Definition
A grouping of recurring instrument-flying mistakes pilots make when entering, maintaining, and leveling off from straight climbs and straight descents. Typical errors include using improper power and pitch settings, failing to cross-check and trim during the change, relying on a single instrument instead of a full scan, chasing the altimeter or vertical speed indicator, leveling off late or early, and allowing heading to drift while attention is fixed on pitch.
Plain English
The usual mistakes pilots make when climbing or descending in a straight line on instruments — things like setting the wrong power, forgetting to trim, staring at one gauge, or drifting off heading while focused on altitude.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument training when learning to climb or descend without turning, especially during basic attitude instrument flying practice.
Why Pilots Care
Identifying these errors early prevents loss of control or altitude excursions during instrument flight in actual weather.
Intuition Check
Do not read “straight” as casual or approximate. In this context, it means the airplane should keep the selected heading while climbing or descending, not wander left or right.
Example Sentence 1
After the lesson, the instructor reviewed the common errors during straight climbs and descents and pointed out that the student had been fixating on the altimeter instead of maintaining a full scan.
Example Sentence 2
Recognizing common errors during straight climbs and descents improved the pilot's altitude control in the clouds.