After 17,000 hours at 200' or lower in 43 years of logging, I felt obligated to offer some of the low altitude orientation and techniques that had kept me alive so long. Therefore I wrote Contact Flying and Safe Maneuvering Flight Techniques, both of which I will send in PDF to anyone who e-mails me [email protected]. I have also used this very good and active site to discuss those techniques and how they might help pilots when too low to recover from inadvertent stall. The last couple of years I have posted every other Sunday concerning some portion of these concepts. Having covered most everything a time or two, I now entertain questions, address current events, or just ask questions. Come fly with me at 2H2 or call me out for a free seminar or just ask a question. It has been a privilege to talk contact stick and rudder flying with you all.

Do you see any differences with high and with low altitude flying, what has been called out by the FAA as "maneuvering flight?" At what altitude does maneuvering flight begin, and at what altitude does it end?

Keep sharing Jim.

There are some of us who can relate, and some who will be wise enough to learn something from your experiences.


Rod
UpNorth

Please do, because as 93K has pointed out, as well someone might fly (or think they can) instruction is a whole different animal. I find that patience is probably one of the most valuable attributes in an instructor, and you have no shortage there.

Take care, Rob

Maneuvering flight begins on the ground when we start the engine. It ends when we are high enough to recover from inadvertent stall.

How soon should the nose wheel come just off or the tail be able to be brought up with elevator on your airplane? If unusually late would you reject the takeoff?

Jim , if you preach it , I practice it . By sharing your extensive knowledge and experience you have enabled me to more safely enjoy flying where I find it to be the most fun , right off the deck .
Please keep on preaching Rev. Contact !
And yes , if unusually late , I will reject the takeoff.

Thanks for attending my sermons, umwminer. The next check of how a takeoff is progressing is can the elevator or flaps be used to get the mains off into low ground effect much slower than Vso. In most of our little airplanes, even the lowly 150, this comes sooner than the 50/70 check halfway down a normal 3,000' or longer runway. So that gives us three check progress points by halfway down the runway. Both my math and organization are poor, so the first two checks are the ones I find most useful.

Once we have banked every available foot of free low ground effect extra energy/zoom reserve airspeed, how high do we want to be zooming over the obstruction?

We have stayed down near the runway and developed enough zoom reserve airspeed (cruise airspeed usually) to get out of jail free, even without the engine working properly. We certainly do not want to now dump that safety cushion for a hundred or two hundred feet altitude over the obstruction. We are not going to recover from inadvertent stall, from a Vy pitch attitude without Vy airspeed, in even a thousand feet. We do not, do not, do not, want to get up as quickly as possible. We want to get up as slowly as possible, having zoom reserve airspeed all the way up to the safety of altitude (two or three thousand feet.) We enjoy flying. What is the big hurry?

If we decide to do some circuits, that zoom reserve airspeed makes the turn crosswind a safe energy management turn. Pitch up wings level with zoom reserve and turn at any bank angle with an unloaded wing here would almost satisfy ACS. No, we would have to be much slower at Vy and almost stall in the twenty degree bank angle.

By the way, with no other aircraft in the area and a very strong crosswind, should we turn downwind or upwind here? Before you answer consider wind management in the base to final turn on the other end. Here in the turn to crosswind the target will be in line with the wind. On the base to final turn to align with the centerline extended, the target will have to be captured with a wind correction angle. How can we make that turn a very safe no brainer. With which choice of direction on crosswind will the base to final turn have to be much more than 90 degrees for wind correction angle? Which choice will give us a safe and easy less than 90 degree turn to capture the centerline extended in a 30 knot direct crosswind?

Wind management dictates that we turn downwind to fly the crosswind leg while we have zoom reserve airspeed for a very safe energy management turn. Thus we are downwind of the runway on the downwind leg and heading into the crosswind component on the base leg. Headed into strong wind on base we know we will have a strong headwind component on final, especially if we alter our centerline to run from the downwind corner of the runway to the upwind big airplane touchdown zone marking. Thus wind management has given us a less than ninety degree turn into a greater headwind component on angled final than if we had waited to turn final at the actual centerline extended. So by preventing speed up of apparent rate of closure on short final with enough power reduction and pitch up and full flaps to get a sink bringing throttle into full glide angle and rate of descent control to the exact downwind corner, we will now touch down slowly and softly with power on the exact downwind corner and with power cut roll slowly toward the upwind big airplane touchdown zone marking.

