You’re soaring high on the glideslope. But how do you make those crucial corrections? Should you pitch down, or perhaps reduce power? If you’re eager to start a lively discussion, simply gather a group of pilots and see what they have to say. For years, pilots have been engaged in a heated debate about whether it’s better to adjust the pitch for airspeed and power for the glideslope, or the other way around.
Let’s take a closer look at both approaches to flying this scenario.
Method 1: Pitch for Airspeed, Power for Glideslope
Most instructors (including ourselves) have taught that when you’re on a glideslope, you focus on pitching for airspeed and using power to manage altitude. It makes perfect sense. If you trim your aircraft to achieve a specific speed, you can maintain that speed regardless of the power setting without having to touch the flight controls, because the trim holds the airspeed steady.
The elevator trim keeps the aerodynamic forces acting on the elevator consistent. And since a constant indicated airspeed generates a constant aerodynamic force on the tail, the elevator trim will adjust the pitch to maintain that airspeed.
If you reduce the power, the trim will cause the nose to pitch down and utilize the force of gravity to compensate for some of the lost thrust. And your airspeed will remain relatively constant if you allow the nose to move on its own. In fact, aircraft climb and descend due to excess power, not the pitch attitude. If you have more power than is necessary to fly level at the trimmed airspeed, you’ll ascend. If you have less power, you’ll descend.
So, if you find yourself below the glideslope, add a bit of power and let the nose gently pitch up.
And if you’re above the glideslope, reduce the power and you’ll descend back to the target altitude.
This method works flawlessly when you’re flying without automation. However, things change when you have a flight director. Here’s why.
Method 2: Pitch for Glideslope, Power for Airspeed
If you’re flying an ILS with a flight director, the flight director guides your pitch to stay on the glideslope. But why is that?
Most flight director and autopilot systems can’t control the throttle. They can only control the elevators, ailerons, and possibly the rudder. So, they have to manage the aircraft using pitch and bank without considering the power. When you’re flying an ILS with the autopilot engaged, you’ll adjust the power to manage your speed, and the flight director/autopilot will control your pitch and bank to stay on the glideslope and localizer.
As you navigate the ILS, you’ll follow the flight director’s pitch commands to maintain the glideslope, and you’ll set the power to maintain your airspeed.
If you’re low on the glideslope, the flight director will instruct you to pitch up. You’ll need to increase the power to prevent a slowdown.
And, if you’re high on the glideslope, the flight director will command you to pitch down. You’ll have to reduce the power to avoid speeding up.
What’s Your Method?
So, which method is the best for flying a glideslope? In many ways, it’s a combination of both.
Even though we almost always rely on a flight director these days, we still practice non-automated, “raw data” approaches quite frequently. And when we fly without a flight director, we pitch for speed and power for the glideslope. When we fly with automation, we pitch to match the command bars and adjust the power for speed.
But, in practice, pitch and power are always intertwined. If you’re high on the glideslope and not experiencing a slowdown, pitch down and reduce the power. If you’re low and not moving too quickly, pitch up and add power. They work in harmony. And while it’s easier to get the hang of instrument flying when you associate one control with a specific action, remember that you never act on either the pitch or the power in isolation.
So, what do you think? Would you pitch for airspeed and power for the glideslope when flying without automation? What works best for you? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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