Leading Turns With Rudder

"toad" wrote in message
...
On Aug 2, 7:35 am, "user" wrote:
Then you're talking about a mental game, which is fine. Focus on the
rudder
since it requires a larger movement at low speed.

.... snip ...

The question
in my mind is, does the original post's premise of a regimen of

"...the FIRST thing you do is feed in rudder. On his 1-5 list of making a
turn in a glider, #1 is rudder (as its own separate input)."

produce a good pilot? At anything more than a few knots above MCA, this
formula will lead to a slewing nose, in equal proportion as I would expect
to see in an underruddered turn entry near MCA.


Yes, it is a mental game. The instructor's job is to train the
student to fly correctly. The talking is just a means to the end. I
don't care if the instructor tells the student to first yell "olly
olly oxen free" before he turns. If the student performs a good
coordinated turn entry, then the instructor has done their job.

Todd
3S

Well, yes, but...

The goal should be to train pilots for a lifetime of safe, high performance
flying. Merely training them to the standards needed for solo or the
practical test is shortchanging them. Beware the knock on ramifications of
"primacy".

If taught to "lead with the rudder" when in fact the goal is simultaneous
application of rudder and aileron, that will come back to bite the trainee
when feet reaction times improve with increasing experience. "Lead with
rudder" is, in fact, only a shortcut that helps the instructor move the
student along faster. In the long run, it puts the student at risk for
skidding turns and stall/spin accidents.

The fact that certain big wing gliders and antiques actually benefit from
this technique doesn't excuse teaching it to primary students. The student
should first learn to do it 'right' and then learn the exceptions.

Teach them correct theory and help them use their feet in coordination with
their hands. It will be hard for them to use their feet in coordination
with their hands at first, but they will learn to do it eventually.

If you want your student to improve coordination of turn entries, try "use
less aileron" rather than "lead with rudder". Or: "Dont use more aileron
than the rudder can cope with".

Bill Daniels