Will we still have to side slip into the crosswind component? Will we have to worry about running out of rudder? Can the angle across from the downwind corner be aimed a bit closer to the numbers than the upwind big airplane touchdown marker if needed in a really strong crosswind? Can it be angled further down the runway from the upwind big airplane touchdown zone marking if in a lighter crosswind? With a strong headwind component and full flaps, is there any danger of stalling in the deceleration on short final? With such headwind caused increase in airspeed and decrease in ground speed, would failure to use the throttle aggressively enough to counter gust spread result in stall or just poor management of sink and balloon?

For airspeed consideration, don't look just aviate. Given the exact same apparent rate of closure, will airspeed be greater or lesser: in a no wind condition? in a headwind component? in a tailwind component? Wind management considers the wind condition and takes advantage of favorable wind. Usually, the wind can be worked with to our advantage. Usually the wind is our friend. Given enough headwind component, is there any danger in touching down on the exact downwind corner at twenty knots? Is tin and skin more likely to be damaged at gust spread plus a lot of extra airspeed, say 100 knots, than at 20 knots? Is the rudder more likely to be at the stop and the airplane drifting sideways on touchdown going down the centerline at 100 knots? Is the end of the runway more likely to be close at 100 knots on the centerline fighting the rudder?

Two questions should come up: 1. Wouldn't we really need to angle across, on takeoff in such a strong crosswind, using the same downwind corner to upwind white square? Answer Yes. 2. What about the FAA left turn rule, ATC for uncontrolled airports? MTV pointed out this is always the rule regardless of good wind management and safe practices...and MTV is always right. Answer make a long straight in at an angle into the crosswind. So after takeoff we turn crosswind with the wind behind us to circle around downwind of the airport and teardrop back around onto our angle across imagined centerline extended well out and, after giving way to any other aircraft, call a long straight in approach. Remember to teardrop. No right pattern turns are legal. Again, we like to fly. What is the problem? And who in his right mind would be out there anyway? Perhaps someone who wanted to learn wind management in turns to target. ACS ground reference maneuvers at 20 degree limited bank are not going to teach much wind management.

We have given way to all aircraft and are straight in to an angled centerline from the exact downwind corner to the upwind white square. With the strong crosswind and thus strong (at this angle into the wind) headwind component, will we more likely or less likely be able to get down without having to go around? We are touching down at 20 knots ground speed (50 airspeed minus 30 headwind component) rather at 60 knots ground speed going down the actual centerline (50+20 for gust spread and extras minus 10 headwind component.) We have approached with dynamic throttle and dynamic rudder. We have not become a passenger in a long float with throttle closed and full rudder to the stop. The wind is our friend only when we use wind management techniques. How does gust spread affect that full rudder to the stop? Gusts and lulls are more manageable with throttle and rudder when we actually have some dynamic use of both. If we have rudder to the stop to manage the crosswind component without the gust, the extra crosswind component in the gust is going to weathervane the fuselage uncontrollably while we have no glide angle and rate of descent control with the throttle closed. With the extra airspeed, we are in an uncontrolled float going sideways.

So which is safer, angle across or just keep going around until we luck out on the gust/lull or just drop in uncontrolled in a weathervane misalignment? Which technique would be easier on tin and skin?

