First lesson - Primary effects of controls

Unfortunately I didn't keep notes for these first few lessons, so I have had to remember details of these lessons by using reminders from my Student Progress Reports - notes kept on record by Tim - my instructor


This lesson was to look at the primary effects of controls - which I was reasonably familiar with from my early flying days in Chipmunks and my glider training - also many hours on Microsoft Flight Sim. Turn the yoke left, bank left; turn the yoke right, bank right. Centre the yoke when required angle of bank was acheived. Pull the yoke back and the nose comes up, push the yoke forward and the nose drops down.

The rudder is controlled by pedals - left rudder makes the aircraft yaw to the left, right rudder makes the aircraft yaw to the right.

The rudder pedals also control directional control on the ground, via steering the nosewheel. I am a lot less successful with this! 20-odd years of driving cars means that when I want to go left I turn the wheel I am holding left. This has little effect on an aircraft on the ground!

Something I hadn't previously known was that the attitude of the aircraft (nose up, or nose down) primarily controlled the speed, and power controls climbing and descending.

On the way back, Tim also showed me how to trim the aircraft (which does not involve chopping bits off it!) - set the attitude of the aircraft to acheive the requred speed and then turn the trim wheel - until you can pretty much release the controls and the aircraft stays at the same attitude.

A very enjoyable first lesson!

Back at the club house, I bought the first books I needed, my log book, a knee board and a checklist for the aircraft.

Stats at end of lesson
Description	Hours as PUT	Hours as P1	Take Offs	Landings
Lesson	1:00	0:00	0	0
Total	1:00	0:00	0	0