Instrument Flying

Chapter 24 of the Flight Training Manual has an excellent section on instrument flying. Despite that each year many students do not develop a good instrument scan. All too often students have a scan that is fatiguing, and results in less than ideal accuracy of flight. Most commonly this is due to not using the Attitude Indicator (AI) properly. The thing to realize is that the AI must be scanned carefully. Your eyes must take in both the pitch and bank pointers. Many people only look at the center of the instrument and never at the top where bank is indicated. To clarify this point go to the simulations section on the Intranet site and watch the simulation called Selective Radial Scan.

Attitude Plus Power Equals Performance

A good instrument pilot realizes that there is only one attitude and one power setting that will provide the desired performance at any given moment. In other words if you wish to fly at 85 knots there is a specific attitude and a specific power setting you must use. If you use too much attitude the airplane will fly too slowly and conversely if the nose is too low the plane will fly too fast. If you have too much power the airplane will climb, too little power and it will descend. For those mathematically inclined the relationship between thrust and climb is: Sin(climb angle) = (Thrust Drag) / Weight When you climb and descend at a constant airspeed your angle of attack does not change significantly. Therefore as you raise and lower the nose your angle of climb changes the same amount as your attitude changes. Knowing that you can predict how much the vertical speed will change; the formula is: Vertical speed = sin(c) x TAS x 6080 / 60 [ in feet per minute] For a C-172 (or any airplane flying 100 knots) a 1 climb results in 177 feet per minute. In other words every one-degree pitch changes your vertical speed by 177 feet per minute. For an airplane flying 150 KTAS (B-95 speed) the formula produces 265 fpm. When you slow down or speed up in any airplane you must change angle of attack (AOA). For an airplane flying at 100 knots 1 degree of AOA change is required for 10 knots airspeed change. But, as you fly faster less AOA change is required. For example if you are flying 150 knots and wish to make a 10 knot speed change it will require only about a degree AOA change.

Power changes and airspeed

Think of the propeller as a screw, turning through the air like a screw turns through wood. You move forward with each revolution. If an airplane flies 100 knots with a FIXED PITCH propeller turning 2,500 rpm we can say: 100 knots = 2,500 rpm 10 knots = 250 rpm

1 knot = 25 rpm Using the above method you can come up with a formula for how much to change the rpm to change airspeed in any airplane you fly with a fixed pitch propeller. You just need a known starting point, which you get by flight testing, or consulting the POH. For airplanes with a constant speed propeller the above method doesnt work because the propeller blade angle keeps changing. Instead you need a rule of thumb for manifold pressure change. Our recommendations are below.

Rules of thumb
Based on the above theory we recommend the following rules of thumb: Change 1-degree pitch 1-degree pitch 100 rpm Result ~ 200 fpm 10 knot speed change ~ 5 knot speed change

C-172

B-95

1-degree pitch 0.5-degree pitch 1.0 inch MP change 1.0 inch MP change

250 fpm 10 knot speed change 5 knot speed change 100 feet per minute

NOTE: When using the rules above they can be proportioned. Examples: If you want to slow down 10 knots in a C-172 and make NO CHANGE to vertical speed you will need to raise the nose 1 degree and reduce power 200 rpm. If you want to climb at 100 feet per minute and make NO CHANGE to airspeed in a C172 flying at 100 knots raise the nose 0.5 degrees and increase power 100 rpm. If you want to climb at 100 feet per minute and are willing to do that by sacrificing airspeed then (for the C-172): o Pulling back so that you lose 5 knots will produce a 100 fpm climb (NO POWER CHANGE) If you are on approach and a bit high pushing forward to increase the VSI by 100 fpm will cause the airspeed to rise by 5 knots (in a C-172)

In addition to the above rules of thumb that relate to the attitude plus power equals performance concept there are several other technique related rules of thumb the instrument pilot should know: 1. When turning roll out of the turn when the heading is half the angle of bank from the desired heading (i.e. for a 20 bank turn roll out 10 before your heading.) 2. When climbing or descending, start to level off 10% of your VSI before the altitude (i.e. if climbing 500 fpm, start to level off 50 feet from your altitude.) 3. Extending the gear is the equivalent of throttling back 5 of manifold pressure. (i.e. is just enough to start a 500 fpm descent.)

