How to Fly Level in a Cessna 152

A Cessna 152 is a very commonly used training aircraft. Maintaining level flight at a steady altitude, speed and heading, is one of the most basic flying skills a student pilot must learn. However, to the beginner, it can sometimes be a surprisingly daunting task until the student fully grasps all the forces that are acting on the airplane and learns how to correct for them without over-correcting. Memorizing a simple set of steps will help the student avoid common mistakes.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Adjust the power to an appropriate cruise setting. For the Cessna 152, this should generally be about 2,300 rpm, give or take a little. This is roughly 75 percent power. If the throttle is at full power, this will tend to make the airplane climb, and will also add to the torque effect of the propeller (P-factor). On the other hand, if the power is set too low, the plane will have a tendency to descend. Adjusting the power should always be the first step in this process, as it will make the remaining steps easier.

2. Smoothly move the elevator control to position the nose of the plane slightly below the horizon. Now check the vertical speed indicator to verify that the aircraft is no longer gaining or losing altitude. Use very gentle elevator corrections until the vertical speed is zero. While holding the aircraft in this attitude, adjust the elevator trim until the plane no longer tries to climb or descend.

3. Use gentle aileron movements to level the wings. It is very easy to over-correct, resulting in an undesirable effect known as Pilot Induced Oscillations. When the wings are level, stop moving the ailerons. If the aircraft continues to bank, then correct using increasingly smaller control movements.

4. Make gentle corrections as needed to keep the aircraft on a steady course. If the weather is windy, sharper corrections may be necessary.

5. Check the gyro compass periodically against the magnetic compass to correct for gyro drift..

Tips & Warnings

• Scan the instruments regularly to make sure that you are not beginning to climb or turn.
• Use a PC-based simulator at home to practice you level flying skills.
• Scan outside regularly to insure that there are no other aircraft in the area.