The practical test standards are FAA established standards for flight maneuvers required on check-rides. Each of these maneuvers are required because they elicit some sort of indication of the abilities of the applicant. There are many maneuvers that do not appear in these publications, but perhaps they should. The following three maneuvers are ones I feel will positively impact your flying.
But first a brief disclaimer: this post is not intended as flight instruction (I’m not qualified nor do I wish to take on the liability). Please consult a qualified and capable CFI before, during, and after the performance of these maneuvers.
The first is a rudder coordination exercise sometimes referred to as “dutch roll” or “rolling on a point.” The idea behind the maneuver is to pick a point straight off the nose of the aircraft and then bank the aircraft left and right while using rudder to compensate for adverse yaw. This exercise is intended to teach you the appropriate amount of rudder for coordinated turns. Unfortunately, most pilots without aerobatic training never perform this maneuver.
See the following video from Aviation Safety and Avweb for a good account of the maneuver:
The second is the “Falling Leaf.” This is a stall maneuver that can be difficult to control in some aircraft, but with the docile dynamics of most trainers, it can be performed safely. The positive benefits of this maneuver are numerous, but the most notable is learning rudder effectiveness in a stall. For example, early in my training when stalls were introduced I would absolutely crank the ailerons around trying to compensate for poor roll stability. Unfortunately, ailerons are usually very ineffective in stalls. The rudder on the other hand maintains plenty of effectiveness. After my performance of stalls on my check-ride, the examiner taught me this maneuver in an effort to improve my flying. As a word of caution, the maneuver is performed with the aircraft stalled, so too much rudder can cause a spin. There is a great video of the maneuver from the tail of an Extra 300 over at APS Training’s website.
The “impossible turn” is commonplace on NTSB crash reports. The situation that leads to such reports typically reads as follows: “An engine failure post takeoff lead the pilot to initiate a steep turn back toward the departure runway. The pilot’s inability to maintain airspeed lead to a stall and spin at close proximity to the ground. The resultant impact caused one massive, smoking crater approximately 300 feet from the fence.” Yes, that is made up, but it is more or less how most accounts of such turns read. Sadly, many pilots attempt the same thing and achieve startlingly similar results. That is the definition of insanity; however if you can make it, it is much easier to deal with the plane and who can argue against an airport being a good spot to land? Well, how do you know if it is safe to make the turn? Science! Well, actually experimentation.
The set up is simple. For a good account of such an experiment check out the Airspeed episode called Test Pilot: You. The basic idea is establish a hard deck at a safe altitude, something like 2000 or 3000 feet AGL. This is a simulated runway. From there you establish a normal takeoff climb. Since the idea is to establish a baseline, try to accurately simulate a takeoff. After a certain amount of time, pull the throttle to idle to simulate an engine failure. Then after acknowledging the failure, pitch for best glide and start a turn back to your “runway.” Note your starting altitude and where you ended up. Try to keep everything as standard and as realistic as possible so that your results are usable. You will likely be surprised at how much altitude is lost in the two turns that comprise the “impossible turn.”