Tips for Smooth Full-Panel Instrument Flying

You should have already read the section on selective radial scan in the Transport Canada Flight Training Manual. This section provides a few additions tips to keep in mind. Keep a light touch on the controls. In order to do that you must keep the airplane in trim. Trimming is NOT an afterthought; it is an important technique that must be done properly. Here is how to do it, step by step: 1. When leveling from a climb or descent slowly set the elevator trim to approximately the required setting while waiting for cruise speed to settle it. DO NOT wait to trim. 2. Anticipate rudder inputs when leveling from climbs and descents or changing airspeed and make a tiny rudder trim adjustment in anticipation. 3. Once cruise speed is established always trim in the following order: Elevator trim, then rudder trim, lastly aileron trim. 4. When setting elevator trim take a firm grip on the control wheel and move the pitch attitude to the desired attitude then let go briefly. If the nose moves up or down take a firm grip and gain and move the nose back where it belongs; then adjust the elevator trim. Once more release the wheel briefly and if the nose move repeat the above process until the trim is perfect. 5. Confirm that airspeed has stabilized before you consider step 4 to be complete. 6. AFTER step 5 hold the wings level and pull your feet up off the rudder pedals. Check the heading indicator; if the airplane drifts off its heading adjust the rudder trim. Repeat until the airplane flies straight. 7. AFTER all the above; release the control wheel. If the airplane rolls adjust the aileron trim. Once you have the airplane in trim, as described above use a pulsing grip to prevent yourself from tensing up on the controls. The pulsing grip involves holding the controls as firmly as is needed (discussed below) then forcing yourself to relax your grip to almost nothing for one or two seconds a few times per minute. This variable pressure grip prevents you from gripping tighter and tighter and tighter, which is what you will tend to do under stress. How tightly should you hold the controls? The answer depends on the type of airplane you are flying. A C-150 is so light you can fly it with two fingers. But a twin, such as the Travelair requires your full hand to be on the control column. The C-172 is light enough to fly with two fingers in cruise, if there is no turbulence; but most of the time you need two or three fingers,

plus your thumb to produce enough force to control the airplane. Most airplanes have a grip with a shape similar to a gun grip. You have seen cop shows on TV and have never seen someone hold a pistol with two fingers while trying to aim it at someone. So, DONT attempt to do that when flying. Hold the control wheel with your thumb on the thumb rest and two to four fingers curled around the grip then use the pulsing grip as described above. (Only in cruise, when conditions are smooth, should you ever cup the wheel with thumb and one finger at the lower left corner.) Perhaps the most useful piece of instrument flying advice we can give you is to fly the know attitude. For example, it normally takes about 7 degrees nose up for a cruise climb so fly 7 nose up if you are doing a cruise climb. That should be obvious, but in fact people will often throw the attitude all over the place while chasing minor fluctuations in airspeed due to turbulence, wind shear, etc. The same advice applies to every aspect of flight. So get to know what attitude you need for: Climb at Vy (right after takeoff) Cruise climb Downwind / procedure turn IFR approach configuration at 500 fpm descent IFR approach configuration in level flight The secret to good instrument flying is to know the attitudes above and USE THEM. After establishing an attitude for several seconds, if you notice that you are drifting off the desired performance (whether that is a certain altitude, airspeed, or descent rate) make a slight adjustment in you target attitude. But DO NOT chase the airspeed or vertical speed around. A good instrument pilot is a pilot who is always targeting a particular attitude. For example: in a climb you may start by targeting 7 nose up attitude and desiring 85 KIAS. After a few seconds you note that the airspeed is bouncing around a bit in turbulence but on average is 80 KIAS. You therefore adjust your target attitude to 7.5 - and re-trim slightly to accomplish that. In the B95 we establish a range of cruise climb speeds from 105 to 122 KIAS. In all cases we desire a vertical speed of at least 500 fpm. To accomplish this you must establish a certain climb attitude (usually 6 nose up). If your speed is in the desired range and the VSI is adequate simply hold the attitude and allow any airspeed fluctuations that may occur in turbulence to average out. If the average VSI is too low or the airspeed is outside the acceptable range then adjust the attitude, say to 7 nose up but do not chase every little airspeed fluctuation fly the attitude.

