- In our first lesson we learned the effects of the controls — what each surface does when we move it.
- In this lesson we take the next step: we learn how to *use* those controls to keep the aeroplane doing exactly what we want — flying straight and level.
- By the end of today we'll understand the four forces that act on the aeroplane, and the one equation that governs all of flying.
- Looking out for other traffic
- Navigating (both looking for landmarks and checking maps)
- Monitoring, responding and transmitting on the radio
- CLEAR-OFF checks or other checks.
Click on the "random waggle" button (top-right) and have the student guess before mousing-over and confirming the correct axis and movement.
Use the physical 3D model if available to touch on:
- what controls (point them out and name them)
- the primary and secondary effects of each demonstrated with model
- ancillary controls of throttle, flaps and trim
Trim is a good segue to straight and level flight.
Outline the lesson plan:
- We start with the four aerodynamic forces — the 'why' behind everything.
- Then stability and attitude flying — the foundation of all visual flying.
- The performance formula ties it together: Power + Attitude = Performance.
- Then the practical techniques for straight and level at various speeds.
These objectives map to MOS A3.2. Cover them now so the student knows what 'success' looks like. Return to these at the recap.
Click Direct-To when ready to advance to the Four Forces waypoint.
Encourage the learner to think back, even hold their hand out if necessary to experience the gravity.
Relate those feelings to Drag, Weight (gravity), Lift, and the one that will be harder to relate here is thrust.
Key point: the aeroplane is constantly in dynamic balance. Changes to one force ripple through the others — which is why we need to re-trim when we change power or configuration.
The lift/weight forces are around **10 times** stronger than the thrust and drag forces. Hence the need for the downward force of the tailplane.
Note the effect this arrangement has on adding or removing thrust/power.
Hand the controls to the student. Ask them to:
1. Set power to 0% — what happens to thrust and VSI?
2. Bring power back to 60% — what happens?
3. Increase attitude to +15° — why does drag also increase when lift increases?
4. Decrease the attitude to -15 and note the component of weight opposing lift and the component of weight in the direction of flight.
The goal is to build an intuition for force balance before moving to the performance formula.
All of those statements of what is happening are true (air travelling faster, lower pressure, higher pressure). But it's the implication that you can have lift without deflecting air downwards.
Newton's laws still hold — for the force on the wing upwards, it must push air downwards.
Key connection: airspeed = lift. If we slow down, we must increase angle of attack to maintain the same lift. This is why attitude changes when we change speed.
**Key point**: An aerofoil generates lift by **pushing air downwards** — just like your hand.
If there's time, it may be worth thinking through together the factors that affect lift:
- the angle of attack ($C_L$)
- the density of the fluid ($\rho$) — imagine your hand in water instead
- the speed of the airflow ($V^2$)
- the surface area of the wing ($S$) — imagine a board attached to your hand
If there's time, it may be worth thinking through together the factors that affect lift:
- the angle of attack ($C_L$)
- the density of the fluid ($\rho$) — imagine your hand in water instead
- the speed of the airflow ($V^2$)
- the surface area of the wing ($S$) — imagine a board attached to your hand
Click Direct-To when ready to advance to the Stability & Attitude Flying waypoint.
Use the physical model aeroplane to demonstrate each, showing the tendency to return to level after a gentle pitch disturbance. Note that a stable aeroplane requires *less* physical effort from the pilot.
This concept reinforces why we can trim and let go — the aeroplane will hold the attitude by itself for a short time.
**What is this "attitude" we keep talking about?**
**Have the student think back to the finger-height-above-horizon reference we set in our flight for Lesson 1**. That is attitude flying. Today we will formalise that reference.
Reinforce: if the attitude is correct and the aeroplane is in balance and properly trimmed, performance (altitude, heading, airspeed) follows automatically.
Click Direct-To when ready to advance to the Power + Attitude = Performance waypoint.
Work through a concrete example with the student:
- Normal cruise: 2400 RPM, nose level → what airspeed do we get?
- Then: what if we want slow cruise? Reduce power → raise nose slightly → trim → check speed
This formula is the single most important concept in the theory of flight. Return to it every lesson.
TODO: confirm the correct RPM, attitude and speed figures for the Warrior against Tammy's configuration sheet — the numbers above are placeholders.
Key point: in each configuration, the sequence is the same — power, attitude, configuration → trim → cross-check performance.
Click Direct-To when ready to advance to the Recap waypoint.
Prompt and question as necessary to help reenforce the learning, even bringing in the 3D physical model again as necessary.