My students often have concerns about setting up for slow flight when practicing and perfecting their skills for a checkride. So this lesson isn’t about so much how to do slow flight as maybe an easy plan to setting up and its relationship to the rest of our flight.

It’s a demonstration of controlling the relationships of Lift and weight and thrust and drag or the relationship of you controlling your minimum airspeed (or whatever speed requested to use)through angle of attack with the power creating just the right amount of thrust over drag to not sink or climb unless called for. Usually this happens in the so called dirtiest configuration of your aircraft such as max flaps in my C152 trainer.
​

So my recommended set up is to start as if setting up for a landing. Start by pulling your power to or close to your normal power setting or other recommended setting that you use to get ready to lower the airspeed into white arc and lower flaps. This will mean raising the nose some to prevent loss of altitude, but we reduce power so we don’t climb either. You can see the similarities already. (You can sometimes go straight to full flaps if can keep up with the ballooning tendency and power requirement to prevent altitude loss etc, but in the beginning you probably need to take it in steps, and for a checkride your under stress anyways so take the steps.) As the plane begins to stabilize and approach the slow speed desired, usually go ahead with next set of flaps. Do expect a slight more ballooning affect then be prepared to add some power to prevent loss of altitude. This means you will likely have to use some muscle of maintaining the slower settings. Then at this point usually adding the last of your flaps unless you have the lucky plane that have that fourth setting. Now don’t forget the power, just enough to prevent a loss of altitude. Don’t forget to trim the plane to keep the controls within your comfortable feeling of pressure, don’t try to muscle the plane which you will often over control. I usually have mine trimmed for the typical climb which is well above the minimum speed so if you let go of the controls the plane will drop the nose to gain speed but start trying to hold that speed say in my C152 of 70-80kts. This means you will likely have to use some muscle of maintaining the slower settings. Everyone may have a slightly different preference but I d prefer a student to not set trim trying to relieve all pressure you must know what the little details feel like the buffeting, the mushy controls and not too much trim you struggle to push the nose over to recover, most trainers this isn’t an issue but can be in some planes. Think moving your fingers for tiny airspeed corrections rather than whole ar movements
My version of practice is to take the speed as a slow as just the edge of turning on the stall indicator, that’s a typical 5kt buffer from actual stall. If it is turbulent I will end up using a higher number then and when extra calm its right at that just chirping the stall horn in my plane. We practice with horn blaring occasionally seeing how slow of airspeed might get before actual stall is induced. (The new standard has changed, but I have my methods and if can do my method of the slowest without a stall then you’ll pass that portion of the test easily.) Then you must make some turns. Now without adding power sometimes you will begin a descent or even induce a stall if used the yoke first to stop the sink or turned too steep initially. Turning with a very shallow and slow turn with rudders usually works best. Yes likely still using a bit of aileron, but this is slowest flight so these turns should be just as slow as the slowest turtle you can be too.

This lesson is to teach how your power can be manipulated minutely to make small corrections, this is a finesse skill your learning. Anytime you’re at your slowest and or the closest to the ground finesse is called for. Good coordination of ailerons and rudders and elevator and feathering of your speed and power. It’s not about perfection either, but seeing the indications of unwanted changes and adjusting to stop them and even reverse them if required or even do a full recovery and start over. Always stop the unwanted from getting worse before correcting it. Think making those corrections as if hoping your DPE or Instructor won’t notice (we do but if you’re smooth we might not let it count against you) or correcting so you don’t disturb your passenger from their nap or their Facebook live video.