Tips for Leveling Off

In the rules of thumb above we recommended starting to level off from climbs and descents 10% of your VSI before the altitude. For example, if you are climb 700 fpm, start to push over into level flight at 70 feet below your assigned altitude. There are a few additions tips for this procedure however. Leveling off from a climb or descent is one of the most difficult challenges in instrument flying. The reason is that the pitch and power changes cause yawing moments that will swing the airplane off its heading just at the very moment the pilot is inherently distracted by the altimeter

and VSI. Consequently, to do a good job of leveling off we must scan all six primary flight instruments, plus the power instruments (tachometer and manifold pressure gauge). This is a very challenging task, so you must practice, practice, and practice. We define a good job of leveling-off as one where the climb or descent stops exactly on the assigned altitude, the heading does not change (assuming straight flight) and the power is set accurately, but at the correct time. None of the preceding will be possible if trim is not also used appropriately. Let us know discuss the details. The easiest level off procedure is one where the climb or descent airspeed is the same as the desired speed in level flight. For example, in the circuit we may be climbing at the same speed that we intend to fly downwind at. Another example is on an IFR approach where we may make a step descent involving leveling off with no change in configuration or airspeed, then resuming the descent, again with no change in configuration or speed. In all these cases the pitch attitude and power must be change in unison. In other words at 10% of the VSI before the altitude the pilot begins to simultaneously change power and pitch attitude from the climb/descent settings to the level flight settings. The hard part is synchronizing the two. The new attitude and new power setting must both be established simultaneously. If, for example, you lower the nose quickly but reduce power slowing when leveling for downwind the airspeed will increase, then fall back to the desired value (not what we want). So, you must ensure that the new attitude and new power setting are achieved simultaneously. Another example is leveling off on an IFR approach. You must start to add power and raise the nose at 10% of the VSI before the new altitude. Many pilots raise the nose faster than they add the power. Consequently, the airplane loses some airspeed as it levels off. In the situations described above the change in power setting causes a slight swing of the nose. When reducing power to start a descent or level off from a climb a bit of left rudder (or reduction or right rudder) will be needed. Because the airspeed does not change the angle of attack also does not change so the swing is quite minimal, and easy to control. Assuming the pilot has taken the advice above and knows the required power setting and attitude it should be possible to drop the ASI from the scan for a moment and check the HI and TC in addition to the obviously necessary ALT and VSI for a few seconds. This will ensure the airplane remains straight. After a few seconds the pilot should then find it easy to check the ASI and confirm the airspeed has not changed. Most light airplanes climb at a speed considerably slower than cruise speed. Consequently we must accelerate after we level off, from climb to cruise speed. Pilots are familiar with the saying attitude, power, trim to describe the sequence of actions, but many do not do it properly. Unfortunately the simple saying above is a bit misleading in this situation because the real sequence is more like attitude, trim, attitude, trim, attitude, trim, attitude, power, trim. That doesnt exactly roll of your tongue though, does it? The thing to remember is that there should be two or three attitude, trim cycles before the final attitude, power, trim. The next paragraph give a step by step analysis of leveling off for cruise. Assume you are climbing at 105 KIAS with 6 nose-up and your vertical speed is 800 fpm. You wish to level off and cruise at 150 KIAS. Here is what you should do. At 80 feet below you altitude lower the nose to 3 nose up (half the climb attitude). You know the actual vertical speed

