Tips from the Pros - April 2011
Emergency Maneuver and Unusual Attitude Training, WHY?
By Judy Phelps, Master CFI-A
CFII Vice President, CP Aviation, Inc.
“2011 National CFI of the Year”
Judy Phelps of CP AviatioEmergency Maneuver and Unusual Attitude Training is a must for all pilots. As a new pilot it was this very training that took the fear out of flying and gave me a new sense of comfort that I hadn’t experienced before in an airplane.
I absolutely hated stalls and was terrified of the thought of doing one by myself. Could this be you? If so, you need to learn about and explore the unknown. Even if you have no fear, every pilot can benefit from experiencing spin entries and recoveries. Equally important is being turned upside down in an airplane and recovering from the unusual attitude.
Although Emergency Maneuver and aerobatic training go together, a majority of the pilots I train come with the same purpose and that is to gain confidence. Many however become hooked with their new found freedom and continue with basic aerobatics.
You may be wondering what kinds of things to expect while taking an Emergency Maneuver Training course. To start with you will probably be flying an airplane that you have never flown before such as a Citabria or Decathlon, both excellent trainers. During the first lesson you should be getting comfortable with the airplane by doing turns, slow flight and stalls. This may sound basic but is necessary anytime you fly a new airplane. Next comes the meat of the course, entry and recovery from one and two turn spins, aggravated spins, skidded turns, spirals, rolls, inverted flight, simulated wake turbulence, over banked conditions, recovery from unusual attitudes, simulated control loss and more. By the time you have completed the training, not only will you be able to recover from unusual attitudes, but more importantly you will be able to recognize a bad situation and fix it before it becomes worse.
There are several schools and flight instructors throughout the country that provide Emergency Maneuver and Unusual Attitude Training. A listing can be found by visiting the IAC (International Aerobatic Club) website WWW.IAC.org. Once there click on “How to begin” and then select “Aerobatic schools.” It is important that you receive this training in the proper aircraft with a qualified instructor. The IAC website also has a link to a scholarship for Emergency Maneuver Training that I award in Oshkosh at Air Venture each year.
The next time your flight review rolls around consider taking an Emergency Maneuver Training Course. This is a great way to improve your flying skills!
