Hi Tjeerd, I hope you are doing well. I just had a few questions for you. I have recently finished line training and have found your energy management method not only useful but also intuitive. I would also like to point out that I read your book and especially enjoyed challenging myself with the quizzes. I have however found that many captains in my company seem to think I am too “low” or too conservative on my energy management. Of course, being more conservative is definitely preferable to the opposite, especially given my relatively limited experience at the beginning of my career. However, I have been trying to work out why this is. As you mention in your book and your videos, there are many calculation methods and some captains seem to multiply altitude rather than distance (or divide distance rather than divide altitude). It is my understanding that both methods provide similar but slightly different results. The former (your method with all things being equal) would provide a descent path of about 2.82 degrees whereas the latter (the one used by some of my colleagues) provides a descent path of about 3.13 degrees. This could perhaps explain why they feel that I am low as their calculation assumes a steeper path (higher altitude for the same distance from the threshold). Presumably, they are then able to compensate/adjust for this with their more experienced feel for the aircraft’s energy. What are your thoughts? I also thought a reason could be a misunderstanding surrounding the expression “being on profile”, as you eloquently explained in your book. For instance, I might find that I am on profile after subtracting altitude for speed correction (and thus below the 3 degree profile) whereas they might consider that being “on profile” means being on the 3 degree path and intending to solve speed reduction in a different way (not directly incorporated into altitude calculation). What are your thoughts? Thank you for taking the time to read and thank you again for providing light on the fascinating subject of energy management. I look forward to hearing back from you.
Using a different calculation will definitely create a discrepencie between opionions whether you are high or low. However, the difference is not that much. Also, your captain might be calculating for the wind and weight, something I don't teach (take it into account, but don't calculate for it), but that can also create a difference of optinion. The definition of being on profile and how to deal with that is indeed also open to interpretation. The method I teach is not an SOP and therefore you will get as many different answers as to whether you are high or low on energy. However, from my experience, a shocking amount of pilots don't fully understand this subject, including some training captains and examiners. This makes it very difficult for a new pilot such as yourself to find the truth. Not to say that your captain is wrong, but he could actually be wrong. It's easy to check. Ask him if he is on profile, then provided no unexpected shortcut is given, does he need the speed brake, gear down early, or Flap 2 early? One other thing I should mention is CRM. Unless you are way off profile, your captain should just let you fly the aircraft. You are not going to improve much if your captain keeps micro managing your descent and approach. Of course you can't tell him that so bluntly, so unfortunately you will have to navigate the wates of the unspoken social tact of ego sensitive aviation related matters. Keep up the good work. Your inquisitive attitude will get you places. I wish you all the best with your career.
Captain. With an OEI approach and if I kept the rudder trim in, is it possible that during the flare I would actually need opposite rudder to counteract reduced yaw as I’m idling the thrust. For example eng 1 failure right rudder to be straight, however if i keep 7 units of R rudder in, as I’m flaring is there a chance I might actually need left rudder?
You are correct. That is why some people like PM to press the rudder trim center button to center the rudder just before landing. In the FCTM there is more detail about that. Personally I don't find there is much of an effect, unless there was a lot of thrust just before landing. From my experience, with a normal landing, almost no one puts any rudder in for a crosswind landing. Not sure why that is, complacency or bad training. Either way, the aircraft seems to handle this quite ok, so some crab angle at touch down due to engine asymmetry isn't that much of an issue. But combined with a crosswind making it worse, and already being to the side of the runway, can make the situation worse. So it's definitely something to take into account.
Very lucky to see your channel, i already bought your book, so informative, i am line traning cadet and it helps me alot, thak you so much
Hãng nào thế buddy
Love your videos Captain
Hi Tjeerd, I hope you are doing well.
I just had a few questions for you. I have recently finished line training and have found your energy management method not only useful but also intuitive. I would also like to point out that I read your book and especially enjoyed challenging myself with the quizzes.
I have however found that many captains in my company seem to think I am too “low” or too conservative on my energy management. Of course, being more conservative is definitely preferable to the opposite, especially given my relatively limited experience at the beginning of my career. However, I have been trying to work out why this is.
As you mention in your book and your videos, there are many calculation methods and some captains seem to multiply altitude rather than distance (or divide distance rather than divide altitude). It is my understanding that both methods provide similar but slightly different results. The former (your method with all things being equal) would provide a descent path of about 2.82 degrees whereas the latter (the one used by some of my colleagues) provides a descent path of about 3.13 degrees. This could perhaps explain why they feel that I am low as their calculation assumes a steeper path (higher altitude for the same distance from the threshold). Presumably, they are then able to compensate/adjust for this with their more experienced feel for the aircraft’s energy. What are your thoughts?
I also thought a reason could be a misunderstanding surrounding the expression “being on profile”, as you eloquently explained in your book. For instance, I might find that I am on profile after subtracting altitude for speed correction (and thus below the 3 degree profile) whereas they might consider that being “on profile” means being on the 3 degree path and intending to solve speed reduction in a different way (not directly incorporated into altitude calculation). What are your thoughts?
Thank you for taking the time to read and thank you again for providing light on the fascinating subject of energy management. I look forward to hearing back from you.
Using a different calculation will definitely create a discrepencie between opionions whether you are high or low. However, the difference is not that much.
Also, your captain might be calculating for the wind and weight, something I don't teach (take it into account, but don't calculate for it), but that can also create a difference of optinion.
The definition of being on profile and how to deal with that is indeed also open to interpretation.
The method I teach is not an SOP and therefore you will get as many different answers as to whether you are high or low on energy.
However, from my experience, a shocking amount of pilots don't fully understand this subject, including some training captains and examiners. This makes it very difficult for a new pilot such as yourself to find the truth.
Not to say that your captain is wrong, but he could actually be wrong. It's easy to check. Ask him if he is on profile, then provided no unexpected shortcut is given, does he need the speed brake, gear down early, or Flap 2 early?
One other thing I should mention is CRM. Unless you are way off profile, your captain should just let you fly the aircraft. You are not going to improve much if your captain keeps micro managing your descent and approach. Of course you can't tell him that so bluntly, so unfortunately you will have to navigate the wates of the unspoken social tact of ego sensitive aviation related matters.
Keep up the good work. Your inquisitive attitude will get you places. I wish you all the best with your career.
Captain. With an OEI approach and if I kept the rudder trim in, is it possible that during the flare I would actually need opposite rudder to counteract reduced yaw as I’m idling the thrust.
For example eng 1 failure right rudder to be straight, however if i keep 7 units of R rudder in, as I’m flaring is there a chance I might actually need left rudder?
You are correct. That is why some people like PM to press the rudder trim center button to center the rudder just before landing. In the FCTM there is more detail about that.
Personally I don't find there is much of an effect, unless there was a lot of thrust just before landing.
From my experience, with a normal landing, almost no one puts any rudder in for a crosswind landing. Not sure why that is, complacency or bad training. Either way, the aircraft seems to handle this quite ok, so some crab angle at touch down due to engine asymmetry isn't that much of an issue. But combined with a crosswind making it worse, and already being to the side of the runway, can make the situation worse. So it's definitely something to take into account.