of the airplane will change almost instantly but the VSI will lag. You also know the ALT will slow down, but you also know the airplane will start to veer a bit right if you dont apply some left rudder. So you should can from your AI to the HI and ALT primarily, with a glance or two to the ASI to confirm it is starting to rise and the VSI confirm it is starting to drop. Once the airspeed starts to rise you MUST put is a smidge of nose down elevator trim or back pressure will develop in the control wheel. At 40 feet below your altitude lower the nose to 1.5 nose-up (half again). Continue to trim slowly as the airspeed builds and check the HI and TC to confirm you are going straight. If you have done things correctly your airspeed should be getting quite close to the desired cruise speed as you reach your altitude. If that is the case you can lower the nose to zero pitch as you reach the altitude and the airplane will fly level (remember that if your airspeed is below cruise you will need a slight nose up attitude to stay level). Once your airspeed reaches the desired cruise speed set cruise power. Remember that the reduction of power must be accompanies by a slight left rudder input, so check the HI and TC as you reduce power. You should find this relatively easy to do if the elevator trim is reasonably set, as encourage above. But if you have unwisely chosen not trim the elevator before this point you will either find the nose springing up as you check the HI or, your concentration of the pitch attitude to prevent the nose spring will keep you from checking the HI and you will go off your heading. To recap the above, you trim at least two of three times as the airspeed increases from climb to cruise speed so that pressure on the wheel is light as you make the final power adjustment upon reaching cruise speed. If you do things properly the nose goes down in increments from climb attitude to zero as the airspeed increases. The above describes what should be done. What is actually done in many cases is more like: At 80 feet below the attitude is lowered all the way to zero airspeed starts to rise rapidly and since the pilot does not trim the back pressure is soon so great that the nose flies up to more than the original climb attitude. The results is a zoom through the assigned altitude and a desperate pilot reducing power and pushing forward to get back to the assigned altitude. Dont let this be you. Read the above and practice until you can do it smoothly and accurately. A final note should be made about an often-used technique, which is to purposely overshoot the assigned cruise altitude when climbing and then descend back to cruise altitude. For example if you are assigned to level off at 8,000 feet you actually level off at 8,100, then leaving climb power on you dive back to 8,000 and consequently accelerate rapidly to, or even beyond cruise speed. Many pilots feel they can get the airplane up to cruise speed faster this way. In some airplanes this technique works quite well, in most airplanes it is a waste of time however. If only works if the CDp in climb is substantially higher than in cruise (as for example with certain laminar flow wings). Theory notwithstanding, we do not use this technique at Selkirk College. It is presented here only to make you aware of alternative viewpoints that you may encounter after graduation.

Partial Panel Instrument Flying

Read the section on partial panel flying in the Transport Canada Flight Training Manual, pages 158 to 163. Partial panel simply means flying with some instrument not working. It could be any of the six primary instruments (ASI, AI, ALT, TC, HI, and VSI).

In the C-172 the HI and AI are both powered by vacuum from an engine driven vacuum pump. These pumps fail fairly often so practicing flight with these two instruments failed provides the greatest level of safety. In Selairs Beech Travelairs the AI is vacuum driven but two of the HIs are electric, while the third is vacuum driven. In such a system failure of all the HIs is unlikely. The AI could however still fail so we practice partial panel with no AI regularly. The discussion below is specifically directed to flying with both the AI and HI failed.