^^^^^ So very well put Jim, thanks for driving it home! ^^^^

Jaun Browne, Blancolirio, posted a video of an unfortunate CL 415 Super Scooper crash in Italy today that illustrates the need for wind management I have been talking about here. This firefighter pilot got caught in a steep downwind turn to lower terrain with too little horizontal and vertical space available. After making the mistake of approaching the target fire downwind, he did a good job turning steep enough to miss the ridge ahead while allowing the nose to go down (unload the wing) into the valley down drainage. At cruise airspeed and with the wind increasing ground speed, a near ninety degree bank was necessary to turn down valley without hitting the ridge. Coming over the ridge upwind may have obscured the target until closer, but the slower ground speed would have given more gun target time and reduced the radius to down drainage. Zooming up wings level, trading cruise for a bit of altitude and slower airspeed/ground speed (energy management) would also have reduced the radius of the turn and returned potential energy in the turn. The law of the roller coaster works with large airplanes as with small airplanes. The main thing is allowing dynamic neutral stability to work in the turn (nose goes down to unload the wing) and he did that well. He did not stall until just before impact and I expect he was stalling late rather than graveyard spiralling into the ground. I also expect he tried to get the wings level, but dumping just before impact may have occupied his time. I don't know who pickled (crew?), but I crashed three time and never dumped. Low level orientation/technique is different. Altitude is time. We do not have that. Airspeed is life. We hope to have that.

In a strong crosswind I hope you guys will make the base to final turn into that crosswind or teardrop out to come back straight in. And work on the power/pitch to touchdown angle across unless you fly an airplane that stalls really fast.

Teaching the wind management/energy management turn to final or angled across the runway final is so much safer than spraying or air ground gunnery or firefighting or other low altitude work. The safer conditions make the finer points of that kind of work less likely to be fully grasped, however. Ag and gunnery and fire work are more likely to have a target closer to horizontal space limitations making the levelling the wing and zooming up target rejection no longer an option late. When working in tight horizontal spaces with fewer bail out options, wind management and fully using the law of the roller coaster and getting the majority of the turn done early and pushing the nose around smartly with rudder (with the nose well down in the unloaded dynamic pitch down) become more critical. Now getting the nose around and onto target is critical. With the nose already down in the dive onto the target (the fire) this pilot was well past the zoom up prep to slow down a bit and gain a bit of altitude before the turn. Excess ground speed pushed the need to get the nose onto the second target, the bottom of the drainage. Truly, he was between a rock and a hard place. Again, he almost recovered from this horrible situation by banking as steeply as possible to miss the rock while allowing the nose to go down, unloading the wing, into the canyon.

Around the airport even with the dangerous downwind base to final turn, we are unlikely to be pushed by such tight horizontal space limitations. But there are towers, buildings, and even terrain out there and the tactical situation is always fluid. Pitching up wings level to reduce radius and banking more than necessary early to be able to reduce bank late when near stuff and pushing the nose around to prevent slip from slowing the turn when the nose is naturally down in the turn and all those maneuvering flight techniques can become critical. Yes, we are at an airport or commonly used LZ, but we are not protected by ATC with prescribed airspeed, altitude, and procedural track safe routes and tracks. Less fluid than Ag or fire, but more fluid than IFR. Limiting bank and using instruments integrated with contact flying will not suffice. Use wind management and other maneuvering flight techniques to avoid being between a rock and a hard place around the airport or off field LZ.

So we are back at Aurora, Missouri 2H2 taking off on 18 in the local schools 172-M. We make the basic low ground effect and achieve cruise airspeed at six inches over the runway well before the end of the runway. Did we need the extra kinetic energy provided by staying in low ground effect? Not this time.

We climb to just over the trees across Hwy 60 just beyond the end of the runway. Did we need the extra kinetic energy saved by not climbing much higher over the trees? Not this time. My student in a 150 years ago lost an engine here, turned steeply while unloading the wing, went under the high transmission lines, added full flaps, and landed without damage in the field just SW of the airport across Hwy 60. At 300' and Vy, that would have been very dicey.

We climb out to 500' AGL to practice some Dutch rolls to 45 degree banks. Is this safe at this altitude? Absolutely. Do we want to instill comfort with turning steeply down low or do we want to practice stall recovery with students who don't know how to turn steeply down low? We pick a distant target. We lead left rudder to insure the nose does not go right while applying left aileron (rudder pulls aileron for coordination) to roll left quickly while holding the distant point by quickly leading right rudder followed by right aileron. Getting out of a steep bank by leading rudder is just as important as getting into the that steep bank by leading rudder. We continue that coordinated leading right rudder and applying right aileron all the way to the 45 degree bank right.

