AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2013 - 83

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TECHNIQUE

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Mischief with
a purpose
B Y D AV E H I R S C H M A N

ONE OF THE BEST TOOLS for transforming
a tentative student to a tiger is a simple
roll of toilet paper.
Drop it from an airplane, let it unfurl,
encourage your student to slice it with the
wing, and watch all his or her timidity disappear. Your student will attack the falling
streamer like a terrier—and any former
reluctance to bank steeply or pull firmly
will seem like a distant memory.
Here are a few suggestions for turning timidity into tenacity, and TP into
confetti.
1. Buy single-ply paper. (It makes a longer ribbon.)
2. Unroll at least two feet of it before the
drop. (Having a tail helps the roll unfurl.)
3. Be considerate about where you drop
it. (A remote area that’s not particularly
environmentally sensitive is best; take
wind drift into account.)
4. If the light is low, fly toward the sun on
the drop so that you’ll be looking down
sun when you first acquire the target.
5. At a safe altitude, slow the airplane as
much as practical and observe airspeed
limits for opening windows or doors.
Drop the roll in a way that it won’t strike
any part of the airplane.

RELEVANT REG
FAR 91.15: DROPPING OBJECTS
“No pilot in command of a civil
aircraft may allow any object to be
dropped from that aircraft in flight
that creates a hazard to persons or
property. However, this section does
not prohibit the dropping of any
object if reasonable precautions are
taken to avoid injury or damage to
persons or property.”

A FALLING RIBBON of paper gives students a reason to turn steeply and fly precisely—all

while keeping their eyes outside the aircraft. And let’s admit it. Converting a roll of paper
into confetti before it hits the ground is just plain fun.

6. After the drop, fly straight ahead for
about five seconds before turning. (If you
turn too soon, you’ll end up circling the
target and not striking it.)
7. Try to cut the paper with the wing that
doesn’t have a pitot tube.
8. Go for the middle of the ribbon on
each pass. (If you cut it at the bottom, the
stream of paper will end up in a wad.)
9. Beware of your altitude and surroundings—and don’t chase the falling paper too
low. (TP falls about 1,000 fpm.)
TP slicing seems like mischievous
good fun, and it is, but it’s also a dynamic
and challenging gambit that builds situational awareness while promoting
precision and aggressive, coordinated
maneuvering.
The technique that seems to work best
for students is to continue straight ahead
for about five seconds after the drop,
then make a hard turn with 45 degrees of
heading change to the right (a mini procedure turn); followed by a descending,
180-degree steep turn to the left. Look for

the target at your 10-o’clock position at
the end of the 180-degree turn.
Try to strike the TP halfway down the
ribbon with a wing root, then continue
straight ahead for about five seconds
and repeat the turnaround procedure.
If things work out perfectly, the ribbon
gets shortened by half on each pass, and
four or five passes should reduce it to little more than white, biodegradable fluff.
For your students, the results are far
more lasting. TP slicing gets their eyes
outside the cockpit and keeps them there.
It encourages decisive and authoritative
control handling. And it develops coordination and confidence. It also reinforces
the all-too-often-forgotten notion that, at
its core, flying is a whole lot of fun. AOPA
EMAIL dave.hirschman@aopa.org

VIDEO EXTRA

Join the mischief
in this online video.

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2013

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