Recognizing Instrument Failure

Instruments can fail, or the power source that drives them can fail. If both the AI and HI fail simultaneously we of course would suspect the power source. If only one fails then the problem would likely be in the instrument itself. Ideally the airplane would be equipped with a warning light or flag that would advise the pilot that the power source has failed. GOSQ used to have a low vacuum warning light, but it is now unserviceable. All our other C-172s have no warning light, so it becomes the pilots responsibility to monitor the vacuum gauge in flight. It is highly likely that if the vacuum pump failed you would not notice the gauge drop to zero until the AI and HI began to operate incorrectly however. So, what indications will you get, and what should you do? When the AI looses power it slowly banks over and drops to a nose down attitude. You have seen this no power indication every time you get in the airplane, before you start the engine. In flight you will be tempted to follow the slumping instrument and put the airplane in a spiral dive. If you follow the failing instrument then to you the attitude indicator would look normal, but the airplane would actually be entering a spiral dive. How will you know? Your altimeter and VSI will show a rapid descent developing, and the airspeed will start to rise. The TC will also show a turn, even though the wings look level on the AI. Psychologically you may feel that everything except the AI seems wrong. When these indications arise you must immediately recognize an AI failure and switch to a partial panel scan (as described in the Flight Training Manual pages 158 to 163). AFTER you recover from the spiral dive you should check the vacuum gauge to confirm it has dropped to zero. Once confirmed you should stop relying on the HI for heading and start using the compass and timed turns (see below). If the vacuum gauge is normal then perhaps only the AI has failed so you should check the HI against the compass and use it with caution until you confirm that it is still working properly. During flight training your instructor normally covers the AI and HI to simulate partial panel. This eliminates the whole scenario above. However in the simulator we can give you a more realistic failure and you may wish to practice it on your own by having your partner spring an unannounced vacuum failure on you. It is an excellent idea to cover the failed instruments because they will distract your scan if you dont. To cover the AI and HI take a piece of paper and fold it until it is the right size to cover the two instruments. Poke a whole in the middle with your pen then place it on the knob of the AI. (Note that Selair C-172s have an aluminum instrument cover in the map box that works very well.)

Partial Panel Scan

Assuming that the only instruments available to us are the compass, ASI, ALT, TC, and VSI we must devise a scan that keeps the airplane under control and allows us to navigate from IMC conditions to a safe landing. As part of your Commercial Pilot training you must show competence at cruising flight on partial panel and the ability to make a timed turn to a chosen heading. But as part of your IFR flight test you may be required to descend from cruise and conduct an entire IFR approach on partial panel. So it is important that you develop the required skills. Regardless of flight test requirements if you are on partial panel in IFR flight you are facing the task of completing an approach with all the requisite speed and configuration changes, not to mention radio navigation without the aid of the AI and HI. Just as on full panel your scan must be selective. In full panel flying we emphasize different instruments in our scan for cruise, climb, turns, etc. The same is true for partial panel flying. The required selective scans are described quite well in the Flight Training Manual read them now. The information below expands on that information. We will now start our discussion of partial panel scan by specifying what information we get from the available instruments: Airspeed Indicator (ASI) Altimeter (ALT) Vertical Speed (VSI) Turn Coordinator (TC) Airspeed changes with climbs and descents Altitude changes when power or pitch attitude change Vertical speed changes when power or pitch attitude change The turn coordinator deflects when the airplane is turning. The airplane could be yawing or could be in a coordinated turn (i.e. banked.) We know it is coordinated turn if the ball is centered. Gives us headings but is subject to turning errors and acceleration errors.

Compass

Proxy for Attitude

Notice from the table above that we have NO INSTRUMENT that directly gives us the airplanes attitude. To control the airplane we MUST know the attitude (and power) therefore we need substitutes or proxies for the pitch and bank information that we normally get from the attitude indicator. The following paragraphs explain what proxies are available. Later we will discuss which ones we should select in a given situation. If you leave the power constant then airspeed tends to decrease if you pitch nose up and increase if you pitch nose down; this is the same phenomenon you experience when driving your car up and down hills. Therefore airspeed is a proxy for pitch attitude. If you leave the power constant the airplane tends to climb if you pitch the nose up and descend if your pitch the nose down. Therefore the ALT and VSI are proxies for pitch also.

