Cruise Flight
Cruise flight requires steady control inputs and thoughtful power management to maintain efficient, stable operations. Understanding cruise flight techniques helps pilots recognize how pitch, power, and trim adjustments support consistent altitude and airspeed.
Introduction to Cruise Flight
- Cruise is where a flight will spend the most of its time
- Often seemingly mundane, procedures and best practices still apply to this non-dynamic phase of flight
Weather Phenomena
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Penetrating Turbulence:
- While pilots-in-command must maintain use of their lap belt, shoulder harnesses are not required in cruise
- If encountering or expecting turbulence, don't forget to put on shoulder harnesses before hand, so as to be prepared to counter the effects of turbulence
- While pilots-in-command must maintain use of their lap belt, shoulder harnesses are not required in cruise
Cruise Flight Common Errors
- Loss of situational awareness
Conclusion
- Remain mindful that performance calculations are usually more optimistic than actual performance
- Tasks tend to be required at turn points or waypoints, so knowing and tracking your ETE to each point gives a known point to plan anticipated actions ahead of time
- Don't let cruise flight become so expected that you neglect principles critical to safe flight
- Consider actual versus realized performance when doing any performance calculations
- Consider practicing maneuvers on a flight simulator to introduce yourself to maneuvers or knock off rust
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