FLYING BASICS -Pitch and Power! 1946 J-3 Cub 

Gosh, every pilot should know this. The recent Debonair accident was such a tragedy. I received a tail wheel endorsement in a Taylorcraft L-2 at Reid-Hillview airport in the early 1970's by Anna Frenzel, a former WASP pilot. Unfortunately, my first couple of landings looked like the first one here; not finding the ground. She clearly informed me of my errors. Her signature in my logbook is perhaps my happiest memory.

I remember doing partial panel patterns with my primary instructor way back in the day. We did 3 or 4 with everything except the altimeter and airspeed indicator covered up and they were "acceptable." Then he said, "this time let's really have some fun!" and covered up the rest. We did a few more with no flight instruments at all. "You'll be a little off altitude, you'll be a little off airspeed, and you won't land right on your spot, but you'll be fine." He was right. With the simple stuff most of us fly, eyes out the window are all we *really* need when it comes right down to it.

Always remember my instructor in the 150...."you need to get that picture thru the windscreen cemented in your mind for ever, like a sixth sense" He was darn right.

I've always felt the J-3 is, in its own way, as near a perfect airplane as there ever was❤. Honest, docile, and forgiving, even beautiful. I think many pilots today have lost touch with basic airmanship and don't get their heads out of the cockpit enough. THIS is the type of training we could all benefit from😉.

I really enjoy watching you in the J-3 Cub. I have many many fond memories of flying with my uncle in his J-3 Cub. He had 3 of them back in the day. The last one he got as a wreck and rebuilt it from the frame up. I have at least 100 hours of flying time in his 1946 J-3. Although, I was priced out of the hobby when I was younger, I enjoyed the time I had with. Your videos brings back a lot of memories. I love listening to that 65 HP Continental Engine when you prop it on the videos.

This brought back memories of flying the lovely L4 Cub (Military J3). I found that with the side open ( as it always was when I flew it) just as all 3 wheels were about to touch simultaneously the lower side door would float up as a sort of AoA indicator! What a lovely aeroplane!

Many years ago I was flying in northern Minnesota in a Cessna 150. Suddenly I was overtaking a J-3 Cub 1,000 feet below me. I wagged my wings at him and thought,”Goose….Goose… Talk to me, Goose.” Ah, delusions of grandeur.

That's pretty much spot on with speeds and visual references to fly the Cub. Had mine now 14 years, with 1200 take of and landings and around 350 MM, and haven't bent anything yet. The floating bottom door is your best indicatiaon of nailing the 3 point landings every time. Over the many years of flying almost anything with wings and a engine, the Cub if my favorite by far.

Love your channel. Among other things I'm a UK glider pilot, and when the cable breaks on launch we're trained to push over so hard that all the dust comes up off the floor so we regain flying attitude in moments. Maybe more power pilots should spend time in gliders (sailplanes to you rebels).

This is a gloriously excellent video! Right to the point, and no instrument-nonsense. Pure visual flying with a side dish of seat of the pants - and a reminder that landing a tailwheel aircraft isn't all that easy. Love it! Makes me want to go out flying (even if "just" in my flight simulator).

Back in 1965, I was getting dual instruction in a Taylorcraft and a Cessna 140 as well as a Cessna 150. Never soloed the Taylorcraft but did 2 of my required solo cross countries in the 140. I had problems with the steep learning curve of a taildragger but once my instructor taught me to be more active with the rudder, the problems went away. Noticed that on both landings in this video, the pilot was very active on the rudder.

One of the biggest part of the basics I learned during my flight training. And I’ll be bringing those skills with me on my check ride on the 9th of January.

You are a good man, Juan keep them safe. No shortcut to experience.

Merry Christmas Juan, I’ve said it before but your channel should be mandatory viewing for all pilots.

I was fortunate enough to learn how to fly in a J-3. Best trainer ever. Full stop. You really didn't need instruments to fly it, as Juan showed, everything is visual. Basically the difference between a stall and a mush is that in a stall, the door flops up. darn it, now I have to go find someone to give me some Cub time!

