Common Errors

Taxing Common Errors

• Student taxis too fast, especially as they gain more confidence
• Student becomes careless about lookout and clearing blind spots

Taxiing Mitigation

• Get students to look to the sides to judge speed
• Make sure they are using continuous proper lookout techniques before turning and crossing taxiways

EOC Common Errors

• Student is too tense and doesn't hold the controls correctly
• Student fails to lookout prior to manoeuvring

EOC Mitigation

• Several attempts are often necessary to convince the student that a light touch is essential
• Constant reminders may be necessary

EOC Common Instructor Fault

• Sequence is rushed with insufficient time to allow the student to appreciate the feel of the aircraft
• Student should be able to change pitch while maintaining a constant heading with wings level

S&L Common Errors

• Continuous flight out of balance because the wings are not level. The student then uses rudder and crosses the controls to keep the aircraft straight
• Students need a lot of prompting to eliminate yaw whilst changing power
• Student changes attitude by using trim

S&L Mitigation

• Ensure wings are level and proper technique is taught from the beginning
• Keep prompting the student
• Remind students to follow proper work cycles when changing attitudes, e.g. PAST or ASPT, to emphasise that trim is done at the end

Climbing Common Errors

• Failing to correct yaw when changing power
• Forgetting to clear the blind spot created by the high nose position
• Forgetting engine limitations
• Students chase airspeed in the climb or do not climb at the nominated IAS

Climbing Mitigation

• Teach the student to anticipate yaw
• Lower the nose every 500 ft to lookout
• Teach the student to monitor engine Ts and Ps during prolonged climbs
• Teach the student to fly by first setting the power and attitude so they achieve the desired performance
• Use trim to help the aeroplane hold the correct speed

Descending Common Errors

• When setting the glide, the student focuses on speed for too long
• Student does not let the aeroplane settle in the various configurations, resulting in chasing the airspeed
• Student forgets to clear the blind spot during descents
• Student forgets to apply cruise power every 1000 ft to manage engine temperatures

Descending Mitigation

• If the student is focusing too much on speed, tell them to keep the nose level until almost at the correct speed and then set the attitude
• For students chasing airspeed, impress the correct attitudes on the student's mind and make the student wait until the aircraft has settled before altering these attitudes
• Remind students to check blind spots and instil good habits early on

Turning Common Errors

• Student sacrifices good lookout while trying to be more accurate
• Faulty turns often result from inaccurate flying and trimming before entering the turn
• Students may use excessive rudder during turns
• In steep turns, students fail to realise that using the elevator to control height also causes the turn to tighten
• It may be helpful for a student struggling with turns to have them roll from one direction straight into a roll in the other direction
• Gaining height may be caused by applying back stick too early
• Losing height may be due to excessive bank angles or failing to apply sufficient back pressure when entering the turn

Turning Mitigation

• Ensure the student, and you, are conducting proper lookout
• Ensure the aircraft is in trim before beginning manoeuvres
• Remind students to use rudder to keep the aircraft in balance
• During a steep turn, reduce the angle of bank before attempting to raise the nose to its correct position if the nose has sunk too low
• If students are climbing or descending while entering the turn, ask them to look outside and hold the nose attitude at the same position relative to the horizon until passing 30 degrees, THEN gently apply back pressure as the angle of bank increases to set the correct attitude

Stalling Common Errors

• During a wing drop, the student tries to correct with ailerons
• During a standard recovery, the student is hesitant or slow in applying power
• Students sometimes move the control column back too harshly when recovering from the dive
• Students may push too far forward during the recovery, resulting in too great a loss of height
• Other students may be reluctant to move the control column sufficiently forward during the recovery

Stalling Mitigation

• Use of ailerons in the stall must be carefully explained to the student beforehand and reinforced before the stall exercise
• The student must understand that the use of ailerons will aggravate the situation
• Stress that the amount of height lost and the rapidity with which control is regained both depend on the prompt use of high power
• If the student is constantly making these errors, re-demonstrate the appropriate amount of forward or back pressure for recovery
• Show them the attitude change for stall recovery and get them to shadow the controls during recovery from the dive
• Demonstrate the recovery technique and show them that a proper recovery is safe and they are in no immediate danger

Take Off Common Error

• Over-controlling and lack of coordination, usually caused by muscular tenseness
• This can be identified by too firm a grip on the control column
• It is often brought about by the high degree of concentration required during the student's initial attempts

Take-off Mitigation

• Encourage the student to relax as much as possible
• This will only be achieved if the instructor also appears relaxed

Landing and Approach Common Errors

• Failure to round out sufficiently. This may be due to the approach being too steep or the student becoming tense when the ground appears to rush up at them
• Beginning to hold off and then ceasing to do so
• General difficulty with landing up to the point of touchdown may be due to a faulty approach, incorrect speeds or poor use of power
• An inadequate view due to the seat position being too low can also cause difficulty
• Giving too much attention to the actual landing after an engine-assisted approach. The student often fails to close the throttle in the final stages, delaying touchdown
• Having touched down successfully, a student often has difficulty controlling the landing run. This may be due to relaxing concentration after touchdown, being too tense or over-controlling

Landing and Approach Common Errors

• Student lines up the cowling parallel to the runway and touches down with self-induced drift
• Student inadvertently applies left aileron when moving the control column aft
• Student moves their head during the round out, trying to look over the nose, and loses the required sight picture
• Student allows the aeroplane to touchdown at too high a speed, often caused by relaxing during the hold off

Landing and Approach Mitigation

• Make sure the student is looking well forward towards the end of the aeroplane and realises that a progressive backward movement of the control column is necessary right up to the point of touchdown

• Student holding off too high can be corrected with demonstration

• Emphasise the importance of speed and power management in setting up a good approach from early on

• Call out "power idle" if the student forgets during initial training

• Student relaxing during the hold off can be corrected with practice

• Be ready to take over if needed

Landing and Approach Mitigation

• On the ground, show the student that the cowling does not exactly line up with the edge of the runway

• Practise good habits from the beginning so the student does not inadvertently use left aileron

• Attempt to remove the habit of applying left aileron while moving the control column aft

• Work on proper seat height so the student isn't required to move their head

• Work on proper speed control and round-out technique

• Emphasise holding the aircraft off during the round out until touchdown