Training Corner

The assumption that pilots already have a safe level of measurable skill in dealing with upset scenarios outside their small flight-envelope/attitude comfort zone, is not supportable by statistics or formal research. In many ways, pilots need to be taught fundamental all-attitude flight skills as the core focus of upset recovery training as they do not have any experience whatsoever to fall back on. Even worse, in threatening upset situations, as pilots quickly become overwhelmed and start panicking on the flight controls, they tend to go with what they know. Typically, the panicking pilot has no idea their 20,000 hours of flight skills and learned flight control instincts are predominantly invalid when dealing with the loss of control in-flight threat beyond certain parameters…

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How exactly do you put your finger on the single most important aerodynamic component or practice related to upset recovery training? That’s a tough question and, quite honestly, the answer varies depending upon the situation being addressed. As opposed to picking “one” aerodynamic component as “the” critical factor in upset recoveries, a thorough discussion of recovery techniques must focus on the order in which control loss issues are addressed for a generalized recovery to be effective in a wide variety of instances. In Figure 1, the All-Attitude Upset Recovery checklist developed by APS Emergency Maneuver Training addresses the mental processes and order in which a loss of control situation should be managed by the pilot.

Figure 1: All-Attitude Upset Recovery Checklist

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In this article we are going to focus on the first action step “PUSH” of the recovery and the critical importance of Angle of Attack Management as a top priority in a generalized recovery philosophy.

There really are only five major aspects of flight that pilots have direct control over while airborne in a time-critical upset emergency flight condition. They are (in no particular order):

1. Pitch
2. Roll
3. Yaw
4. Power, and
5. Configuration

Although a seemingly simple list of items to be managed, not only are they usually mismanaged in an emergency unusual attitude scenario, but they are also typically addressed in the wrong order and in the opposite direction assuming the ultimate goal is an effective, efficient and successful recovery. This is why when you’re reading articles on stall/spin, unusual attitude or upset recovery training techniques, you’ll hear the author state time and again that the recovery is counter-intuitive … Continued in the APS Members-Only Area.

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The Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) plays a critical role in ensuring every pilot being instructed and evaluated by them is ultimately safe and safety conscious. As CFIs, our assessment of a pilot’s proficiency status comprehends a wide spectrum including: flight preparation, aeronautical knowledge, recency of experience, regulatory awareness and compliance, system management, stick and rudder skill, aeronautical decision-making and mental attitude. In General Aviation, the CFI commonly represents the measuring stick by which most pilots compare their piloting capability to the ideal. This is a tremendous responsibility that CFIs should not take lightly.

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Original APS Press Release | Aerospace & Defense News Release | AVweb News | Military & Aerospace Release

The FULL VERSION of this Article
is Available to APS Members Only.

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Click Here to Sign-Up for our 2.5 Hours of
Video Training for a full 30-Days
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In the meantime, please enjoy the excerpt of this article below …

AS SEEN IN FLYING MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER 2007:

The intent of this article is to provide pilots of all skill and experience levels an opportunity to review the general concepts of the All-Attitude Upset Recovery Technique. The recovery is designed as a single procedure checklist to address both stalls and unusual attitudes in a wide variety of fixed wing aircraft to include general aviation, business jet and airline transport airplanes. As a checklist, its successful application is significantly improved if the pilot has completed a comprehensive upset recovery training course. As with all in-flight procedures, the pilot implementing the recovery is expected to have aircraft-specific knowledge related to their aircraft’s performance and flight characteristics.

Our mission at APS Emergency Maneuver Training is to provide pilots with a turnkey resource in the provision of expert knowledge and practical hands-on training so they can be prepared for upset recovery scenarios in the real world. This article is not intended to be a single resource that provides the reader with all the information needed to be thoroughly trained in upset recovery techniques. We do hope this article gives pilots valuable insight into the combined importance of knowledge and practical skill when faced with a high-pressure time-critical, and possibly life-threatening, flight condition.

The training provided by APS Emergency Maneuver Training is unique in that we present our training services as being directly complimentary to recovery procedures implemented in all categories of fixed-wing aircraft. An Upset Recovery Training course is of marginal value if the techniques learned and knowledge gained during training is not directly transferable back to the participating pilot’s own aircraft.

