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47     FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S MANUAL

relaxation as well as understanding.  The short student will present the greater problem and in some cases it may even be necessary to make special arrangements with either the seat or rudder pedals.  A student who has to shift his whole body to get full action of the rudder is very seriously handicapped, not only in the control of the airplane but in the development of "feel."

Time spent on turns will prove invaluable.  A few extra minutes spent on the perfection of these maneuvers early in the student's training will save hours of work on the part of both student and instructor when the composite maneuvers are attempted, and will save the student the sense of demotion and discouragement that may be caused by the necessity for a return to elementary work from the advanced training maneuvers. 

CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MANEUVERS

The purpose of the following maneuvers is the development of confidence in the stability and safety of the aircraft and the elimination of apprehension and tension in the student by-

1. A practical demonstration of the airplane's ability to recover from an uneven keel, both laterally and longitudinally, without assistance or undue delay and difficulty, and to fly level without attention on the part of the pilot.

2. A demonstration that violent use of the controls is not only unnecessary but often defeats the objective sought in such instances. 

3. A demonstration that continuous concentration on the attitude of the aircraft is unnecessary for flight even though it may be necessary for precision maneuvers.

These confidence-building maneuvers should be given very early in the course and repeated whenever necessary to relieve tension or eliminate any tendencies towards roughness on the controls.  Early demonstrations of the maneuvers will promote ease and relaxation and result in quicker absorption of instruction.

However, prior to their instruction, the student should have had sufficient time in the air to have developed some mechanical proficiency, particularly in turns.  They will be beneficial before instruction in gliding and in problems requiring elementary practical application of the turn.  They should not be given during the first or second flight in most cases, or they may have the effect of creating tension and apprehension due to the lack of background of the student, thereby defeating their purpose.

The banking maneuvers should be performed at a reasonably low altitude, but neither too high nor too low.  That is, not so low as to induce fear from lack of altitude and not so high that the student fails to gain a conception of the procedures, their safety, and the results of them with regard to altitude and its loss or gain.

Before giving any of these maneuvers, the instructor should explain the procedures, the reason for them, the results expected, and call attention to the particulars he expects the student to note.

During the performance of the maneuvers, the salient features should be stressed again as they occur.

If these maneuvers are given without such prior and simultaneous explanation, they will serve no useful purpose and will probably only confuse and worry the student.