Not easy to maintain level flight without autopilot engaged

[fstulm 4]

Hello all,

 

Thank you to all of those who responded to my post. Please, don't get me wrong, I know that is very hard to hand fly at high altitudes, I was just trying to say that it can be done.

 

As for the power pitch equation, of course that once you are trimmed and power is constant all that is left to do is to make small elevator inputs to keep it at level (AP does it too) and that indeed is a lot of work because is has a great effect and very rapidly.

 

Wilhelm Brucken: I really like your humor I hope you are not implying that the statement is incorrect ...

 

Ionut (John) G. Micu

[cbrdriver 0]

Just as a footnote, I would just add that I managed to get the aeroplane back on the ground (at the airport) with a little help from ILS. So the whole flight was manual  - almost!!

 

Dennis Hickman

 

KUDOS, Dennis.

It is fairly difficult to handle in the three dimensions of flight. And you're right, it's a balancing act between pitch and power.

I just recently had a complete auto flight system failure at FL310, but fortunately for me, I was only a few miles from TOD. Even then, it was a handful.

[BlueStar 323]

Wilhelm Brucken: I really like your humor I hope you are not implying that the statement is incorrect ...

 

Ionut (John) G. Micu

John,

 

It is not a joke. I have spent many a cold, dark night up on R220 drinking coffee and talking about flying. One of the Captains I flew with had over 30,000 hours in heavy jets. He believed that speed is controlled with power and altitude with pitch. I also believe it. Of all the instruments used for flying, especially flying IMC, power is probably the most important.

 

blaustern

[fstulm 4]

Wilhelm,

 

With all due respect for your respective experiences, allow me to disagree with you gentleman. When you are in the air without power, you can maintain any airspeed you wish but cannot maintain altitude.

 

Regards,

Ionut (John) G. Micu

[scandinavian13 5,192]

There are two distinct groups who have debated this very topic for years and years. There is some truth to both sides of the discussion. No need to run off on that tangent here.