Margins of Safety: Low Altitude Maneuvering

Description: Maneuvering an aircraft at low altitude is something we do on every flight, without giving it much thought. While it’s not much different than maneuvering at altitude, the slow speed and low altitude decrease the margins for error. In this video, we’ll talk about how to safely maneuver aircraft down low.

[ianbruce]

The visual presentation of AOA, relative wind, and INERTIA really clinched it for me. Kind of an "ah ha!" moment. Well done.

[johnopalko]

I really like the little bits of humor mixed in. Well done, AOPA.

[marlowt]

Great video, especially for those of us just learning about the physics/dynamics of flying. Thank you!

[gclaytony]

Good video. I really like that it discusses something that became a rather heated discussion on another board - the fact that the flight path / relative wind change is not instantaneous to the change in the control inputs/aircraft attitude. People seem to have trouble coming to grips with the fact that air is a very low viscosity medium to travel in, thus inertial energy is going to continue to move the aircraft for a brief period before the change in force from the control input become fully effective on the direction of movement (and thus the accelerated stalls). Anyone who has spent anytime in a power boat has some feel for this even though water flow is more viscous/responds faster.

If nothing else, to get good visual imagery, pilots should watch a hover craft maneuvering. The change in the vehicle's attitude is nearly instantaneous to the control input. Change in the direction of travel of the hovercraft lags noticeably. It is visible since you have the ground referent to see it clearly, unlike an aircraft in flight.

[adm]

The red zone is for loading and unloading only. There is no stopping in the white zone.

[rogerwilco]

When I was instructing in the 1980s I took students on a low flying exercise at about 150ft following a twisting river impressing upon them that at this altitude speed was their saviour should obstacles such as power lines be encountered. There were several set of power lines crossing the river in the area of the low flying exercise and the students were told to point out the lines as soon as they saw them while at the same time following the twisting river course and maintaining height

[mdb]

My ppl cfi insisted that I actually spin a 172 and recover several times. I assure everyone, I have no desire to bank 45 degrees uncoordinated no less with full power and hold a yoke full back ever again. The spins happened so fast and often the stall warning horn was too late.

[bernardanderson]

Altitude is your friend and it's always great to use it

[royhsieh]

that ending is a good reminder of the dangers of going low and slow.

[billr]

Thanks ASI for another great video. Yet another argument for adding angle of attack indicators to GA aircraft. There are a LOT of familiar scenes around KFDK, which is also my home base. I could be the model for that ending!!! Damn bifocals!

[nztv]

ah comparing something to a sports game ive never played or watched . I get it now ! good video though . I always learn a lot from this channel

[bastogne]

Ok I've watched a few of these vids, I'm now ready to fly.

[dalgrim]

I fly an old PA-28 Cherokee 180. A high speed pass is not something that can be done

[fallandbounce]

Great common sense video. Showing off can buy you a short span in many ares of life.

I had the chance to see a stunt pilot practicing at his home airport while traveling a few years ago. Once l found out it was a professional, and not a suicidal pilot getting ready for a target, it was pretty cool. He had a biplane he took high up to do a number of repeated tricks for an upcoming fair in another area.

[skipwood]

An Angle of Attack display will always give you an alert when you are flying too slow or nearing an accelerated stall. Garmin has a great one and easy to calibrate.

[alphawolf]

Altitude, Speed, Stability awareness in reference to the ground is the key to prevention in all this!! 🛫

[realtoast]

A lot of the video looks like Yolo County, near Sacramento. 3:42 is that the Sutter Buttes in the distance and HWY 80 underneath? Much of my training done there.

[flyingphobiahelp]

What about adopting the airlines method per “defined minimum manoeuvring speed” which equates to flying NO slower than 1.4X Vs (stall speed clean) whilst manoeuvring in the airport environment for example during a visual approach or in a traffic pattern.

[computer]

Something I really hate that seems to be pretty common ( but not without exceptions) is "positive rate, gear up". That's all well and good in an aircraft with multiple engines but in a single engine plane it's not very smart. If you only have one engine you should change that to "out of runway, gear up". Otherwise, should you experience and engine failure shortly after rotating you'll look like a fool landing on your belly and damaging the aircraft, in what should have been a somewhat trivial situation.

[calburnIII]

The only thing I'd suggest should have been different is the narrator's comment that below 2500' is the appropriate low altitude definition. Much training and general flying is done below 2500' AGL. Below 1500' AGL, yes, but not all below 2500'.

Oh, and I did like the ending, too. :)