Great video! I'm a flight instructor here in Brazil and we use a Brazilian model similar to the PA-11 called P-56 Paulistinha to teach. I did my PPL on the same aircraft. It used to be the most commom trainer in Brazil but is nowadays rarer to find. Pitch and power are the first lessons we give and although it should be the simplest of things, a lot of comercial pilots we get to transition in to tailwheels or to recheck their single engine license don't know how to do it properly. The basiscs shouldn't be forgotten!

I love J3 Cubs!! The love for them started young as a remote control airplane of one and through life admiring them from afar at airfields and vintage fly-ins, so I’m envious of you being able to freely fly one! Congrats as well on 400k subscribers, this is testimony to your commitment to commentary on helping improve flight safety.

My dad had a Cub all the time I was growing up. I love the fact that it is the absolute KISS Keep It Simple Stupid. The Cub is the perfect No Nonsense Trainer.

Juan i don't even fly but you're a god send. Knowledge is (pitch and) power

Been flying my 1946 J3-C85 for many years, and appreciate this sound piloting advise .

Merry Christmas!

Hi Juan I just got home from doing a Christmas rip in my little Murphy rebel. My CFI is a 70 yo high time tail dragger guy. He’s all about this kind of flying. His favorite saying is “the wing is the thing” Thanks for sharing your method! Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Juan , I never stop learning while watching your videos. Thank you. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from a dull dismal France.

Man that little guy sounds GOOD taking off what a sweet little airplane and our favorite pilot flying it!

I’ve only flown in the Super Cub, it was just a flight from Piper Field back to Frederick Maryland. I was in the front seat and group captain Willy Hackett RAF was the back seater. This cub belongs to my brothers glider flying club. It’s mostly used for tail wheel training and glider tow training. I don’t remember Willy saying anything about where to put the nose of the airplane on the horizon. If there had been air scoops like on the regular cub, he may have mentioned it. I just can’t remember. It was only the second time I had flown an airplane with a stick rather than a wheel. I found it very easy to do. I believe on the way up to Piper Field I flew an RV, they called it a mustang ll. It was quite fast, and I enjoyed every minute of it! On the way back, I flew in the super cub. Love the channel Juan!❤😊

Great stick and rudder skills! I'm not sure how much I trust an airline pilot who doesn't fly a taildragger regularly!

Nicely explained, in the UK we sometimes call it point and squirt :)

FWIW: I was a student pilot back in 1979-1980, and I soloed {at 18 years of age} in November of 1979. {I did not continue on and get my PPL, mainly due to the lack of $$$}. I mention all that to explain that I still remember _'becoming aware'_ from my flight instructor that on landing approach I used throttle to control rate of descent and aircraft attitude to control airspeed. I was already an AVIATION NUT even BEFORE I started taking flight instruction, but this throttle/attitude thing was new to me. Great video Juan. Sweet Cub...👍

Thanks for the refresher. Takes me back all the way to 1958

I imagine that Pete knows about pitch and power by now. Merry Christmas to you and yours, Juan!

Another great video, keep them coming, nice flying for fun, I'm always learning, lovely summer flying out of Wangaratta, Australia

The Basics BRILLIANT 👍👍😊Thank you

Well explained and demonstrated fundamental concepts and the yellow Cub is just right for it. I’m out of the flying thing but I wish more schools had tailwheel airplanes to take lessons in. The flight school I used to rent from had a 1946 J3 Cub, electric start, wind-driven generator to keep the battery charged, a C90 engine that climbed nicely and slightly chunkier tires for off-pavement fun. For the somewhat short time it was available to rent I got my tailwheel endorsement in it. It helped me tremendously with flying the C172: I was no longer timid on the rudder and found I wanted way more rudder (like the J3 Cub had) in forward slips than the Cessna had. Also had some neat, recorded flights with some of my kids. Maybe one day I’ll get a Luscombe ;). Thanks a lot for taking the time and fuel to post this 😎

Some of the most thorough content a pilot could ask for out here in the webs

stick and rudder never gets old...

I am buying the RC version of this airplane and do a little flying of my own. What an amazing machine Juan.

