Flight Plan (FLIGHT series #01)

Flight 28 - Center of Gravity

Center of Gravity

The Center of Gravity (CG) is the point that the total weight of the aircraft is said to act through; the point of balance; the part of the aircraft that follows the flight path; the point that the aircraft maneuvers about in the air; and the point that the three axes of the aircraft pass through.
The position of the CG determines how stable or how maneuverable the aircraft will be. Starting at the mid position of the fuselage, a CG moving towards the nose of the aircraft will increase the stability and at the same time reduce the maneuverability; similarly a CG moving aft will result to the opposite. Too much stability increases the flying control stick forces and the work load trying to overcome them; too much maneuverability makes the aircraft unstable and difficult to control.
With regard to airplanes, the CG is not fixed. Hence, manufacturers set down CG range of movement limits.
This is something that airline's "Load Controllers" work on. They balance out the distribution of weight in the aircraft. Despite airlines allow passengers to pick their seats by online booking, airlines has the last say in regards to passenger's seating arrangement. At such occasion, airlines adjust the distribution of their cargos, which were placed in the belly of the aircraft.
Hence, changing of seats is not allowed. Unless, authorized by the Pilot-in-Command (PIC).

———

Since my first flight, it appears na nagkakaroon lang ako ng schedule once a week. That is too much of a rest day for me; dahil every time na mabibigyan ako ng schedule, kahit hindi naman ako nangangapa sa lipad like I've progressed a lot sa maneuvers, it doesn't give me a complete chance to start having the feeling of landing the plane on my own. Balita ko, dito hirap ang marami for their first solo. It is easy to handle takeoff kahit may equivalent na critical moments siya like landing; but the latter, for me, is much more. Because there's the additional knowledge that you've already gone through the workload and here comes another crucial moment that too much pitch up for landing will cause a tail strike or a lack of doing so will cause a prop strike.

"Masasanay ka rin. Pakiramdaman and focus," sabi sa akin ni Capt. Manalang noong natapos ang first flight namin together and it turned out to be my second lesson.

Kahit madami siyang tanong sa akin during pre-briefing about sa lahat ng procedures of maneuvers na kailangan matutunan for PPL, nagawa ko naman; since pinagtiyagaan kong i-memorize for that one week na hindi ako nabigyan ng schedule. Thankfully, it had been rewarding dahil naging chill lang din ang lipad ko with him. And this time, instead of doing airworks sa Bataan area, sa may shoreline ng San Felipe naman kami nag-training; just two waypoints away five-miles out of Subic sa north.

Pinagawa niya sa akin lahat ng mga pinagawa rin sa akin ni Capt. Corpuz. Those level flights, paggamit ng trim tabs, level shallow and medium turns, climbing and descending shallow and medium turns, and maging stalls. Thankfully, katulad ng kay Capt. Corpuz, 'yong first series lang ng stalls, which is level flight and hindi full stall. Tinuruan niya na rin ako about the S-along and S-across the road, which is mukha namang same kaya hindi ko alam kung ano ang actual difference; and also turning around a point or orbiting. Linoloko niya pa ako na pwede na ako magpa-upgrade ng lessons to traffic pattern—which is the main focus for first solo.

Mukha lang siya talagang strikto but then, like no'ng kay Capt. Corpuz, those two hours lessons each with them had given me an overview that we can even treat one another as friends kahit sa lipad. Baka maswerte lang talaga ako sa primary and secondary FIs ko, at wala pa akong nakakaharap na masungit talaga. Just praying that the day will not come for that.

Slowly ay nakapag-adjust na rin kami sa mga FIs namin and maging sa stay namin sa Subic na nagiging kampante na kami. Treating Subic as some recollection, na pinamagatan pa naming "PBB Subic", dahil sa unpredictable schedule ay hindi namin magawang umalis kaagad-agad and ng walang pasabi sa mga FIs namin and sa FOO sa Subic.