Definition
The coordinated control inputs and instrument scan technique used to transition the aircraft from level flight into a stabilized climb, involving simultaneous pitch increase, power adjustment, and trim while cross-checking the attitude indicator, airspeed indicator, vertical speed indicator, and altimeter.
Plain English
How you start a climb smoothly: raise the nose to the right pitch, add power, and trim the airplane while watching your instruments to make sure the climb is going the way you want.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument training when moving from straight-and-level flight into a straight climb using the flight instruments.
Why Pilots Care
A proper climb entry maintains airspeed and positive aircraft control, preventing stalls or altitude deviations in instrument conditions.
Intuition Check
“Entry” does not mean entering a place here. It means entering, or beginning, a flight maneuver.
Example Sentence 1
On the checkride, the examiner asked for a climb entry to 5,000 feet, so the pilot smoothly raised the pitch to the climb attitude, added climb power, and trimmed off the control pressure.
Example Sentence 2
During the climb entry the student trimmed the aircraft to hold the target airspeed without further adjustment.