Integrated Flight Instruction
As the beginner pilot develops a competent skill in visual
reference flying, the flight instructor should further develop
the beginner pilot’s effectiveness through the use of
integrated flight instruction; however, it is important that the
beginner pilot’s visual skills be sufficiently developed for
long-term, safe, and effective aircraft control.
The basic elements of integrated flight instruction are as
follows:
•The pilot visually controls the airplane’s
attitude inreference outside to the natural horizon. At least 90
percent of the pilot’s attention should be devoted to
outside visual references and scanning for airborne
traffic. The process of visually evaluating pitch and
bank attitude is nearly an imperceptible continuous
stream of attitude information. If the attitude is found
to be other than desired, the pilot should make precise,
smooth, and accurate flight control corrections to
return the airplane to the desired attitude. Continuous
visual checks of the outside references and immediate
corrections made by the pilot minimize the chance
for the airplane to deviate from the desired heading,
altitude, and flightpath.
•The airplane’s attitude is validated by referring to
flight instruments and confirming performance. If
the flight instruments display that the airplane’s
performance is in need of correction, the required
correction must be determined and then precisely,
smoothly, and accurately applied with reference
to the natural horizon. The airplane’s attitude and
performance are then rechecked by referring to flight
instruments. The pilot then maintains the corrected
attitude by reference to the natural horizon.
•The pilot should monitor the airplane’s performance
by making quick snap-shots of the flight instruments.
No more than 10 percent of the pilot’s attention should
be inside the cockpit. The pilot must develop the skill
to quickly focus on the appropriate flight instruments
and then immediately return to the visual outside
references to control the airplane’s attitude
The pilot should become familiar with the relationship
between outside visual references to the natural horizon and
the corresponding flight instrument indications. For example,
a pitch attitude adjustment may require a movement of the
pilot’s reference point of several inches in relation to the
natural horizon but correspond to a seemingly insignificant
movement of the reference bar on the airplane’s attitude
indicator.
Straight-and-Level Flight
Straight-and-level flight is flight in which heading and altitude
are constantly maintained. The four fundamentals are in
essence a derivation of straight-and-level flight. As such, the
need to form proper and effective skills in flying straight and
level should not be understated. Precise mastery of straight-
and-level flight is the result of repetition and effective practice.
Perfection in straight-and-level flight comes only as a result of
the pilot understanding the effect and use of the flight controls,
properly using the visual outside references, and the utilization
of snap-shots from the flight instruments in a continuous loop
of information gathering. A pilot must make effective, timely,
and proportional corrections for deviations in the airplane’s
direction and altitude from unintentional slight turns, descents,
and climbs to master straight-and-level flight.
Straight-and-level flight is a matter of consciously fixing the
relationship of a reference point on the airplane in relation
to the natural horizon.
The establishment of
reference points should be initiated on the ground as the
reference points depends on the pilot’s seating position,
height, and manner of sitting. It is important that the pilot sit
in a normal manner with the seat position adjusted, which
allows for the pilot to see adequately over the instrument
panel while being able to fully depress the rudder pedals to
their maximum forward position without straining or reaching.
Straight Flight
Maintaining a constant direction or heading is accomplished
by visually checking the lateral level relationship of the
airplane’s wingtips to the natural horizon. Depending on
whether the airplane is a high wing or low wing, both wingtips
should be level and equally above or below the natural horizon.
Any necessary bank corrections are made with the pilot’s
coordinated use of ailerons and rudder.
The pilot should understand that anytime the wings are banked,
the airplane turns. The objective of straight flight is to detect
small deviations as soon as they occur, thereby necessitating
only minor flight control corrections. The bank attitude
information can also be obtained from a quick scan of the
attitude indicator (which shows the position of the airplane’s
wings relative to the horizon) and the heading indicator (which
indicates whether flight control pressure is necessary to change
the bank attitude to return to straight flight).
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