Hi guys,

I've been flying the Sportsman sequence for a couple of months now, and my biggest problem that won't seem to go away is getting a consistent baseline height/altitude. I'm desparate for help here.

The Stall Turn is a big problem maneuver for me here - I'm never sure when I'm pulling out at the same altitude as the one I entered with. The second one is the half-cuban eight.

Last time out at the field I thought I'd try to fly lower, so I could see the ground in my peripheral vision to help maintain a constant height, and fly bigger maneuvers to take it higher. But I'd installed a new battery pack which affected the CG so the elevator trim needed a bit of tweaking and I haven't settled that yet. Is this a good idea?

I've noticed a lot of seasoned pattern pilots posting on this forum so I'd love to hear what advice you guys have to offer! Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Ken

Many new fliers start out flying in on top of themselves. My suggestion is depending on how far out you are to maybe fly a little further out...This will help in determining you altitude.....

I have not seen you fly and only based on what beginners try to do at first am I making this recommendation. Usually a new guy will be flying just off the far side of the runway. You need to be out at about 150 meters of about 500ft away......


Now smaller planes like 40 sized stuff will be too small out this far.....by try it.....


Consistent altitude and heading are the tools that you learn in Sportsman-Intermediate and Advance......So if you are flying Sportsman you are in the right class to learn these...as you progress up through he classes these same criteria are your nemesis when doing more complex maneuvers.


Its tough but you are not alone and it doesn;t make you a bad flier....just gives you that goal......So take the deficiency and work on...It takes lots of time to perfect.....Even today I have been flying pattern since 1987 I struggle sometimes with proper altitudes and headings....My problem is out west we can fly really low. When you get back east there are things called trees and they can eat airplanes....


So try to move it out a bit and keep plugging away.....


Where are you because it would help if you had a helper? Maybe we can wrangle up an experienced pattern flyer to help you out.....This works wonders on the flying and your confidence too.


Troy Newman

Hey Troy,

Thanks for your reply! I used to fly in upstate NY (District 1) and was an NSRCA member till I came over to Malaysia. There aren't many people here I can turn to help for as far as pattern is concerned.

Appreciate your supportive comments though! About the distance out, I'm not too sure but if I had to make a guess I'd say I'm about 75 to 100 meters out. 150 meters seems like an awfully far ways out - especially with a smallish plane like my Zen 90 - it get's hard for me to judge attitude/wings level that far out. Is this one reason why guys keep raving about the two meter planes?

Well, I'll keep burning the fuel and keep on plugging at it. I'll also experiment with bringing it further out and finding a good distance so that it isn't too hard to see but more than 75-100 meters... I've just recruited my girlfriend to be my caller/helper so she can help me, but she's never seen pattern before. My old caller was my sister and she's seen tons of pattern in District one so she was invaluable - too bad she's half the world away right now.

Cheers,
Ken

If you can recruit the girlfriend to walk out 150 paces....If she is fairly small in stature maybe 160 paces or 170 paces....But then you can fly right over here head and she will be able to tell how far out you are!



Its tough being in a place with no help.....


I understand I was there for many years! No where Wyoming going to school.....But the 90 sized plane will work at 150 meters

but not out at 175.....You will be surprised how far out you really are.......


You might already be there!


If this is the case are you flying pretty high...or about 15-20 degs above the horizon...This is where I try to fly...This is by the way higher than I usually fly especially when being brain dead and killing a bottle of fuel...Sometimes it 10 feet....


A good elevation is about 15-20 degs above the horizon....This allows for the choppy air below to not effect you much and also gives some good deviation room if you screw up....

But it might be a bit low for you to start trying new stuff....If you are comfortable up higher then fly up higher...


Troy

Thanks Troy,

I'll give it a go this weekend and see how things go. 160 paces out and 15-20 degrees over the horizon. I'll keep you updated on the results if you don't mind?

Cheers,
Ken

Exit of a maneuver at a different altitude is not a reason for downgrade, except in centered maneuvers, and in your case, the half cuban where you must make the "straight flite back" at the same altitude and heading as then "straight flite out"...croz

What helps me is to count to myself when I'm trying to fly symetrical manuvers. For example, when you do a stall turn as soon as you pull up count 1 one thousand, 2 one thousand...etc. until you reach the desired height make the turn, then count the same number going down and pull out. On down lines you may have to count a little less, but you get the idea.

Greg