how to ease up on controls?

[Craig.]

i was just wondering if anyone could give me some advice on how to ease up my grip on the controls? i have asked my instructor but he hasnt been able to come up with anything that works and its really starting to be a factor especially in take offs.
thanks for any advice
Craig

[ozzy72]

Craig what do you mean ease up? Use the controls less aggressively or just hold them more gently?
With input, the way I found was to stop pretending I was a fighter pilot and think of the airplane like a woman (they never like it rough).
If its a gripping the controls issue. Get some good leather gloves, like driving ones, or if you can afford it RAF aircrew ones that are a nice tight (but not restrictive) fit. You'll find you feel much more comfortable, and you don't need to grip so hard as the stick doesn't get all sweaty, and therefore your muscles are more relaxed and you fly more gently.

Ozzy

[Craig.]

it was the gripping issue. thanks for the advice i'll give the gloves a try. My dad works for the MOD at RNAS Yeovilton so i'll see if he can get me a pair from there.
thanks again for the advice much appreciated
Craig

[ozzy72]

You're welcome Craig. If you can get free ones....

Ozzy

[Craig.]

aparently my dad wasnt just a mechanic in the army but also a ground runner for the lynx so i now have numerous pairs of gloves and a flight suit that i would never wear and a knife that the army gives to cut out of harnesses. so thats me set for life:)
craig

[ozzy72]

I've still got my old flight suit, although its a bit tight around the middle at the moment... Christmas excess.
Glad to hear you're all kitted out.

Ozzy

[BE58D]

Quick advice, the method I was taught... use your index finger and the second finger (not the middle!) to control the yoke.  Really, that is all it takes.

[Ivan]

[quote]Quick advice, the method I was taught... use your index finger and the second finger (not the middle!) to control the yoke.

[Agamer]

I thought we were talking about real planes?? ???????????????

[Craig.]

i was:)

[nickle]

Skip the TO's.
How's the grip on landings?

[OTTOL]

Two big factors...........

1) It's just a matter of getting used to the airplane. I fly a big airplane everday, but on occasion I fly a Navajo. Everytime I do a takeoff in the Navajo, after not having flown it for awhile, I overrotate it (pull back to hard) ! Just take your time and get used to the plane. Remember the first time you drove a car, and how second nature it seems now?

2) The trim is your friend! Get used to letting go of the controls often, to see if the plane is "trimmed" for "hands free flight".  A trick that I used to use a an instructor, for students who overcontrolled on landing, was a "hands free" demo in a Cherokee. With the airplane lined up about a mile from the runway, I would trim the airplane, set the power, take my hands off of the controls, and make the student WATCH as the airplane glided by itself to the threshold.