Commercial Pilot for Airplane Category › V. Performance Maneuvers and Ground Reference Maneuvers › Task E. Eights on Pylons (ASEL, ASES)

CA.V.E.S8

Skill

Maintain pylon position using appropriate pivotal altitude, avoiding slips and skids.

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Get a short, cited explanation of this element written from the FAA handbooks: the core idea, the numbers that matter, common test traps, and a quick self-check.

From the FAA library

Airplane Flying Handbook p. 7-17
Chapter 7: Ground Reference Maneuvers › Elementary Eights › Eights on Pylons
wind direction and velocity can be estimated to calculate the appropriate pivotal altitudes. The pilot should calculate the pivotal altitude for each position: upwind, downwind, and crosswind. The pilot should begin the eight on pylons maneuver by flying diagonally crosswind ... between the pylons to a point downwind from the first pylon, so that the first turn can be made into the wind. As the airplane approaches a position where the pylon appears to be just ahead of the wingtip…
Airplane Flying Handbook p. 7-13
Chapter 7: Ground Reference Maneuvers › Elementary Eights › Eights Around Pylons
Eights Around Pylons Eights around pylons is a ground reference maneuver with the same principles and techniques of correcting for wind drift as used in turns around a point and the same objectives as other ground track maneuvers ... Eights around pylons utilizes two ground reference points called “pylons.” Turns around each pylon are made in opposite directions to follow a ground track in the form of a figure 8. [Figure 7-9] Figure…