Real World Scenario applications

Now in setting up this maneuver we did not do pattern turns. Yet this is exactly when you may find yourself slow flying either intentionally or unintentionally which should be avoided or corrected ASAP. Improper handling of your airspeed and altitude and directional control during reduced speed and power settings is when Loss of control incidences occurs. Usually you have become distracted with radio calls or worrying about someone else’s plane and not yours. Often happens in a Towered field if tower asks you to extend downwind or give other traffic space. Know what your slowest safe speed is beforehand like my C152 I say its 65kt which means I can safely make steeper turns avoiding stall conditions. Yes it will go slower but if I’m still possibly maneuvering the pattern or traffic avoidance this speed is that minimum speed. This is also applies to an uncontrolled field in which your also giving other traffic room for their landing etc. You might even find yourself flying a photographer wanting photos which they prefer slow flying so knowing what your safe zone to allow them to get their best shot but not endanger you when they want you to turn back or closer or lower etc… set your limits before flight and there will be less issues in flight.

It applies when find yourself dealing with a high density altitude takeoff/climb that you forgot to check for… understanding that feel helps you both not pull nose up and stalling, but also if need to maneuver to return to a landing or even land off field and or maybe avoid an obstacle. Course once that ordeal is over you likely won’t forget that lesson on density altitude! Or maybe you’re dealing with a loss of some power but not yet all. Many reasons and when and where this could be happening.

Understanding how to slow fly will help with you understanding and making those soft field landings also. Learning to just barely have enough power to barely sink through that ground effect yet not firmly tap the ground and keep that nose in that angle of attack so you don’t let it touch the ground too soon… yeah that skill! Ok now you’re just showing off!

Now go have a great relationship with slow flight and your airplane!

Pilot statistics are often quoted, printed, redrawn, recalculated and sometimes just plain confusing. We often wonder exactly what they are tracking and of course what qualifies, age groupings etc. Not much different than how a politician plays with stats twisting their indication to prove their argument.

Aviation is no different I am certain of this.


Gift Academy has been mentioning our numbers and its been implied we are incorrect in our statistical twisting of the numbers.. Well maybe guilty as charged or maybe we are not.

if you read on the FAA statistic report, it does say women are 6.5% of the pilot population. So yes when we say less than 6% of pilots our naysayers seem correct. Lets look at how we come up with the numbers we mention.

Most know the phrase "don't count your chickens before they are hatched" well in our numbers game its don't count the eagles before they fly.

It 2015 and women in aviation are still often dealing with both subtle and not so subtle comments or criticisms in the cockpit. Some are subtle and often unintended, others are more glaring but thankfully becoming more rare, and some its subtle to pass off as unintended yet so consistent one can see its not unintended. 

Some examples of comments made: (names were changed or deleted for privacy)
       "We will be doing a manual reversion and "M", you might want to ask for help from your NFP. Girls have a really hard time with this maneuver and are not strong enough."
       "doing engine out work and the instructor was talking about the rudder and how much pressure it requires...... And says "I always see girl... Um... Weaker people who have trouble."
        "GV initial one of the instructors was going around saying "women should not be in long range aircraft".
        "Some of the men at my work think it's funny to compare contract negotiations to women playing soccer in bikini thongs."
         Nicknames often given to women in orientation class for a company like "quota" "token"
         Even flight schools do this early on, with videos and powerpoint images in which no women are pictured or if pictured they are a passenger or a customer service/ flight attendant.
         Many women have emailed us with their issues with flight instructors, that they know something isn't right but cant quite place why they are so uncomfortable. The instructor placing arm around the back of their seat and touching them, always with the comment of the close quarters of the cockpit, instructors leaning across them letting their arm/hand touch their legs or such to "test" the magnetos, not just once in a flight but multiple times. Sometimes its comments implying that women have a hard time with understanding certain technology or mechanics of the aircraft because they are women. Even comments on the parking of the aircraft in comparison to women parallel parking.  Talking to all the pilots in the room or inviting the men out for drinks after work, but not the woman pilot. Even instructors have found only negative things to say t the woman pilot in a sim session, but none to her male counterpart in the same sim session and lessons.  Even using acronyms that further degrade flight lessons using sexual terms that demean women "Two Virgins make dull company" and yes its still heard in some classes.
         Yes even the outright sexual harassment and discriminations occur, as comments about their breasts or breast size, shape of their legs or how they wear their uniform, crude notes left in cockpits for the ladies to find, blatantly asking to come to their hotel room to watch a movie.

