AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2022 - 20

FROM THE EDITOR
Finessing the
controls
Staying sharp when automation rules
BY KOLLIN STAGNITO / Editor in Chief
AOPA Foundation Legacy Society member
" CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF, fly runway heading, " Frederick Tower
instructed. Full power, airspeed alive, instruments in the green,
the Beechcraft Bonanza A36 leapt into the air. After establishing
a positive rate of climb and retracting the gear, I engaged the
autopilot and watched the magic unfold.
Editor at Large Dave Hirschman and I were flying to Clermont
County Airport in Batavia, Ohio-home of Sporty's Pilot Shop-
to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the AOPA Airport
Support Network (see " Happy anniversary, ASN! " p. 104). We
were on an instrument flight plan and enjoying the significant
automation afforded by the retrofit Garmin avionics. The autopilot
servos perfectly deflected the control surfaces to capture the
course and altitude programmed into the navigator and autopilot
control panel, flying more precisely than I could ever hope to,
while ADS-B and SiriusXM Aviation datalink weather warned of
traffic and storms in the area.
The amount of automation and information packed into
this 33-year-old airframe is truly impressive. The only caveat is
that you have to learn how to properly program the automation
and interpret the information. The autopilot will fly the
airplane exactly where you tell it, even if it's the wrong altitude,
waypoint, or approach procedure. Reading user manuals is definitely
required. OK, more likely watching YouTube videos. Still,
being able to program and monitor the flight as PIC instead of
making every control input-particularly on a long cross-country-reduces
fatigue, maximizes safety by providing more time
to think ahead of the aircraft, and justifies the effort required to
learn how to fully utilize the equipment.
Based on the booming retrofit avionics industry, we've grown
to love automation in light airplanes. But at some point, we must
turn off the autopilot and land the airplane manually. This is the
time we (and our passengers) judge our flying skills. Sure, a firm
landing may be perfectly acceptable, but a smooth, graceful landing
is usually the goal.
While there are many ways to keep our flying skills sharp, I rely
on tailwheel simplicity. My airplane, a Cessna 140, is as basic as
they come. No vacuum system, certainly no autopilot. You fly based
on the airplane's attitude and the sound of the slipstream and refer
to a few round gauges for critical information. Although the airplane
can fly cross-country-at half the speed of the Bonanza-I
feel it most enjoys landing on early morning dew-covered grass or
diabolically challenging its pilot during gusty crosswinds.
About once a week I remain in the pattern to practice landings.
The Cessna's spring steel landing gear rewards a low sink
rate at touchdown with a smooth landing. Too much vertical
speed on touchdown and it will surely bounce, with the bounce
height directly proportional to the sink rate. I've discovered this
highly practiced skill of managing sink rate pays off when landing
most other types of aircraft-including the Bonanza.
For years, corporate and airline pilots have told me they also
own a Cessna 140 (or Piper Cub or Luscombe). That surprised
me as I thought they would naturally want to fly faster and more
sophisticated airplanes. It turns out they were looking for exactly
the opposite: a simple machine that rewards precision and scorns
sloppiness. An airplane that fine-tunes the art of manual aircraft
control. As automation is increasingly making its way into general
aviation aircraft, I get their point.
Automation and control finesse contribute to the safety and
The panel of the author's 1947 Cessna 140.
20
AOPA PILOT / July 2022
enjoyment of flying GA aircraft, and both must be practiced regularly
to remain proficient and
reap the rewards of effortlessly
tracking the magenta
line and greasing the landing.
What a great excuse to
get up and fly.
kollin.stagnito@aopa.org
KOLLIN STAGNITO,
AOPA senior vice president
of media and marketing, is
an advanced and instrument
ground instructor and a
commercial pilot.
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2022
