What is Emergency Maneuver Training? (really)
Emergency Maneuver Training (EM or EMT)?
What is that really?
Unusual Attitudes (UA)?
Aerobatics (Acro)?
I do think we can always benefit from advanced training. I think aerobatic training and getting comfortable flying in all attitudes is very valuable, but my PET PEEVE is a private pilot should already have a good grasp on "EMT".
The basic private pilot syllabus already has "Emergency Maneuver Training".
As a CFI we teach all students:
Unusual Attitude Recover, nose high nose low
Coordinated/uncoordinated stalls (ball centered)
Stall power on power off
Accelerated Stall
I was NOT comfortable with stalls when I was a student pilot, but I did them and recovered with min loss in altitude. After pvt ticket in pocket I did not do stalls even after getting three more ratings! When I did stalls I kept that ball centered with in a hair because I knew it was bad to have uncoordinated controls in flight near stall. That was good enough for me at the time. If I never went on to get advanced ratings (CFI- ATP) and learn aerobatics on my own, I might have stagnated there.
There is NO aerobatic rating is there?
A few years experience, later with more time, after my instrument (which is flying gently), I was working on my SEL commercial. The single commercial is all VFR and about doing more extreme maneuvers near the planes limits and more by feel. I had a blast and felt more in-tune with the plane after that rating. Strangely I was not really challenged to do stalls or unusual attitude recoveries for that rating.
IT was not after getting the MEL rating (again flying gently) and working on my initial CFI did I get my first aerobatics, spin training, 3 left, 3 right. Spins are a basic aerobatic maneuver. We had chutes and the mighty acrobat (C-152) and a willing instructor demoed a loop and roll after we did spins.
It was after getting several CFI ratings and even my ATP and type ratings (flying gently) did I finally get some true aerobatic training. It opened my world.
Later while after working on my first RV, I went up with a retired Airline pilot who was a former USAF pilot. I had been in a RV with Van the man and did a roll, but this time we did all kinds of acro, especially "EMT". We did stalls level, stalls in turns, stalls top of loop inverted, stalls vertical nose up/nose down. We stalled in ever attitude you could imagine. The key, relax the back pressure. RV's (at least the RV-4's) have great feel / feed back in a stall and still have aileron control.
Learn what your RV feels like in a stall. You don't have to spin, but the first time you get into an accelerate stall should not be 500 feet above the ground half upside down.
The "Emergency Maneuver Training" came out after a few airline accidents. One tragic case was the USAir B737 in PA, that was flying along and went in for about 10,000 feet. (Wake turbulence and possible improper use of rudder or possible mechanical rudder reversal). The other was a United B737 that went in turning base in Colorado (thought to be rouge wind shear).
The FAA and NTSB thought airline pilots who usually only do 30 degree banks, max and a few degrees nose down, where overwhelmed when the plane was in a truly unusual (for what ever the reason). Many airline pilots use to come from military training, where "unusual attitudes" and even spins in jets was standard training. Intentional spins in transport jets are not done and probably not recoverable, and the only cases I know of resulted in a crash.
The skill and ability to maneuver the plane in any attitude (unusual attitude) and its an excellent idea to get training.
Many private pilots thru ATP's are very rusty or may never had a good foundation in "EM" or "UA" to start with.
EMT is for every one
Airline pilots are not trained to do unusual attitudes in large jets. We get lots of engine failures and emergencies, but no recoveries from inverted or 140 degree banks. When the B737 rudder issue reversal came along, we practice flying with full rudder to show the plane could be controlled if speed is fast enough (approx 220 kts). You can fly with ailerons even with full rudder, but get too slow you will roll over.
Well EMT training may have had tragic consequence with the American Airline A300 that crashed in Long Island after the rudder came off. The FO was taught to use rudder in unusual recovery (aggressively). Unfortunately a small amount of wake turbulence may have caused this pilot to PUSH on the rudder way to hard, and than tragically reverse the rudder input fully several times. The radical over controlling inputs cause the rudder to come off. The A300 apparently does not have a "rudder ratio" controller, which limits the rudder movement (to protect the structure) at higher speed. The point is the rudder on a big jet is there for single engine, max power go around. Rudder inputs on a jet are with very light pressures and very little movement, except when steering on the ground on takeoff or landing. (Rudder peddles on large jets have limited nose wheel steering control, full nose wheel steering control is with the "Tiller" on the Captains side.)
However many airline pilots UNDER use the rudder in both normal flying and recovery from unusual attitude. However no rudder is better than wrong rudder inputs. If I was flying and my jet got rolled 140 degrees to the the left and the nose sliced down through the horizon I would use both aileron and rudder to counter the roll and YAW. I would NOT PULL on the yoke, yet at least. The rudder is powerful even on a RV and proper use comes from doing aerobatics. I doubt you can hurt the Vert Stab on a the RV unless you are Vne, but when you do slow rolls, hesitation rolls, wing overs and recover from spins you learn what a nice thing the rudder is, besides for slipping and landing and taking off w/ a cross wind.
Airline flying and larger jets are different, but it does illustrate that planes are planes and whether you call it Emergency Maneuvers (EM) or Unusual Attitudes (UA) the is a common thread.
With a RV you need a program tailored to you. The recommendations above I'm sure are excellent. I think any comfort doing stalls, spins, rolls and loops of all kinds is value added. Even if you don't like aerobatics as a hobby, if you ever get caught on final and get rolled 140 degrees to the inverted you will have a better chance of rolling it upright with minimum loss of altitude.
That basic unusual attitude training you got many years ago may be very rusty. WHEN YOU DO YOU FLT REVIEWS, tell the CFI you want to do stalls (pwr on/off/accl/un-coord) and unusual attitudes. You might find some CFI's may not be comfortable with stalls them self?
Sadly most pilots are caught by surprised and frozen in shock (swimming in glue) by this situation, say Wake turbulence rolls you upside down 500 feet above the ground. If you get in a weird attitude at +3,000 feet anyone can recover, probably by just letting go of the controls, but the trick is doing it low to the ground. *BTW I NEVER DO ACRO BELOW 3,000 FEET EVER*
You may get in this wake turb circumstance low to the ground and not be able to recover, but your chance is way better if you know how to roll with or against the wake turbulence. Of course the FAA's position is wake turbulence avoidance. A good plan. I FEAR WAKE TURBULANCE.
THE BASIC OF NOSE DOWN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE in a RV is pull the power back, roll level and than pull. It was thought (no one really knows for sure) in at least one of the B737 cases the pilot pulled in a bank while still in a bank and instead of pitching up just put it into the "grave yard spiral". YOU HAVE TO UNLOAD THE WING TO RECOVER.