          Many say oh they were just joking or didn't mean it to be harmful, yet there is an element of truth in joking. Many men say their wives/girlfriends would be jealous if they found them socializing with a woman from work/school. Are these same men the jealous type to not let their wife/girlfriend do the same at their work? Or they assume they have nothing to talk about with the "token" female, somehow thinking she will only discuss children, makeup and clothes?    
         I wonder if these same men do this to the daughters/nieces/sisters/wife they know. A man once stopped his car in front of my house (after circling the block first) wondering what I was doing. (I had the hood up on suburban). I was checking the oil in my car as I told him. He actually was amazed he never seen a woman do that. I asked him have you ever taught your wife or daughter how to? His response was to drive away. But I do wonder how many men and even some women teach their daughters/nieces about shopping and clothes and how to drive but never teach them how to change a tire or check and or change their oil, or how to use the lawnmower and weed eater, or how about teach the sons/nephews how to do laundry and cook and wash dishes and sew on buttons. We raise them with the subtle hints of male and female capabilities, but for those who break through that barrier we are still dealing with barriers.
            Also we are encouraged to not go to HR and complain, or don't write about it in the critique notes at sim class, because it somehow makes life harder for the other women and ourselves unless it is blatant and witness of course. I think this has to stop and we do need to encourage changes. Whiners we don't need, but conversation and more of those good men who are truly supporting having a good pilot no matter the gender need to step up and help those changes occur. But do pay attention we don't trade one subtle discriminatory comment for another. 
             Women in the early years of aviation faced great hurdles and through WASPs and many other great ladies since have proven women can fly, including women in the 1970's and 1980's were struggling with the sterotypes, but even I coming into the workforce in the 1990's and now my own daughter also finding some of the exact same issues in this millennia. This should not be.    

You may have heard many preach about knowing your own personal minimums. But what do they really mean. We see PAVE and IM SAFE. but maybe there is more than just those. Sometimes we don't always know where that line is of should and shouldn't. But we have created another version to help draw that line, a real list that your family members or friends or even your novice passengers or pilot friend can check and possibly prevent you from taking a risk you said you wouldnt do. Once these possible passengers or those who might be effected by your flights outcome, especially that fear of you flying, you are giving that person in your life a voice in your safety. Giving them a say will likely make communication smoother, and develop more trust in your flying. Knowing your personal minimums can prevent you from pushing that envelope without proper planning and skill, even giving you time to arrange an experienced pilot to help you if need be.

What you may do at 50 hour will look possibly different at 100 or even 300 hours, and will likely vary even from aircraft and equipment available.

I might fly minimums IFR in a twin turbine aircrat, maybe even piston, but I will avoid that in a single engine especially in a minimumly equipped one.

VFR folks, can say they may have to have 5 miles visibility, another might say 3 or 7 even 10 miles. Then factor in wind and crosswind, ceilings etc.

This can go great steps in helping those who love you not fear your flying if they can see you are taking those extra precautions for self and them, plus they might keep you from telling yourself well i need 5 miles but its 4 now and i think i can handle that.... anytime you start to say I think I can do that, we can probably beat that storm or we should be there before dark, or its not that much further  we don't need to stop for fuel...... Its time to stop and know you are about to enter that statistic zone, much like the twilight zone, only it involves, NTSB, FAA, CAP and the local news. Might even include hospitals and or funerals.

Always make sure you have a back up plan in case first plan goes awry (and plans almost always do). That possible fuel stop on that long leg in case winds are worse than expected, A plan to turn around to return to a safe area if visibility begins to grow worse, If having to delay flight which will put you later than planned make sure take the extra time to pack a working flashlight and alternate landing stops, or even waiting till next day if weather is a strong possibility.

Here is one that we created that can print out a sheet from our website, or make your own.

Personal Minimums

Ceiling within 25nm             __________________

Ceiling beyond 25nm           __________________

Minimum visibility               __________________

Maximum wind                     __________________

Maximum X-wind                  __________________

Maximum density altitude   __________________