If you are banked the airplane turns unless it is slipping. Therefore, if we avoid slipping the turn coordinator is a proxy for bank. It is important to remember that when we make quick power and/or attitude changes such as starting a climb or descent that the airplane tends to slip; therefore we may be fooled into thinking the airplane is banked if we rely on the TC. It should be clear that using the TC as a proxy for bank will require some finesse. With all the above in mind you should read the descriptions of partial panel scan for straight and level flight, climbing, descending and turns in the Flight Training Manual (starting on page 158).

Timed Turns
The compass is the only heading indicator available when flying partial panel; unfortunately it is very difficult to use due to turning errors and acceleration errors. Read about compass errors starting on page 2-22 of the Transport Canada Instrument Procedures Manual. We can only get an accurate heading indication if we are NOT accelerated. Therefore all turns on partial panel must be timed using the turn coordinator. In Selair airplanes we use the stopwatch built into the ADF for timing. To use the stopwatch first set the ET mode by pushing the second button from the right until ET appears. Then push the right button to start the stopwatch. To time a turn first determine how many seconds you need to turn. When ready press the stopwatch just before rolling into the turn. Continue to turn until the time is completely expired and then start to roll out. The entry and exit of the turn will cancel each other if you roll at the same rate when beginning and stopping the turn. To calculate the amount of time required for a rate one turn you must know that a rate one turn is defined as 360 in two minutes, which is why the words 2-minute are printed on the face of the instrument. This equals 3 of heading change per second. It is more useful to memorize: 1 minute for 180 degrees 10 seconds for 30 degrees 3 (or 3.3) seconds for 10 degrees 7 seconds for 20 degrees Whenever you are facing a timed turn break the turn into segments consisting of the above 10, 30, and 180 degree segments. Use a handy reference such as the ADF or OBS to help you do this. For example count out the number of 30-degree segments (counting 10, 20, 30, 40) then add the number of 10-degree segments (counting either 3 or 7). The total is the time for the turn (with no complicated dividing required).

Unusual Attitude Recoveries

The Transport Canada Flight Training Manual gives a fairly good description of unusual attitude recovery procedure starting on page 161. Please read it before reading below. There are three possible unusual attitude scenarios: 1. Nose up 2. Nose down 3. Spinning / stalled

The fact that the airplane is in an unusual attitude of some sort is usually first indicated by a sense of disorientation. Typically the pilot has been distracted, perhaps trying to find a pencil that fell on the floor, or refolding a map. When s/he looks back at the instruments things are not as they should be. The situation could also be the result of delayed recognition of a vacuum pump failure (discussed above), an autopilot malfunction, a wake turbulence encounter, or any number of other situations that put the airplane in an unusual attitude. Once you realize you are in an unusual attitude the first instrument to check is the ASI. It is the TREND of the ASI that you are checking (i.e. is it increasing or decreasing and how fast is it changing). If it is normal i.e. steady at the speed you are supposed to be at then you probably are not in an unusual attitude. Perhaps your AI has failed, and that fooled you, or you have vertigo. Cross check the turn coordinator (TC) to confirm you are flying straight and if you are, trust your instruments while you sort out the situation. When in an unusual attitude the ASI will be the first and most reliable instrument to inform you. There are three possible indications: Indication Interpretation ASI decreasing Nose up attitude ASI increasing Nose down attitude spiral dive ASI low and constant Stalled possibly spinning. The more rapid the rate of change of airspeed the more extreme the attitude is! The T.C. Flight Training Manual explains how to recover from each of the above situations (pages 161 to 163). Below are a few extra points to consider. When you recover from a nose up attitude you should apply full power, push forward on the control wheel and roll the wings level referring to the TC. You stop pushing forward when the airspeed needle stops decreasing. It is important to think about the trim of the airplane at that point. If the airspeed stops at a low speed you will be flying level in a relatively nose high attitude. The airplane is most likely trimmed for cruise however, so if you were to let go of the controls the nose would flop down. Therefore you must anticipate that you will need a bit of backpressure, just after you finish pushing forward on the controls. Failure to realize this is the most common reason why people over control during this scenario. When you recover from a spiral dive you pull ALL POWER OFF then roll the wings level using the TC. You then pull back until the airspeed stops increasing. Typically you are at a speed greater than cruise speed at that point and flying with no power. Common sense tells you that the airplane will be in a modest descent at that point, so you must then use the altimeter to level the airplane off by pulling back a bit more. Failure to realize this is the reason many people under control in this scenario. If the airspeed is low but constant you could have a failed ASI. If altitude and heading (TC) are constant and VSI rate is normal suspect a partially blocked pitot tube. (Turn on the pitot heat and check your copilots ASI if available.) When airspeed is low and the airplane is losing altitude rapidly you are probably stalled. If the AI, TC, and HI show rapid turning and rolling you are

