Definition
A heading in the Instrument Flying Handbook that groups the typical mistakes pilots make when entering, holding, or leveling off from straight climbs and descents while flying solely by reference to instruments. Common errors covered in this section include failing to maintain a constant pitch attitude during the entry, chasing the airspeed or vertical speed indicator instead of flying a stable pitch, allowing the heading to wander because of torque or distraction, applying power and pitch out of sequence, and overshooting or undershooting the target altitude during level-off due to late lead-in.
Plain English
This is a section in the FAA's instrument flying book that lists the mistakes pilots most often make when climbing or descending in a straight line on instruments -- things like not holding a steady pitch, drifting off heading, mismanaging power, or busting the target altitude when leveling off.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument training when practicing altitude changes while maintaining a heading under instrument flight conditions.
Why Pilots Care
Recognizing these errors allows pilots to self-correct quickly and maintain assigned altitudes, headings, and airspeeds, reducing the chance of altitude busts or loss of control during IFR operations.
Grounding Statement
In a straight climb or descent, the airplane is changing altitude, but the pilot is still expected to keep direction, airspeed, and control smooth and accurate.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “straight” only means the airplane is generally going forward. Here it means maintaining a selected heading or track while climbing or descending.
Example Sentence 1
Before her instrument checkride, she reviewed the common errors in straight climbs and descents so she could catch herself chasing the vertical speed indicator.
Example Sentence 2
By studying common errors in straight climbs and descents, the pilot learned to keep the nose attitude steady without overcorrecting.