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Show Can I Learn to Fly , by William R. Nelson Vertical Banks AIIil'I.A.NES and automnblles, as ninclilnes ol truosportutiou, have dim riy traits Id couhdou, the student pilot soon realizes. But they also differ dif-fer widely. The sludent who drives a mntor car picks up certain phases of flying quickly. Oilier phases, however, because they are peculiur to flying, are confusing and dllHculi to grasp. 1 encountered one of flying's paradoxes para-doxes in my lesson on "vertical bunks." "In a vertical hank the controls cross," my Instructor explained. "The rudder, being In a horizontal Instead of a vertical position, serves as the elevutor and the elevMor becomes the rudder, lieinember Hint." He took the controls at 3,000 feet and told me to follow through while he showed me the vertical bank maneuver. ma-neuver. It wits not different from any other bank except that he held the stick over longer and, when the plane's wings were almost vertical, brought the stick to neutral and well back. To level oul he moved the stick In the opposite direction and held it there until the plane righted Itself. "Bank over until that wire (meaning (mean-ing a diagonal brace between the wings) is parallel to horizon," he Instructed. In-structed. "Then neutralize the stick and pull It back to bold the ship In the turn. If the nose cllmhs. push the bottom rudder pedal. Itememher you will be on your side. If the nose drops, push top rudder." I banked over sharply and as the brace wire became parallel with horizon, hori-zon, neutralized the stick and pulled It back toward me. That movement "tightened" the circle, the elevator, being in a vertical position, acting as a rudder. To Increase the dj.'ttneter of our circular course I allowed the stick to go slightly forward. As It did so my Instructor shouted through the speaking tube: "Hold the stick firmly. If you Increase In-crease the size of the turn we will lose altitude. Now try bringing the nose up and down with the rudder pedals." At first the crossed controls confused con-fused me. Seeing the arth on one side and the sky on tne other, also bothered. But after a half-hour of practice I bad apparently mastered the maneuver sufficiently and my instructor instruc-tor signaled for me to return to the airport. Taking a Ride C OLO flying began In earnes after the last lesson, and next 1 was sent oat without a preliminary "check flight" by my Instructor. That marked the beginning of another stage in my flying course and my graduation from the ranks of the "dual" students. I, however, did get further instruction. "What are we going to do todayf" I asked as my instructor came In from the field where he had been with another an-other student "We?" he asked, rather rath-er surprised. "You are going to fly. I am staying here. There's your plane. Its all ready for you. I'm going go-ing to watch from the window here. Now show me some nice, three-point landings." My heart was pounding slightly as 1 climbed In alone, looked about to see that all was clear and opened the throttle. I had experienced many thrills since starting the course, but none that gave me more satisfaction than that of my first "all alone" lesson. The take-off was without incident, and as I leveled out at 1,000 feet for the trip around the pattern, I reveled in the thought that I could make those turns as 1 pleased without fear of being be-ing signaled for them if 1 chose to stretch the course here and there. The first landing was good, ,nd I Immediately roared away again. Around and around 1 flew. Each 'line I had no trouble with any of r he routine maneuvers. After a half-'iiizen half-'iiizen turns about the pattern and a.s many good landings, I decided t.i fly iwny from the course for a little ride iver the open countrv. That decision and the ride that followed fol-lowed put more desire to fly into my blood than anything I had done. To he free to make one's own decisions mid to have enough confidence In one's ability to have no fear of trouble, kin died a desire to "fill 'er up with gas and roar away" to some distant place i hut was dillirult to control. At 70 miles an hour one can cover considerable territory In ten minutes, and from 2.000 feet one can see so much further away that I felt as though 1 had seen half of the state by Iht: time I returned to the field. Being away from the "pattern" gave opportunity to "hunt" for the airport as a visiting pilot, n stranger to that locality, would have to do. I found it easily. ((St 1S30. Western Ncwsrjaoer Cnlon.l |