Great video showing attitude control by visual references, I used to use a grease pencil to help new students learn the proper attitude for climbs, descents and level flight. However, I must respectfully disagree on pitch and power. Pitch always controls altitude and power controls airspeed unless power is fixed, then power is fixed pitch controls altitude and airspeed. I can send you FAA instruction teaching this method and notes from an Air Force Manual teaching the same. It is how I was taught in the 70’s as a student and how I taught as an instructor from 1978 until 1987 when I started my airline career retiring in 2014. I do enjoy your videos and I also watch all of Dan Gryder’s videos. Both of you are doing a great job increasing General Aviation safety.

Great stuff Capt. Brown! Gotta have those basic things sharp, even if you fly the coolest jet with all the bells and whistles

Merry Christmas

Never stop teaching!

Absolutely, never stop learning! Never be complacent because you think you know everything. Beutiful Cub. Thx Juan

Just wanted to say how much I appreciate and enjoy your videos.

Really interesting (I'm not an aviator) with a clear message, bearing in mind the recent Debonair tragedy, that pilots' first requirement is "fly the aircraft". This basic knowledge and skill is obviously fundamental to being a skilled and safe pilot who can cope with emergencies. Thanks, Juan,.

Wonderfully concise and illustrative! Love the music theme too.

How many people would be alive today if they had just taken the time to learn this? Juan is a very good teacher.

I learned to fly in a C150. I really learned to fly in an Aeronca Champ, adverse yaw is so much more apparent.

Climb at 60 MPH, descend into the pattern at 60 MPH and THEN slow down. Hearing that I have never been happier to know the local NORDO cub generally only shows up when he can sneak into the crosswind runway instead of mixing into the generally busy pattern!

Pitch & Power…That’s what I learned…a long, long time ago. Probably saved my life a dozen times!

My dad learned to fly in a J-2 with one of the top Female Flight instructors after WW II on the GI Bill with only partial vision in his left eye. Army Medic volunteer for the draft he lost his right eye when he was 12. Top testers from the CAA passed him with comments he was one of the steadiest pilots they had ever flown with. He never bought a plane he just did it to open the door for other veterans. Decades later with a little familiarization flying in his friends 172 he was able to recover the plane from a death spiral spin 500 feet off the ground when he his friend lost awareness in lowering clouds over Montana. Elk hunting trip was not successful, and he forced his friend to get his instrument rating after that trip. Good presentation of the basics.

Thanks for taking us back in time. Your little Cub has soul.

I was watching your assessments of the TNFlyGirl (or whatever her handle is/was) incident, and this concept is what consumed all of my thoughts. This was a bit difficult for me to grasp in my training at first, so much experience driving cars teaches that pulling power slows you down, it takes a minute to learn to adjust airspeed with pitch.

Nice ! I remember the old days flying the 46 J3.

So glad to have found this channel!!! It's so well done!

Thanks, Juan. I'd just like to point out that pitch does not exclusively control airspeed and power does not exclusively control altitude. Some of the comments on here have me wondering if people understand that. There are situations in which pitch is "primary" for airspeed because it controls airspeed more effectively than power, such as during the landing approach. But if people ignore power as a means to control speed as well, that could be dangerous. Imagine you find yourself in a high-speed, power on dive and you only think about using pitch to decrease your airspeed. No, you have to also reduce your power. Best wishes for the new year & safe travels!

Memories of my training love it

Spot on teaching as usual Juan. The view from the back seat brought back so many good memories; and voices , long stilled, shouting those same directions above the staccato sound of a leaky 75 HP Lycoming. All the while we hobble along 3000' over the wheat fields of the Walla Walla valley.

Learned in a champ in the 70's...great stick & rudder plane also! Merry Christmas from Pa!

I have always dreamed of flying . That was my favorite of all of your videos . Very informative .

My original instructor, Ken Hatch, was very clear about making sure I understood that the yoke controls the airspeed, and the throttle controls the altitude. He was also very keen on trimming the aircraft, particularly on approaches. Trimmed to his recommended approach speed the aircraft controls remained light, but stiffened quickly if you tried to use the yoke to control the altitude. He had me demonstrate how easy it was to stall the plane if you tried to control the approach speed untrimmed by brute force and pull back a little too much - you just couldn't feel the difference but the stall was dramatic.

400k! Congrats! Merry Christmas!

Great info, Juan. As a non-fixed-wing pilot, I appreciate your insight. Hope you and the family had a Merry Christmas, and have yourselves a very Happy New Year.

