Teaching complex aircraft

[Vlakvark]

Hi All

I need some advise/Help/video clips on teaching complex aircraft. More the M20K.  Im a CFII teaching multi/IFR but I need to teach my wife complex aircraft without been to quick on her. 

Any cheat sheets that can make it easier on her would help. 

Thanks 

JT

  

[Hank]

For me, it was onlyy two things:  set throttle then prop at top of climb, and go Full Prop by downwind; raise the gear after takeoff, and lower gear abeam intended landing point on downwind to initiate descent from pattern altitude.

Instill the habit of multiple gear checks:  drop gear as above; turn base, verify speed and check gear light; turn final, verify speed, check gear light; on short final, verify speed, check floor indicator for gear. I usually touch the green light in the panel, and point towqrds the floor indicator.

Use the charts in the POH to set power, there's two things to move. Pull prop lever back first, push prop lever forward last. Then lean the fuel.

Good luck! You're a brave man teaching your spouse . . . . . .

[midlifeflyer]

No cheat sheet, just a tip or two.

There are two distinct pieces to complex training. The retractable gear and the constant speed prop (which does not apply only to  complex).

When I do transition training , I find that pilots have more difficulty with the constant speed prop than anything else. Left to their own devices, they will constantly play with it. Even though the throttle logically should have the same problem, it seems to be the prop which causes the most issues.

So I simplify it a lot. I teach there are only three prop settings for non-emergency flight. Full forward for takeoff and landing, marginally back for enroute climb, and the cruise setting for your altitude (and for some, that second one is optional, so there might only be two). 

For the gear, I'm not tied to any one methodology for when the gear comes down, so long as it makes some kind of sense and is repeatable.I teach repeated checks, but preach consistency above all else. At most there are only two timings for gear down in non-emergency operations. One for visual approaches and one for instrument approaches.

[Hank]

Why reduce power for climb? Full forward on everything from beginning of runway to leveling off; then accelerate and set power.

May be slight variations for turbo models, my experience there is limited and a while ago.

[midlifeflyer]

 

22 hours ago, Hank said:

Why reduce power for climb? Full forward on everything from beginning of runway to leveling off; then accelerate and set power.

May be slight variations for turbo models, my experience there is limited and a while ago.

 

23 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

(and for some, that second one is optional, so there might only be two). 

There are a number of reasons why. Just a few examples from my experience. 

Some aircraft with constant speeds props push up against redline and have a tendency to exceed itand SOP is to back them off slightly for enroute climb. Some have "continuous power" limitations for max rpm, so a reduction is required.For personal preference, some pilots like the reduction of noise and vibration without a significant hit on performance accompanying a 100-200 RPM reduction.

(Admittedly, I'm taking in general rather than model specific, assuming @Vlakvark will teach the procedure he uses in the K).

Edited June 14, 2019 by midlifeflyer