Count to 10,000

[1993matias]

B45

Well, that was not very high, was it? At least it was higher than the A319 that just overflew my house... In central Copenhagen!

[norge]

2792
B46

@Matias: How much we had left to count.

[Virgin Serbia]

2792

B45

Well, that was not very high, was it? At least it was higher than the A319 that just overflew my house... In central Copenhagen!

Not really, but the view is great from 2000 ft. From Sorø/Ringsted you can easily see all the way from Funnen/The Great Belt bridge to Kastrup/The Øresund bridge. And with the current wind heading, that A319 flew right over EKRK.

PS: Everything is opposite when flying. Throttle controls altitude, attitude controls speed.

[1993matias]

B48

Well, that's because you use trim, I suppose?

[Virgin Serbia]

2794

B48

Well, that's because you use trim, I suppose?

One needs to use trim all the time. As one instructor keeps telling us - Pilots shouldnt be doing anything at all, apart from chatting with the stewardesses! Keep it easy, tight controls are just a bother.

When you increase the throttle, you increase the airspeed over the wings, lifting the plane.

If you increase the attitude (Angle of attack) you increase drag, slowing the plane. But it doesnt fall out of the sky, because by increasing AofA you increase lift at the same time. Follow me?

Strictly speaking its not that black and white at all. You need to work with the controls - all the controls - all the time. Its really hard to start with. I was exhausted after my first flight of only 10 minutes. Yesterday was my 4th flight, 1:30 with steep turns and dives, and I managed to get airsick in the process

[1993matias]

B50

Well, in such a small plane flying so low I see how you would need to use trim all the time, but when flying at cruise altitude, I don't it has to be used all the time?

[Virgin Serbia]

2796

B50

Well, in such a small plane flying so low I see how you would need to use trim all the time, but when flying at cruise altitude, I don't it has to be used all the time?

On commercial jets the trim is automatic. It runs all the time too.

[norge]

2799
B52

I sure hope it runs all the time.

[1993matias]

2799 (post count [or VS' count] +1)
B53

@vs: I meant in a plane like the Piper

[Virgin Serbia]

2799

2799 (post count [or VS' count] +1)
B53

@vs: I meant in a plane like the Piper

Yes, whenever somebody moves a bit in the cabin you need to retrim. Turbulence, turns, speed changes etc all require retrimming too. And the tight controls keep sneaking up on you. Before you know it, you are fighting the controls again.

[1993matias]

B55

But haven't you let go of the controls? And use trim instead?

[Virgin Serbia]

2801

B55

But haven't you let go of the controls? And use trim instead?

Let go? No, you need one hand on the yoke at all times. And the other hand on the throttle/mixture column. However the instructors often ask us to remove our hands from the controls every once in a while to show us if we have trimmed the plane properly.

Yesterday was my 5th flight, and for the first time it all felt completely normal. Near perfect coordination between throttle and yoke, trimming as required etc. Even the stall exercises went pretty well. And after 1:40 in the air I made a practically perfect crosswind landing, all on my own.

BTW, are you coming to the airshow this weekend? 

[1993matias]

B57

It sounds difficult... But fun!

BTW, I don't know... The weather looks bad... Maybe I'll go

[Virgin Serbia]

2803

Really?

This is the view from my kitchen at lunchtime today:

[1993matias]

B59

What is the program of the show? Anything interesting in regards of airliners?