Straight and Level

Flying straight and level has to be the easiest maneuver all trainee ab-initio pilots learn. Afterall, you're pretty much maintaining a 'steady state' of flight since you're not climbing nor descending, nor turning. So as one of the first few lessons taught to the trainee pilot, the flying 'straight and level' sequence allows the newbie pilot to get a real grip of how the aircraft feels in flight.

As a flight instructor, teaching this sequence involves demonstrating the attitude that the aircraft will hold when flying straight and level at high, low and normal cruise speeds. The high speed cruise will have the aircraft at a slightly lower nose attitude and higher power setting (power set at 2500 rpm and 5 fw below the horizon); Low speed cruise will require a higher attitude (1 fw and a power setting of 2000 rpm).

To enter the 'maneuver', we first of all lookout for other aircraft in the vicinity, an important consideration that needs to be emphasized to all newbie pilots. We then set the power to the desired rpm for fast/slow/normal cruise. After setting the correct attitude, we then monitor the speed and once the desired speed has been attained, we then trim the aircraft. Having the aircraft 'in trim' balances out all the forces so that the aircraft does not deviate nor accelerate from straight and level flight. Once trimmed, the aircraft should fly without any further control inputs from the pilot .. a state of aerodynamic nirvana, if you like! ;)

My grade one instructor showed me an interesting technique to teach a student pilot how to trim the aircraft correctly. He first of all asks the student pilot to pick a landmark on the horizon; the pilot then flies to that landmark setting and maintaining a straight and level attitude. The instructor then starts moving the trim wheel down (nose upwards) and the student pilot should then start to feel an increase in forward pressure on the control column as he/she maintains that attitude. The student is then asked to let go momentarily of the controls after which, the aircraft's nose rises, and then regain the attitude for straight and level by moving the trim wheel in the correct manner to dissipate the pressure on the control column. As a result, aerodynamic nirvana is achived and the aircraft is trimmed.

I'll remember that one when I eventually start instructing :)