Three very important points here: Rudder pulls aileron each way. Both rudder and aileron movement is rapid and continuous. This is not an IFR or even integrated instrument deal. Altitude does not matter.

We will start with cruise or even full power so in a 172 we will lose a bit of altitude. Yes, the ground is down there. Airspeed, not altitude is what is keeping us alive. This is low altitude maneuvering flight orientation. We do not have altitude. We do not have time. But we do need to miss things. And guess what? It is generally easier to maneuver around things we do not have the airspeed to go over, thus the emergency steep turn is usually safer than the emergency climb...if, if, if we have zoom reserve airspeed, airspeed, airspeed.

Finally, this is not to discount the energy management turn where the law of the roller coaster can get us out of jail free. We just want students to understand that zoom reserve airspeed makes the emergency turn possible. The energy management turn requires staying ahead of the airplane so that the zoom up to slow a bit and gain a bit of altitude can be initiated wings level when we recognize the need to make a turn to target up ahead.

So the Dutch roll, now called coordination roll, quickly drives home the need to lead rudder to be coordinated. Coordinated is not equal application of aileron and rudder, it requires we lead rudder to prevent adverse yaw in the opposite direction and then come in with aileron for the bank. Rudder pulls aileron around. That is why you hear me yelling, "push the nose around." The Dutch roll also teaches us a lot about the capabilities of the rudder as the anti-turn control. While the Dutch roll to 45 degree bank is a lot more exaggerated than walking the rudders to maintain wings level on short final, the principal is the same. If we maintain the target between our legs with rudder, the wing will be stabilized level. So Dutch roll is a coordinated way to maintain the centerline extended and keep the wing level. So if you are a wing wagger instead of a tail wagger (rudder only wing leveller,) Dutch rolls is the proper and coordinated way to do that. Try ol contact's rudder only centerline holder and wing leveller(walk the rudders) technique. You will find it to be easier and more comfortable.

While we are at 500,' we might a well practice some energy management turns. I hope a pipeline pilot will post us some patrol video here, because it is difficult to teach the concept that all anticipated turns or planned turns can be fully law of the roller coaster energy management turns. For excellent 90 and 180 degree turns to target (usually section lines), see Energy Management Turns with soyAnarchisco and CFOT's videos on this site.

So again, is 500' an unsafe altitude to practice energy management turns? If we are afraid of the 1 g safety turn, why are we pulling back on the elevator to load the wing in climbing and level turns in the pattern. Why aren't those more dangerous turns practiced at stall recovery altitude?

First we have to understand the principals of the energy management turn, the laws of the roller coaster. Without zoom reserve in the form of cruise or as fast as possible airspeed, we do not pull back on the elevator. If we are already at Vy because of DA or load or just being stupid, we simply allow the nose to go down naturally. We only pull back on the elevator with zoom reserve airspeed and with the wings level. Yes, crop dusters will violate this wings level part occasionally and partially. We will get to that safe point with practice, but let's stick with the wings level for the go up part of the law of the roller coaster.

Second we have a muscle memory default in our brain that pulling back on the elevator wings level is temporary. So now we have speed (OK) and wings level (OK) and need to turn up there a bit (OK) and we are not, I say again we are not, going to keep pulling on this yoke. As soon as we begin the bank, we release the back pressure on the yoke to unload the wing back to 1 g.

Third we are not going to just stay in the bank for some exercise or turn to heading purpose. We are turning to a near target, usually the pipeline right of way going in the new direction or the next segment of the airport pattern or some target. As the crop duster knows, after 180 degrees of turn, the nose is well down and the airspeed is well up and the earth is coming up pretty fast now.

Fourth we are going to level the wing before we pull on the yoke to first climb using the airspeed gained in the nose down safety turn. To pull up with the wing in a bank would create the graveyard spiral effect. To keep the wing down going into the field, if a crop row is the target, would chance catching the wire or tree with the down wing.

