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Flying
Handbook Menu > Basic
Flight Maneuvers > Feel Of The Air Plane
The ability to sense a flight condition, without
relying on cockpit instrumentation, is often called “feel
of the airplane,” but senses in addition to “feel”
are involved. Sounds inherent to flight are an important sense
in developing “feel.” The air that rushes past the
modern light plane cockpit/cabin is often masked by soundproofing,
but it can still be heard. When the level of sound increases,
it indicates that airspeed is increasing. Also, the powerplant
emits distinctive sound patterns in different conditions of
flight. The sound of the engine in cruise flight may be different
from that in a climb, and different again from that in a dive.
When power is used in fixed-pitch propeller airplanes, the loss
of r.p.m. is particularly noticeable. The amount of noise that
can be heard will depend on how much the slipstream masks it
out. But the relationship between slipstream noise and powerplant
noise aids the pilot in estimating not only the present airspeed
but the trend of the airspeed. There are three sources of actual
“feel” that are very important to the pilot. One
is the pilot’s own body as it responds to forces of acceleration.
The “G” loads imposed on the airframe are also felt
by the pilot. Centripetal accelerations force the pilot down
into the seat or raise the pilot against the seat belt. Radial
accelerations, as they produce slips or skids of the airframe,
shift the pilot from side to side in the seat. These forces
need not be strong, only perceptible by the pilot to be useful.
An accomplished pilot who has excellent “feel” for
the airplane will be able to detect even the minutest change.
The response of the aileron and rudder controls to the pilot’s
touch is another element of “feel,” and is onethat
provides direct information concerning airspeed. nAs previously
stated, control surfaces move in the airstream and meet resistance
proportional to the speed of the airstream. When the airstream
is fast, the controls are stiff and hard to move. When the airstream
is slow, the controls move easily, but must be deflected a greater
distance. The pressure that must be exerted on the controls
to effect a desired result, and the lag between their movement
and the response of the airplane, becomes greater as airspeed
decreases. Another type of “feel” comes to the pilot
through the airframe. It consists mainly of vibration. An example
is the aerodynamic buffeting and shaking that precedes a stall.
Kinesthesia, or the sensing of changes in direction or speed
of motion, is one of the most important senses a pilot can develop.
When properly developed, kinesthesia can warn the pilot of changes
in speed and/or the beginning of a settling or mushing of the
airplane. The senses that contribute to “feel” of
the airplane are inherent in every person. However, “feel”
must be developed. The flight instructor should direct the beginning
pilot to be attuned to these senses and teach an awareness of
their meaning as it relates to various conditions of flight.
To do this effectively, the flight instructor must fully understand
the difference between perceiving something and merely noticing
it. It is a well established fact that the pilot who develops
a “feel” for the airplane early in flight training
will have little difficulty with advanced flight maneuvers.
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