Pattern flying observations

[Del K. Rykert]

It is so basic as was earlier mentioned but a necessary building block for successful pattern flying. At a contest a knowledable flier pointed out he felt I wasn't keeping my wings level in my flight. He watched me rudder inputs and correctly deduced that I was indeed flying one wing low. He also test flew the plane and it flew better for him. Wings level makes it easier to stay ahead of your plane.
                          del 
               NSRCA - 473 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bill Glaze 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 3:41 PM
  Subject: Re: Pattern flying observations


  Highly interesting.  A former pattern flyer from near here, who won Masters a the Nats a few years ago, had a habit of flying at least one practice flight that consisted of nothing but straight and  level passes, one after the other, with a simple turnaround at each end.  Over and Over and Over.................
  Must be something to it...........
  Bill Glaze

  mike mueller wrote:

     Good point. I think this is what the hardest thing to master. Mike

    Woodward James R Civ 412 TW/DRP <James.Woodward2 at edwards.af.mil> wrote: 
      Hi All,

      I wanted to pass along an observation about flying that may seem obvious to some, but time & time again amazes me.  In D7 we've already had two contests.  The best flyers in each class (sportsman, intermediate, advanced, Masters, FAI) fly the fundamental element of our equation the best - straight and level flight.  You can't escape it...  Resistance is futile...  If you are having problems with your sequence (who among us does not?) take a weekend and practice straight & level flight at low, mid, and top of the box with some simple turnaround maneuvers and a friend standing beside you calling wing low/high/ whatever.  Then work into flying the sequence with some one calling wing low/high throughout each maneuver.  I recently went through this and it provided a whole new look.  The result is that I also needed to relearn most of the rud! der corrections because I had worked into a habit of having the inside wing low.  The sequence is getting better now and I'm very glad a friend and I stripped the flying down to this fundamental.  If we don't learn this, we will never reach our potential.

      Jim W.


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