Flight Lesson #5

Lesson 1.5 Airwork #3

26-09-2025

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Basic climbing and descending to specific altitude
• Climbing (APT)
• Descending (PAT)
• Memory items in checklists
• Magneto’s check
• Airborne checks
• Briefings
• Taxi briefing
• Departure briefing
• Arrival briefing

Introduction

In this lesson we did some airwork exercises including theory briefing for these exercises:

• Basic climbing and descending to a specific altitude
• Memory items for specific happenings, like engine fire after starting or in the air -> Quick reference handbook
• Taxi briefing
• Take off briefing
• Making normal turns with 30 degrees bank angle
• Making steep turns with 45 degrees bank angle

Basic climbing and descending to specific altitude

When flying the plane, we will normally cruise at about 95 knots (175 km/u). Maybe we want to increase or decrease our altitude, but how do we do this efficiently? And how to we prevent overshooting and undershooting for a safe altitude maintenance?

Climbing (APT)

When climbing to a altitude, we will use the best climb speed (Vy) of a plane, which is 75 knots for a Cessna 172. Also we will use full throttle, and carberateur heat is not needed as the engine will be warmed by the high RPM.

So when transitioning from straight and level flight at a specific altitude (2000 ft), we will first alter the nose attitude till the plane hits 75 knots. Then we will use full throttle to climb efficiently but not too fast. We can also use the trim at climbing to not having to pull that hard on the yoke.

At 50 feet before reaching your target, we will first alter the attitude of the nose which slows down climbing. Then at the specified altitude, we must be level and straight. We will wait till we hit around 90-95 knots and then set cruise RPM again, which is about 2300 RPM.

Descending (PAT)

Descending will be slightly different them climbing. Obviously, we will go down instead of up and we don’t need extra power.

We will first set the carberateur heat to “on”. Then we will perform our descent by first setting the power to 1700 RPM and setting the attitude to descening. This must be with around 500 ft/m vertical speed.

At 100 feet before reaching target, set carberateur heat to off.

At 50 feet before reaching target set power and altitude.

Memory items in checklists

In a quick reference handbook of every plane, there are checklist for different scenario’s. Some checklist are marked with a special character like a block or triangle, which are memory items. These must be known because at those scenario’s, we don’t have the time to get the book and to read it all.

A great example of a checklist with memory items is the “Fire during start” checklist. This means, we start the engine of the plane, and a huge flame comes our of the engine. We must not panic, but perform the memory items to minimize the damage.

• Continue cranking the engine for around 5 till 10 seconds to try to get the flame sucked in by the engine
• If Engine starts set Parking brake and set 1700 RPM. Wait for a maximum of 2 minutes. In the meanwhile, we can adjust our seatbelts, get the fire extinguisher, set seat and door to leave the aircraft as soon as possible
  • When a flame still burns after the period, set Mixture to cutoff and the throttle to full open/pushed
  • Set fuel selector valve to Off
  • Set ignition to Off
  • Set Master Switch to Off
• If engine doesn’t start:
  • Set Mixture to cutoff
  • Set throttle to full-open/pushed
  • Continue cranking to try to suck the flame into the engine
  • After a few seconds of failing, set ignition and master switch to off
  • Set fuel selector valve to off
  • Extinguish fire

So memory items are there because some errors cannot wait untill we have to book and the correct checklist as this will cost the plane and maybe lives. We must act and remember the steps correctly, so for every plane; make sure to learn the memory items:

Magneto’s check

When checking the magneto’s acording to the Before take-off checklist, first set the Right magneto, then Both again. Then set the magneto’s to Left and then to Both. This minimizes the steps, as you do 2 counterclockwise, then 2 clockwise, and then 1 counter clockwise and 1 clockwise.

Airborne checks

When in the air, we have to learn ourselves to perform some regular checks which to do like once or twice per minute:

• Check Oil pressure
• Check RPM
• Check Engine temps
• Check Vaccum gauge

Also we have to be aware of other traffic at all times. Scan for traffic regularly, and do this by making up/down movements across the horizon. If possible, deviate or make a 180 degrees turn in case of traffic on the same height. The most important part is, exactly as we will do on the road in our car, be predictable.

Also try to make radio contact.

Briefings

In aviation we will do different briefings as part of our flight phase. At the start of every new flight phase, we will brief our pilot monitoring and passengers about what we will do in certain situations. This helps to maintain a shared situational awareness and to avoid suprises. We will start each briefing with the simple ANWB abbreviation:

• Aircraft
• NOTAMs
• Weather
• (rest of the) Briefing

Taxi briefing

In the Taxi briefing which we will perform during the before taxi checklist, we must brief our co-pilot and passengers what we will do on the ground to reach the runway. Also we will brief what checks we will do to check different instruments and to be on the same page. Briefing your pilot monitoring and passengers reduce some risks, as an unexpected brake action or turn.

• Brief the aircraft status (deficiencies/remarks)
• Brief possible NOTAMs
• Brief the forecasted Weather and if this will affect the flight
• Brief the route to the runway run-up area
• Brief the speed and engine RPM
• Brief which turns we will take
• Brief the flight intruments to check
  • Turn coördinator (Ball and symbol)
  • Gyro/Compass (magnetic)
  • Heading
  • Gyro
• Brief that we will avoid the hotspots and will deviate from the yellow line to avoid nose-wheel chimneys
• Brief the effect of the wind on your taxi path (counter-steering)
• Brief that we will test the brakes slightly as we start to move
• Any questions-question

Departure briefing

As part of the before take-off checklist we will perform a briefing about how we will take-off from the runway and what possible risks are coming with that:

• Brief the used runway + usable length
• Brief the selected flaps setting (10 degrees default)
• Brief the power setting
• Brief the rotation speed (55 knots)
• Brief what to do in case of no emergencies before or after rotation speed
• Brief the speed when climbing out from 200 ft
• Brief the circuit height and leave angle+direction (700ft/45 degrees)
• Brief the direction we will fly to (degrees/north/west/east/south)
• Brief the altitude and cruise speed
• Brief what to do in case of emergencies before 55 knots
  • Close throttle and apply braking as we have enough runway available to come to a full stop
  • Inform ATC
• Brief what to do in case of non-flyable emergencies after 55 knots
  • Forced landing in a suitable field at the end of the runway
  • 30 degrees to left or right, according to the wind direction
  • Above 1000 ft we could consider a turn back to the runway
• Brief what to do in case of flyable emergencies after 55 knots
  • Take-off and stay in the circuit at 700ft
  • Complete circuit and do full-stop landing
  • If para’s, gliders or towing operations are active, more concentration is needed

Arrival briefing

When close to the airport to land, we will brief the pilot monitoring and passengers about the coming landing.

• Brief the Aircraft status
• Brief the NOTAMs for the destination airport
• Brief the Weather
• Brief the used runway + usable length
• Brief the selected flaps setting (40 degrees default less if more wind)
• Brief the circuit and left/right hand
• Brief the approach speed (65 knots)
• Brief what to do if go around
  • Complete circuit and line-up for another attempt

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