Great pithy instructional video! That is how I fly my 1940 J3C-65, but I have done it so long that I don't even think about it while I'm doing it. I do get 73 mph at 2150 rpm, though.

Just a guess, but I'll bet Juan absolutely loves this kind of flying as opposed to the massively complex, "insulated" time in a commercial airline cockpit.

The stick is Airspeed, the throttle is altitude.

I learned to fly in a 1946 CUB in central Florida in 1966 while in the Navy as an air traffic controller at the Sanford Naval Air Station. Some of the best times of my life, but the plane i flew did not have that many instruments.

Good reminder that you can't stall an airplane at zero g. Also love tailwheel planes. Merry Christmas Juan! I really enjoy your channel.

Love that old J3. Flew one in C.A.P. to do holiday traffic counts for the state patrol. Cars & trucks passing us but we were having a blast! No smoking sign was taken seriously as it was painted on the fuel tank in your lap. Beautiful aircraft.

Merry Christmas and Happy Festivus

Merry Christmas to you and yours Juan

Merry Christmas from Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪

I have a 46 Cub as well, it is amazing how the wing naturally loves 65 MPH, I use the same windshield reference points.

excellent demonstration!

Merry Christmas, Juan . Thanks for all the great content this year. By far, the most considered and informative covering of aviation topics on RU-vid! Best wishes from the UK 🇬🇧

I'm glad you're telling people to keep their eyes outside the cockpit! 👍

surly, I can't be alone in, patiently, anticipating & awaiting this video? Excellent as always Juan.

CLEAR PROP!

Im terrified of flying. I probably will never do it again. But I love your videos!

This is the real recreational flying. This is why I fly.

Thanks for the lesson! Merry Christmas. My dad rebuilt a Taylor craft and we had some fun rides. He liked tail draggers.

Pitch and power! Whenever I had a student sent to me because they were failing to progress to solo I would just go flying with them with the artificial horizon and airspeed indicator covered. Look outside, put the nose where it needs to be for the power setting and flight regime you're in, then trim it to stay there. They would always be amazed when I uncovered the airspeed indicator for a second and the needle was right where it needed to be. Their flying would usually improve dramatically in just one session. I once even made an ATP candidate just do an hour of basic air work under the hood with the airspeed indicator covered, the improvement was dramatic when he just concentrated on pitch control and stopped chasing the airspeed needle.

Received a Blancolirio t-shirt for Christmas from my daughter. Thanks @Brie FromTX 😊

JB, the master.

Excellent tutorial!

Love that beautiful Cub

BCATP yellow? What a beautiful aeroplane. I became familiar with that shade when modelling 33EFTS Caron, where dad was posted 1943 on his journey to piloting a Pathfinder Lancaster. Posted a video doc if anyone's interested.

Authentic WW1 experience :) Maybe get a glider plane's parachute backpack, just in case. They are about 3 grand and flat on the back so you can use a normal seat. Alternatively just an emergency pouch stowed in the craft for about 600 but takes more prep time and presence of mind in an emergency. There seems to be a pattern that accidents are more frequent in old planes for various reasons. Less performance envelope, lack of ballistic chute, older metallurgy and less sophisticated engineering. And time to fatigue. We don't want to make Mike Patey sad :)

love learning the basics thanks

I don’t think there’s anything more pure than flying a J-3 cub! Lovely video, clear, concise and to the point!

What a great airplane to learn that basic lesson in !

Merry Christmas, Browne Family! 🎄

So very well articulated Juan. Nice job.

"Pitch + Power = Performance." I heard that a million times from my first CFI (1971).

Beautiful airplane -

Sticks here from STIW... (JB Hall) Reminds me of wise advice before I was off to Whiting Field... (Remember PAT) Power, Attitude then Trim. The fundamental stick and rudder skills. Just grreat reminders for all of us. KEEP IT UP KELLAN!

Thanks man, I hope to take some lessons in '24, for recreation only. Your RU-vid was the thing that kicked off my interest in flying.

Cub... awesome fun

What a great teaching aid. Thanks!

Happy holidays and congrats on the 400K🎅🏻🎅🏻

We used to do non instrument circuits for club comps and our chief instructor used to complain bitterly every time that people seem to do better approaches with no instruments 😂