In the safety of altitude, there is no need for rapid transitions except to miss other aircraft or a tethered balloon on the border. Because of more weather up there and more traffic, the safest way to fly (outside of thunderstorms and icing) is IFR. The procedural track is smooth and requires only standard or half standard rate turns. An instrument orientation using slow transitions and ATC works well here.

The greatest killers in aviation are inadvertent IMC and maneuvering flight. In response to these great killers, a partial (basic instrument only) instrument orientation has not worked well. Teaching only avoidance of maneuvering flight has not worked well. We neither train Private pilots for full instrument operations or safe maneuvering flight. We are either too high, relying on basic instruments, to see well, or we are too low without low altitude training. Many airports on the sectional are laid out well for an instrument orientated pilot flying contact, but many are not. In mountainous and irregular terrain, maneuvering flight is inevitable. Spray and patrol work, legally done with a Commercial, requires maneuvering flight skills.

In changing our orientation to the low altitude, contact flying world, realistic training is necessary to make rapid transitions. These rapid transitions are necessary to miss the many obstacles down there, to make all turns to target using all energy available, and to consider and be able to use all natural energy. Also, orientation change is not easy. When indoctrinated into one orientation or belief system over considerable time and iterations, change is psychologically traumatic.

In my opinion our basic instrument orientation in primary student training is shortsighted not just in that zero maneuvering flight training is provided but also in that just enough instrument training is provided to get many into trouble.

A basic instrument orientation lulls us into the belief that static, reactive control movement is adequate. An example of this is the resistance to using dynamic, reactive rudder only for longitudinal alignment on final. This resistance, even among tailwheel pilots, disturbs me. They accept that they are better when they move the rudder on the ground or in the slip, but not while they are flying a no wind final. On my PPL flight test in a Colt, the examiner commented on my dynamic, proactive rudder movement (tail wagging) on final. “You've flown mostly conventional airplanes haven't you,” he asked?

Takeoff and landing fall into the maneuvering flight realm, where rapid transitions are very necessary. Only dynamic, proactive rudder movement (spring loaded to the misalignment) keeps us ahead of the airplane.

When pilots are asked about a trim device, they generally think about a trim tab on a control surface. The greatest trim device in aviation is the rudder. Rudder only will control wing wagging much better than coordinated dynamic, proactive shallow turns. Dynamic, proactive coordinated shallow turns don't work on the ground and are an inefficient roll trim technique in the air.

There are also many times, in the maneuvering flight realm, where the other controls need to be moved to achieve rapid transitions. Dutch rolls are the best maneuver for the aileron and rudder balance needed in steep, energy management turns. Getting a very far down wing back up smartly, to end a steep energy management turn, is critical. Using full throttle movement and then adjusting, in very rough air, while landing on a short field, is critical. Dynamic, proactive elevator movement to stay exactly six inches AGL, on a high density altitude takeoff with a heavy load, is critical. Rapid and generous rudder movement, while holding the wing level with aileron, is critical on a crooked, in ground effect departure or approach.

Contact said:

An example of this is the resistance to using dynamic, reactive rudder only for longitudinal alignment on final. This resistance, even among tailwheel pilots, disturbs me. They accept that they are better when they move the rudder on the ground or in the slip, but not while they are flying a no wind final. On my PPL flight test in a Colt, the examiner commented on my dynamic, proactive rudder movement (tail wagging) on final. “You've flown mostly conventional airplanes haven't you,” he asked?

Believe it or not it was 30 years after my private check ride during a flight review on an approach to landing that I was told to use the rudder to level the wings. He was an old instructor with an old airplane and they both still worked. I have flown mostly nose wheel airplanes.

I use a stiff thumb to restrict control wheel aileron movement. When the student's control wheel hits the stop, he looks over. I say, "Use the rudder!"