC. I've been fancying the Chandelle maneuver, as of late. Wikipedia provides a good summary of this maneuver..."The chandelle (which is the French word for candle) is a precision aircraft control maneuver, and not so show the pilot'strictly speaking an aerobatic, dogfighting, or aerial combat maneuver. It is rather a maneuver designed t proficiency in controlling the aircraft while performing a minimum radius climbing turn at a constant rate of turn (expressed usually in degrees per second) through a 180° change of heading, arriving at the new reciprocal heading at an airspeed in the "slow-flight" regime, very near the aerodynamic stall. "

How a chandelle 'ought to look

Doing the chandelle in FSX is a tad different, as I only have a joystick which twists for rudder control. The twist for rudder is very sensitive, so I've been playing with it to find the right setting. I used both the Arrow and C172 to practice, and am learning it bit-by-bit...

Exciting enough, for ya?

The 3rd, and last, thing that I have done this past week to improve my student-commercial pilot skills is to practice my Arrow cockpit flows and visualization. I have done this both in my car (pretending it's a cockpit), and in the Arrow itself. I really feel that it makes a difference, especially when "crunch time" comes...

Hopefully, the weather will improve slightly this week (so far, it looks like it may.) I plan on flying the Arrow and doing CPL maneuvers later in the week. So, stay tuned! Until next time, "Keep 'Em Flying," and "Never, Never, Never Give Up."