Fifth we are going to trade the extra airspeed of the dive in the turn for altitude. While the law of the roller coaster dislikes the waste of the extra airspeed of cruise over a slower speed that would decrease the radius of the turn (pitch up wings level to start), it also dislikes the waste of the extra potential energy of the wings level pitch up and it dislikes the waste of the dive speed but wants to use it to return to near original altitude. Remember Wolfgang's airspeed is altitude, altitude is airspeed, airspeed is altitude...the law of the roller coaster.

Learn and practice the safety turn. When it becomes the default contact flying turn, and we still remember the limited bank level turn for IMC, we are truly managing energy in every paradyme of flight. Yes limited bank level turns were awkward when Doolittle first got us under the hood and later integrated instrument awkwardness crept in when we began to attempt safe integration of contact flying skills with instrument flying skills. As a high altitude concept, integration works well. It is a very dangerous maneuvering flight concept, especially when it totally precludes stick and rudder flying skills. There was a time between Doolittle and the PTS when we old guys first learned to fly contact and then learned to fly instrument. That was a low altitude concept for contact flying and a high altitude concept for instrument flying.

While the objectives of the helicopter gunship air cavalry pilot, the crop duster, the pipeline patrol pilot, and the BCP river runner are quite different; the energy management turn works equally well for each. The air cavalry pilot wants to circle the low bird at 1200' (effective rocket range) and close enough and slow enough to get into a very steep dive angle for the tightest cone of fire possible. Like Butch Washtock's BC canyon type mountain work, the Cobra is using only potential energy of altitude for the first gun run when the loach throws a red smoke and yells, "taking fire." The second and perhaps third gun run are true full energy management turns. And we get lower and slower with each and have to break off. We gunnies do not have the advantage of a long swath in low ground effect to provide the zoom reserve airspeed for the initial pull up of the crop duster. The crop duster, working crosswind and into the wind across the field, will need less standoff in the P turn or teardrop turn because the wind will automatically reduce radius of turn. But he too needs the standoff. The pipeline pilot and BCP river runner is just trying to stay either on the right of way or in the channel often made by terrain and trees on the river. As soon as they bank, the target becomes the right of way in the new direction or the river in the new direction. In either case the only way to make the energy management turn work is to stay ahead of the airplane so as to anticipate the need to turn up ahead. This is what triggers the wings level zoom up and yes, we are in trouble without zoom reserve airspeed here. Slow flying where both horizontal and vertical space is limited either requires and extremely straight run or zoom reserve airspeed for the pitch up to both slow down for radius reduction and get some altitude for potential energy to safely bank as steeply as necessary to miss the trees while diving back onto the drainage. Once we bank (more early so as not to need more later and near the surface) relaxing the elevator back pressure is simply letting the airplane do it's designed safety nose drop thing. Now rudder becomes important because we have the nose down and we want to get the nose onto target and wings again level before contact with terrain or hooking a wing with a wire. Pilots who worry about skidding turns don't bank steeply in their turns and don't let the airplane fly in their turns. No stall, no spin and a stall or spin either direction (skidding or slipping) is fatal at this altitude. No, we are usually not skidding. Most pilots slip around every steep turn.

Some considerations are very important for safety in any turn but make this safety turn a snap. Wind management (working crosswind and into the wind) is a free meal if we can get it. Anticipation of the need to turn is necessary to allow time to pitch up if needed (low altitude.) The target is the red smoke, the beginning of the next swath run, or the pipeline or river. The idea that we are going to just bank a bit and neutralize controls is foreign to the energy management turn. We are going to push rudder (rudder pulls aileron) and bank until we are on target. If we don't push that nose around we will have to break off or hit something. And we need to quit when the ground is coming up close and fast. Level the wing first and pull up using the law of the roller coaster (airspeed is altitude) to return to altitude if need be or continue in ground effect.

Does the energy management turn need to be a gunnery return to target or crop duster return to target? No, it can be just a slight pitch up, bank and release elevator and rudder the nose onto the target just slightly off to the left or right. Do we need the energy management turn, or even a level turn, to maintain centerline extended on final? Hell no. Here we need the anti-turn control only. Bracket the centerline with slight and rapid rudder movement to maintain the centerline and to keep the wings level or in a stabilized bank against a crosswind.