Objective: Practice of traffic-pattern-like maneuvers, dividing attention, and wind drift correction, by the flying of a rectangular course. Altitude and airspeed are held constant, and distance from a rectangular area on the ground is kept constant.

Content: Use of ground reference points to control path, division of attention outside and inside aircraft, control of altitude, correction of path for wind drift

Equipment:
Airworthy aircraft. PTS. Visual aids (AFH, p. 6-5).

Schedule:
Ground lesson: 12 minutes
Instructor demonstration: 10 minutes
Student practice: 20 minutes
Postflight feedback: 3 minutes

Instructor:
Preflight: (see lesson plan) motivate, explain, have student be an armchair pilot, list common errors, discuss.
In flight: Demonstrate proper rectangular course while talking through it. Coach and encourage student.
Postflight: Give feedback and suggestions.

Student:
Preflight: Attend to explanation, be an armchair pilot, answer questions
In flight: Perform new maneuver after demonstration
Postflight: Ask questions.

Completion standards: Divides attention inside and outside the plane, corrects properly for wind drift, maintains altitude ±100 ft., airspeed ±10 knots. (These go hand in hand)

Review: Maneuvers done during introductory flights
Objective: Student will practice traffic-pattern-like maneuver, learning to divide attention (traffic and course outside, altitude and airspeed inside) and correct for wind drift, by the flying of a rectangular course.
Materials: AFH picture, in-flight maneuver checklist, model plane

INTRODUCTION: Attention/motivation: (1 minute)
Show me how you steer a car. Now imagine for a moment that the road itself is moving sideways. What would you have to do? In a car, when we want to follow the road and track along a line, we just steer that way. The medium is rubber tires on a road, and wind is basically irrelevant. But in a plane, the medium is air, and the wind pushes that around. To follow a pattern on the ground-for example when you might want to get lined up with a runway-we need to compensate for the wind. This first maneuver will start you on the way to doing that.

DEVELOPMENT: Overview and explanation: (5 minutes)
Instructor explains the maneuver, using model plane and picture from page 6-5 of the AFH
Pick a suitable spot, with an emergency landing area within gliding distance.
1. CLEAR AREA
2. Determine wind direction. (How?)
3. Low-level setup: boost pump on
4. 600-1000 AGL
5. Enter at 45º to downwind (as in traffic pattern)
6. Downwind to crosswind: steep to medium turn (more than 90º)
7. Crosswind to upwind: medium to shallow turn (less than 90º)
8. Upwind to crosswind: shallow to medium turn (less than 90º)
9. Crosswind to downwind: medium to steep turn (more than 90º)
10. Exit at point of entry
11. Cruise checklist

Armchair piloting: (2 minutes)
Student enacts the correct kinds of turns while imagining the rectangular course.

Common errors: (2 minutes)

Selection of landing site without emergency landing area
Poor planning or division of attention
Uncoordinated flight
Improper wind-drift correction
Not maintaining altitude/airspeed

Oral evaluation/quiz and discussion questions: (2 minutes)
Q: How do you select a good rectangular site?
Q: What are the PTS standards for this maneuver?
Q: What steepness of turn do you need at each of the corners?
Q: What's the purpose of this maneuver: what are you practicing (practicing for)?