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FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S MANUAL                 67

given by a variation in the feel of the ship or controls, or by a change in the pitch of the sound.
While gliding in for landings in the earlier lessons the instructor should have called the student's attention to the attitude of the ship and the relationship of the pitch of the sounds incident to flight and gliding to attitude and speed, and attempted to fix in the student's mind the correct angle, and its corresponding sound and feel to be assumed for a normal glide.  Also, when leveling off and landing, the decrease in pitch of the sound as the speed is decreased should have been called to his attention and the relationship established.  However, even though the student is allowed to follow through on the controls during these operations, the control touch during the glide and landings will be strange until he is given the controls completely.  This early instruction in the relationship angle, speed, and sound will nevertheless greatly facilitate the comprehension of instruction when glides and landings are undertaken.
One of the demonstrations during the "Confidence Maneuvers" was to allow the plane to assume its own attitude without power and without interference.  In the explanation accompanying this the instructor pointed out the necessity for back pressure on the stick during the glide.  This should be re-explained and the student also shown that since this diving tendency is constant, the backward pressure on the stick will necessarily be constant in order to hold the desired angle and speed.
Initial instruction in glides should be given at an altitude of a least 2,000 feet and combined with instruction in climbs.  The throttle should eased back and the airplane eased into a glide until the proper angle is established.  When this angle has been assumed the instructor should so indicate to the student and require him to hold it while he again explains the necessity for fixing in his memory the angle, the speed, the sound, and the feel of the controls and the ship.
Abnormal glides should not be demonstrated until the student has grasped these fundamentals of the normal glide or confusion will result, since the student will have no basis for comparison or recognizing his errors and correcting them.
Due to the lack of experience, the student will be unable to recognize slight variations of speed and angle of bank immediately by vision or by the pressure required on the controls.  Hearing will probably be the indicator that will be the most easily used at first.  The instructor should, therefore, be certain that the student understands that an increase in the pitch of sound denotes more speed, while a decrease in the pitch denotes less speed.  When the student receives such an indication he should consciously apply both other means of perception so as to establish how they deviate from the correct.  In this way he will fix the correct relationship more firmly in his mind and increase the sensitivity of his perceptions.
If this is not done, the student may be able to "get by," after a fashion, but he will never develop the proper sensitivity to the stimuli or awareness of what is going on.  The goal to be sought is subconscious correction for the slightest deviation before any visual evidence of change is noticeable.