For more than a decade APS Emergency Maneuver Training (APS) has been developing and teaching upset recovery, emergency maneuver, instrument recovery and spin recovery programs to thousands of pilots flying just about every certified fixed-wing aircraft type in existence. Keeping in touch with the growing market demand for an effective, practical, comprehensive upset recovery program has been our primary focus each and every day for over 12,000 hours of in-flight instruction. At APS Emergency Maneuver Training we are blessed with a staff of expert aviators whose experience spans the spectrum of aviation to include the US Navy, US Air Force and Canadian Armed Forces, and all having extensive professional experience flying commercial aircraft and most are experienced airline pilots. Additionally, each APS instructor has thousands of hours of aerobatic experience in both general aviation and turbojet aircraft.

Continued in the APS Members-Only Area …

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Bryan Burks with ALPA speaks on research and on-going advancements in upset prevention and recovery training in the aviation industry. Groups addressed include the FAA Stall Stick Pusher Working Group, CAST, EASA 60-Second Group and the RAeS ICATEE …

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If you speak to any upset recovery instructor you can find who teaches a true fully comprehensive all-attitude all-envelope upset recovery program, they will tell you flight hours, ratings, certificate level and aerodynamic book study makes very little difference in how practically prepared civilian pilots are to deal with a significant airplane upset scenario. Exceptions do exist but they are extremely rare.

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Mesa, AZ – Aviation Performance Solutions, LLC (APS) announces the release of its online upset recovery training academic program previously only available to pilots participating in-person at the APS Emergency Maneuver Training campus at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona USA. Over a decade in development, this ‘pilot skills training enhancement course’ will further support the APS commitment to providing pilots of all experience levels the knowledge necessary to be academically prepared to address aviation’s most lethal threat, loss of control in-flight.

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Enter APS Emergency Maneuver Training, whose motto is ‘to fly another day.’ APS is located in Mesa, Arizona, and is one of a handful of schools around the country that offers upset training to pilots of all backgrounds. APS is one of the few that is 141 approved, and that is dedicated to this type of training. We recently completed the APS Professional Pilot Upset Recovery Training Course, which included the core upset recovery program, spin training and instrument recovery training. While there are a number of schools that offer this type of training, we feel that APS offers an excellent value based upon the qualifications of the instructors, the quality of the curriculum, and the suitability of the airplane used.

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The understanding of how wing shape dramatically effects stall characteristics and resulting aircraft behavior is another critical element of upset recovery and stall/spin training techniques. In the video clip below, Clarke “Otter” McNeace, discusses the general concepts of wing design as they relate to a comprehensive upset recovery training program.

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This video takes just a few minutes to give clients preparing for training a few tips how to be best prepared. Clarke “Otter” McNeace (Director of APS Flight Training) discusses the All-Attitude Upset Recovery Technique, expected flight schedule and how to physically/mentally prepare for a fun challenge.

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The understanding of how wing shape dramatically effects stall characteristics and resulting aircraft behavior is another critical element of upset recovery and stall/spin training techniques. In the video clip below, Clarke “Otter” McNeace, discusses the general concepts of wing design as they relate to a comprehensive upset recovery training program.

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The V-G Diagram is a relatively unfamiliar diagram to most non-military pilots. However, it’s full understanding and practical implication is absolutely critical to upset recovery and stall/spin training techniques. In the video clip below, Clarke “Otter” McNeace, discusses this diagram’s value to a comprehensive upset recovery training program.

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This video prepares clients for taking the APS online upset recovery course using the CAE Learning Management System. APS President, Paul BJ Ransbury, takes you through the various unique navigation features of the program for students to better understand the designs enhancements to ensure key learning concepts are emphasized.

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For years, our clients at APS have been trying to convince us to put our academic program online. Well, we were finally convinced to do so. November 2009 is our hallmark launch date for this extensive course of video training. It is truly excellent with host video, animations and instructor-led explanations of many difficult concepts. Have a look at this 25 minute course preview to get a sense of the course …

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The Total Lift Equation is an important component in the development of a pilot’s ability to academically understand the founding principles of upset recovery and stall/spin training techniques. In the video clip below, Clarke “Otter” McNeace, discusses the Total Lift Equation in general and correlates its value to a comprehensive upset recovery training program.

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