AboutColin Woehrle Expertise Answer questions regarding FARs, VFR and IFR flight operations, the national
airspace system (NAS), communications with ATC, physiology, etc. I answer sincere questions
for aviation enthusiasts and flight students. If I can`t answer your question, I`ll try
my best to point you in the right direction.
(I do not answer questions asking how much it costs to fly from one place to another).
Experience Pilot for a leading west-coast regional airline. Ratings and certificates include: Flight Instructor (CFI, CFII), Commercial Pilot, Instrument, Single Engine Land/Multi-engine Land Airplane
Question Colin;
Quick flight question for you...assume a Cessna 172. Is it fair to say that once you trim the aircraft to a pitch attitude that will give you say, 70 kts...the airplane will respond to changes in power by raising or lowering the nose to maintain 70kts?
If so, is it a reasonable strategy for a stabilized landing approach to get the plane trimmed for a desired speed and then control descent rate with power - and let the nose of the plane move up or down to stay at the trimmed speed?
I've tried this in Flight Simulator X and that is how the aircraft responds...does it work like that in reality?
Thanks;
Answer Hi Matt,
Partly true. If you trim the aircraft to a pitch that will maintain 70kts at a certain power setting, any change to power will change the pitch attitude. It will not necessarily maintain 70kts though. Let's say that it took 2000rpm to maintain 70kts on a standard day (temperature and atmospheric pressure) and you push in full power. The aircraft will pitch up, lose airspeed and eventually stall.
As far as the approach goes, it's good practice to get the aircraft trimmed out for your approach speed and then make minor adjustments to power for altitude changes and minor pitch adjustments for airspeed changes.
