So the formual is TAS or GS?? (plus or minus wind) Squared divided by 15? You minght be saying...OK...Yeah I am good at math...sure

Trying to figure out pivotol altitude for eights on a pylon. I think TAS is the best procedure according to many but also like GS. When circling on a pylon your not getting a true GS due to the fact your making a circle?? TAS seems more correct (also says the FAA) What do you use? Knots or MPH?

What I have come up with is that VY equals 80 in my plane. 80 squared is 6400. 6400/15 = 426...So I understand how I come up with pivotol altitude, say for an engine out on departure. 426' is needed to turn back to the runway safely. How does this apply to Pylons on the eight??

Someone please enlighten me...

aktahoe1 wrote:
Someone please enlighten me...

Well, since you asked... it's spelled pivotal.

other than that I am truly sorry to say I don't understand the question...? I almost wrote the exact same thing as EZ and had to throw something in after I saw that!

The book says ground, but I use Indicated airspeed... Close enough for this.

(V2 knots)/11.3 or (V2mph)/15

https://www.learn2fly.biz/Eights_On_Pylons.html

It's actually easy, and comes in handy for lots of stuff...

Gump

15 years and 1500 hrs and I have never done this. Need to finish the oil change and get cracken.

Tim

I realize your probably talking racing, but.....

Back when I was a new pilot (17-18 yrs old, 1960s) 'building time' in a J-3 Cub, one of the exercises was 'turns around a pylon' correcting for wind to stay equidistant from the pylon. A lot of the flights were very early morning (to avoid BIG thermals-PHX area) when there was no wind to correct for. Always looking for something entertaining, I took to 'turns around a running horse'...... I would pull away if it/they started getting close to fences. I figured the horses needed exercise, and I would oblige. To stay equidistant from the one I chose would be a challenge since predicting their future turns/path/direction was rather iffy. To get them to join the fun, sometimes I had to reduce the distance of the turn from the 'pylon'. (In the middle of nowhere deer would work for me, too. Today I'd have EVERYBODY mad at me!)

Nowadays LIFE and people are LOT more serious, and so is the FAA, so I am NOT recommending-just reminiscing....
Also keep in mind everyone has a cell phone......and most of those are cameras!

Statute of limitations, guys.....
lc

Sorry my spelling is poor as is my math. The question I asked felt like I was speaking spanish. At least some of you new what I meant.

Gump thats a really great link. Pretty much sums up what I was looking for. Thanks

I had the formula. Was looking more for how it applied to the pylon turns as shown in the diagram. Keeping the line of site along the lateral axis and how its applied at different altitudes. Doing my commercial ride next week. I can fly the maneuver but need to be able to explain it.

OK..I changed it to the proper spelling...

I should of left it as "Pivotol" so you guys could keep giving me a hard time. My brain really wants to spell it "Pivitol" but I realize "pivotal" is correct....

aktahoe1 wrote:... My brain really wants to spell it "Pivitol" but I realize "pivotal" is correct....

"Pivitol" is the name of a medication for bipolar disorder......or it should be....

When I was a deputy with Sonoma County SO I flew all their fixed wing stuff, including the pot flights. Hours and hours of right turns so the narcs could get their pics. Or for real fun, try tailing cars for days at a time. Takes on a whole new dimension with the vehicle moving. I got real good at that shit, especially at night.

Gump

EZFlap wrote:

aktahoe1 wrote:
Someone please enlighten me...

Well, since you asked... it's spelled pivotal.

It's a darn good thing pilots don't got no feelings.

Emory Bored wrote: It's a darn good thing pilots don't got no feelings.

Just taking out my frustration on the poor guy, due to a bad case of Skywagon Envy

It's a darn good thing pilots don't got no feelings.

Stick around. That is a softball 'lob' compared to some that happen here.......

I guess on the internet forums we (too many of us) at times feel insulated from 'face to face' civility......

NOT bragging......
lc


Yes, I did say 'we'......