✈️ Aviation Brief — Issue #18
Weekly insights for student pilots and the instructors who train them.
THIS WEEK'S TOPIC
CA.V.D — Eights on Pylons (Commercial ACS)
### 1. ACS STANDARDS SUMMARY
From the FAA Commercial Pilot Airplane ACS (Task CA.V.D: Eights on Pylons), the applicant must exhibit knowledge of the maneuver's elements, including selection of pylons, groundspeed control, wind effects, and risk management like collision hazards. In the skills demonstration, the pilot performs two full sequences (at least two figure-8s around two suitable pylons) while maintaining: altitude ±100 feet; airspeed ±10 knots; constant groundspeed (resulting in equal-radius turns); appropriate bank angle (±10° or 10% of required bank); heading ±10° between 180° pylon-to-pylon segments; and proper coordination with no skidding/slipping. The examiner expects smooth entries/exits, division of attention between pylons and aircraft control, and division of attention to collision avoidance.
### 2. THREE COMMON STUDENT MISTAKES
- **Varying groundspeed or turn radius**: Students chase the pylons with power or bank changes instead of holding constant groundspeed, making one turn too tight and the other too wide—examiners notice this immediately as unequal arcs.
- **Fixation on the pylons**: Pilots get "pylon lock" and neglect altitude or airspeed, drifting up/down 200+ feet or speeding up/slowing down outside ±10 knots while staring at the ground references.
- **Improper wind correction on crosswind legs**: Without anticipating wind drift, students fly inside the pylons on the upwind pylon leg, creating a sloppy figure-8 shape instead of perfectly centered tracks.
### 3. CFI PRO TIP
"Before starting, taxi between your two selected pylons on the ground and note the exact distance—aim for 4,000-6,000 feet apart in a C-172 at 90-100 knots for a natural 20-30° bank. Pick them perpendicular to the wind, then visualize an invisible 'cone' projecting from each pylon top to your altitude; keep the cone's edge tracking the pylon shadow for perfect radius every time. This builds muscle memory faster than any demo ride."
### 4. SAFETY SPOTLIGHT
Low-altitude precision maneuvers like eights on pylons mimic real-world risks in aerial application or pipeline patrol, where wind gusts and fixation lead to controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). An NTSB report (CEN20LA123, 2020) detailed a commercial ag pilot's fatal crash during similar pylon-style turns at 200 feet AGL; the pilot fixated on ground targets, allowing a 300-foot altitude loss into rising terrain—highlighting the need for vigilant scan and go-around discipline even in practice.
### 5. DID YOU KNOW
Eights on Pylons originated in WWII military training to simulate bombing runs and improve groundspeed judgment under fire. Today, FAA requires them at Commercial level because they directly build skills for low-level ops like banner towing, with no minimum pylon height specified—just ensure 1,000 feet AGL clearance over obstacles.
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