Aircraft Control During Instrument Flight
This is the third skill of the Fundamentals Skills of Instrument Flying as found in the Instrument Flying Handbook. The attitude indicator is used to control the movement of the airplane, followed by cross-check, interpretation, and then control again.
Attitude Control
Proper control of aircraft attitude is the result of proper use of the attitude indicator, knowledge of when to change the attitude then smoothly changing the attitude a precise amount. The attitude reference provides an immediate, direct, and corresponding indication of any change in aircraft pitch or bank attitude.
Pitch Control
Changing the “pitch attitude” of the miniature aircraft or fuselage dot by precise amounts in relation to the horizon makes pitch changes. These changes are measured in degrees, or fractions thereof, or bar widths depending upon the type of attitude reference. The amount of deviation from the desired performance determines the magnitude of the correction.
Bank Control
Bank changes are made by changing the “bank attitude” or bank pointers by precise amounts in relation to the bank scale. The bank scale is normally graduated at 0°, 10°, 20°, 30°, 60°, and 90° and is located at the top or bottom of the attitude reference. Bank angle use normally approximates the degrees to turn, not to exceed 30°.
Power Control
Proper power control results from the ability to smoothly establish or maintain desired airspeeds in coordination with attitude changes. Power changes are made by throttle adjustments and reference to the power indicators. Power indicators are not affected by such factors as turbulence, improper trim, or inadvertent control pressures. Therefore, in most aircraft little attention is required to ensure the power setting remains constant.