spinning. If not you are mushing. Mushing can occur, especially in a large airplane, following a wind shear encounter on approach. Execute the wind shear procedure from your POH. If the airplane is spinning execute the spin recovery procedure (this is much more likely than mushing in a light airplane). In your training you will have one or two opportunities to experience a spin under the hood. Be sure to take the time to notice that the airspeed remains low throughout the spin i.e. it does not increase until you recover, even though the nose is very low in the spin. Once you do recover the first indication is that the TC snaps off the stop but dont expect it to perfectly center. Momentarily thereafter the airspeed starts to increase rapidly. Once you see the airspeed increase you know you are no longer spinning so you should release the rudder to neutral and recover from the dive, just as in the nose down attitude recovery discussed above.

Loss of Control Spatial Disorientation

Every year a number of pilots lose control of their airplanes and crash out of control, often striking the ground in a near vertical attitude either spiraling or spinning. A lot of these are noninstrument rated private pilots who flew into IMC conditions on VFR flights, but sometimes even instrument rated pilots are involved in such accidents. Sometimes the accidents result from a partial panel situation, but sometimes spatial-disorientation is the cause. When spatial disorientation is the culprit the pilot actually puts the airplane into the spin or spiral while attempting to control the airplane. For example a pilot can become so panicked by a falling sensation s/he is experiencing that s/he pulls back as hard as possible on the control column (subconsciously attempting to hold the airplane up) and thereby stalls the airplane. A spin normally follows and the pilot, who may realize that the airplane is descending toward the ground, pulls as hard as possible to stop the descent thereby keeping the airplane in the spin until the airplane hits the ground. Alternately the backpressure may tighten a steep spiral dive so much that the pilot blacks out1. Either way the result is the same. If you have never had vertigo you may not be able to believe that the above can happen, but every pilot will get at least mild vertigo at some time or another. You must however ensure that it never reaches the point of blind panic that causes you to pull the airplane into a spin or a tight spiral. To avoid extreme vertigo avoid flying when ill, stay well rested and practice IFR flight regularly. If you start to experience vertigo try to stay relaxed. Engage autopilot if available. If not, then concentrate on the AI. Pay attention to your body control your breathing rate, and dont let yourself tense up. Relax your grip on the controls and keep the wings level with gentle smooth nudges (some people like to use the rudder for this, but others find the yawing makes vertigo worse and prefer to use the ailerons, but gently). Concentrate on keeping the wings level and try to let the airplane natural stability work for you. As long as you keep the wings level the airplane wont dive rapidly toward the ground so avoid large forceful control inputs. Most importantly, trust the instruments. You may feel like you are in a turn when you are actually flying straight confirm you are straight with the TC and gently roll to level. Most vertigo/spatial disorientation encounters can be ended without escalating into an unusual attitude recovery if you take the advice given in the preceding paragraph. If however you wind
1

A distraction such as tuning radios, folding maps, etc frequently result in the airplane starting into a spiral dive if not on autopilot. Pilots are supposed to roll the wings level before pulling out, but in a panic the pilot may only pull.

up in an unusual attitude follow the unusual attitude procedure described above. Once you have gross control reestablished follow the advice in the preceding paragraph until the vertigo clears or you get out of IMC conditions.