Pitch or Power first?
Posted by Historical-Pin1069@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 28 comments
Abit confuse with the basics of flying. If I am at cruise and wish to climb, do I power first or pitch up first?
Is there a method to remember this for good. I know when we level off from a climb its pitch first then power. Then for descent we power first then pitch to level off.
BulletTacos@reddit
Kinda depends on density altitude and available power. I’m just a lowly private pilot, but I fly at higher density altitudes in Colorado. I always add power first when climbing then pitch for the speed I want
Air_Warrior@reddit
I was taught PAT - Power, Attitude, trim. In that order
Historical-Pin1069@reddit (OP)
PAT for climb?
DillonTheVillon@reddit
APT buildings are tall building in the sky. APT to go up.
Patrick star lives under a rock at the bottom of the ocean. PAT to go down.
Flapaflapa@reddit
It's both/it depends.
Read this
https://avweb.com/features/pelicans-perch-54pitch-power-and-pink-elephants/
Vailacs@reddit
Holy shit you guys are making this way too hard. Pitch+power=performance. Do whatever combo works for the situation at hand.
Jwylde2@reddit
Power, then pitch.
adopted_islander@reddit
What is your intended climb airspeed as compared to your level flight airspeed? How might you order the pitch/power inputs to optimize the transition?
BugHistorical3@reddit
If I were to want to use Vy for a climb from cruise altitude, I would first pitch for the speed and then add power to maintain the speed to climb correct?
DonnerPartyPicnic@reddit
Not an FAA answer, but you could also add power and let speed bleed off in the climb, then reset pitch for Vy.
Icy-Bar-9712@reddit
100%, but your workload management of trying to find an airspeed and stabilize it at a pitch setting means you have a lot more to manage and change.
Pitch first allows you to sequence your work, be done, and passively maintain, vs stretch it out and actively manage.
Icy-Bar-9712@reddit
Yes, in a single engine trainer plane.
Your plane makes enough power to go from cruise to climb at that power setting. Your engine is mounted mostly in line with your center of mass. Power doesn't really add a pitching moment.
Once you get established at airspeed for climb, power will maintain maximum rate of climb. Trim relieves workload during said climb.
PILOT9000@reddit
It depends.
x4457@reddit
The correct answer is both, smoothly, at the same time.
If you must pick one, then pitch first then power.
prop_circles@reddit
This was how I was taught as well by my retired FSDO instructor and his retired FSDO DPE friend.
bhalter80@reddit
Set the pitch for the airspeed you want, add power to stabilize that
lnxguy@reddit
Pitch-Power-Trim. Do it.
mustang__1@reddit
Energy. Do I have excess energy? Will I have excess energy?
If I'm at cruise at 75% in the Mooney, I probably won't touch the engine much to go from 10,000 to 12,000. In the piper I'd probably firewall it to go from 3000 to 4000.
I'm going to descend, then it depends how smooth the air is, my VNE, and how long I'll be descending.
If I know I'll be needing to adjust power for the altitude change then it happens as close to simultaneous as who cares if there's a delta in moments of in time.
refl8ct0r@reddit
if you pitch up without power, you lose speed.
if you pitch down without power, you gain speed.
so in the case of climb, ideally, do it together. if you pitch first before power you are trading a bit of speed for altitude. so i would always power before pitch so i can always climb at the speed i want without losing energy.
I_said_wot@reddit
I always taught Pitch Power Trim
Put the nose where it belongs relative to the horizon
Increase / Decrease power to maintain airspeed
Trim to make it stay there
mvpilot172@reddit
Increase power and simultaneously increase pitch to maintain airspeed.
andrewrbat@reddit
Bad power first to begin a climb, that way airspeed is not as much of a moving target as it would be if you started pitching for a Clymer speed and then started adding power into the equation. Adjusting your power is also going to substantially change your trim unless you’re in a t-tail.
When leveling off it’s best to set a known power setting for your level cruise, pattern entry,etc. Because again once you set the trim properly, the aircraft will settle into this new airspeed and power setting. Trying to level out and set the pitch trim and then change the power is just going to make you redo everything. And if you take too long, you run out of energy and stall.
abovecyberspace@reddit
Im a fan of PAT for essentially everything since mostly you can do whatever you like to do with only adjusting power. Rest is just fine tuning to me.
If you have cooperative weather and nicely trimmed aircraft power usually is the only control you have to adjust other than acceleration and deceleration.
Most of the beginners think we adjust the desired pitch angle by trimming the ac however actually trimming is for desired airspeed not for pitch angle. When you start to sense trim that way everything will be easier.
Lets say you are cruising with 90kt IAS and want to climb with 500fpm. If your aircraft is well trimmed you only gave to increase power smoothly to keep 90kts and 500fpm. As you increase power smoothly aircraft will start climbing with keeping 90kts rather than accelerating and you wont even need to adjust pitch nor the trim. Same goes for leveling off and descents as well. However if you have hurry to change your altitude rather than waiting for this smooth transition, adjusting pitch might be handy.
Fearless_Sandwich905@reddit
To the people commenting APT, why is that preferred over PAT in a conventional GA aircraft? Would pitching up first not just lead you to be slower? Would you not prefer to increase power first that way you can use the extra energy to get away. Because thinking about in a go around scenario, if you were to pitch first without power you might risk stalling. So if you teach power first in that scenario then why not power first for climbs to keep it consistent all across?
brightlife28@reddit
What makes sense? Are you carrying momentum into a climb? Or need to kill it for a descent? Why pitch first for a climb when you could add power first and have extra energy to help you get up. You’re not in a jet, you won’t overspeed.
DoomWad@reddit
If you want to maintain your cruise airspeed in the climb, add power first and then pitch up to maintain that airspeed
obecalp23@reddit
APT to climb. And that make sense. You probably want to climb as fast as possible, so why loose energy getting speed at straight and level flight? By doing attitude first, you slow down airspeed and ground speed, avoiding the burn the TMA you’re about to fly in.
Brilliant_Scheme_671@reddit
The only way