A joy of primary instruction is that we can make zero timers cognizant of the easy and effective control movement that makes flying safe and comfortable. Orientation, muscle memory, and the law of primacy will likely default the control movement that will later be immediate action in an upset. Orientation, what we think will happen, and muscle memory drive immediate action.

Texts that tout straight and level as the beginning of aviation proficiency are on to something. Unfortunately most miss the primacy of the anti-turn control, the rudder. Why should rudder be considered a primary and aileron a secondary control? Because rudder can fix direction of travel and wings level by itself. Straight is level. Because automobile orientation and muscle memory will often cause the yoke to be moved before the rudder, adverse yawing a wing back, the nose will go the wrong way initially. For old pilots, the stick was not as misleading and simple wings demanded proper rudder usage.

Outside of startle, upset, gust spread, vortices, and such; control theories and techniques are academic and worthy of friendly argument. Startle elevator pull is dangerous. Default elevator pull in all turns is dangerous. Stall recovery practice and limiting bank angle is not the solution to the pattern altitude stall and spin problems. The most hidden and therefore most disruptive control movement errors, however, are leading aileron in turns and misusing aileron as the anti-turn control. Rudder alone while leaving the aileron neutral is the anti-turn control, the straight and level control.

The idea that aileron should be used in keeping the wing level is just poor orientation and poor technique. Perfectly coordinated pilots will end up with continuous Dutch rolls. Most will never really master straight and level. Perfectly straight is dynamic proactive rudder movement straight. Proactive means we prevent misalignment with the target. In no crosswind, we bracket the target between our toes with constant ruder movement. In crosswind, we direct our butt to the target (crab) with constant rudder movement. Keeping the nose straight keeps the wing level. On short final we keep the nose on the centerline extended and then centerline with dynamic proactive rudder movement. We keep the angle of bank necessary to prevent drift with aileron (side slip.) Straight here is level or at a stabilized bank. If the nose is not allowed to move off target, the wing is automatically level or in stable bank. Yes, unnecessarily intense for cross country. Just rudder a low wing back up to keep the nose straight and leave disruptive aileron alone.

As we decelerate on short final, the ailerons become ineffective. No problem in gusty air because bracketing the longitudinal axis perfectly with rudder keeps the wing level better than reactive aileron. The down aileron yaws that wing back pulling the nose off target. Forget the unwanted bank, just push the nose back on target and get the feet moving again. Strong gust upset requires lots of rudder, even to the floor. Normal takeoff disruptions like gyroscopic precession when we bring the tail up and P factor when we bring the mains off are automatically prevented with dynamic proactive rudder movement.

We have to consider the effects of primary orientation and existing muscle memory. We can't change existing yoke first muscle memory. but we can teach lead rudder. Leadership has control of institutional orientation, but teachers can work around poor orientation problems with reorientation. Effective control orientation is best taught in primary instruction, but we have to take PPLs, CPLs, or ATPs from where they are to where they want to be. All pilots want to consistently touchdown where they desire slowly and softly. We just have to work around the problem of many iterations of the ineffective round out and hold off while wing wagging the ailerons.

While coordination of rudder pulling aileron is the backbone of maneuvering flight, straight and level is the backbone of takeoff and landing. The number one crux of every flight is the takeoff followed by the number two crux, the landing. The addition of near obstruction, heavy weight, and high density altitude to the takeoff dictates as much extra ground effect (wings level and crab as necessary) and minimum pitch up over the obstruction (wings level and crab as necessary.) If maneuvering to miss the obstruction or get to near down drainage egress is necessary, rudder turn in ground effect (wings level) is generally safer than using coordinated turns. Straight is level, a rudder function, gets us through the first crux.

Maneuvering in the pattern and to get aligned with the centerline extended requires coordination of rudder pulling aileron and allowing the nose to go down naturally in all turns. Aileron initiating turn followed by rudder to push the nose back and then in the right direction and pulling back on the elevator at the same time is the probable cause of most loss of control (stall) fatalities. Control is actually going south prior to the stall.

Finally to the second crux, the approach and landing. Here we are back to straight is level in a no wind. Walking the rudder keeps the centerline between our toes and therefore the wing level. In a crosswind, some crab until short final. This is now straight butt down centerline extended is level. Again, a walk the rudder only exercise. Using aileron to set the wing at a bank that will counter drift in a crosswind has nothing to do with walking the rudder to keep longitudinal alignment. This is rub tummy pat head intentional uncoordinated rudder and aileron.

Emphasis of rudder leads aileron coordination (only this keeps the ball centered from the start) is essential to maneuvering flight, giving aileron the leading role and pulling on elevator leads to loss of control. Straight (a rudder yaw control) is level and safely gets us up and down.

Thanks again Contact . I practice what you preach .

Hope to see you and brothers in the spring.

Trying hard to make that happen .