Commercial Eights On Pylons

UND CFI's Mike Lents and Anthony Bottini take a deep dive into the Eights On Pylons maneuver in the Cessna 172SP and explore the various planning elements and pilot techniques that are necessary to make this maneuver work just right. Mastering this commercial maneuver is all about learning how to constantly divide your attention and control the aircraft smoothly and predictably.

[@abhisheksukhani9124]

8 years hence, this video still stands out. Great job.

[@marcogil5092]

Love the sunglasses.

[@undaerocast]

That's great to hear, and believe me, there are many many hours put into producing these videos, so its great to hear from AeroCast fans that appreciate the series. We are working hard to get more consistent releases on the channel. Thanks for your comment!

[@sebastienjoubert8702]

Great work Mike and Tony! Many many hours spent watching these videos. Glad to see they are being updated!

[@NML777X]

Welcome back! Love the new video. Amazing job on the production. Keep them coming. Can't wait to see more.

[@Chris-io4rr]

Easily the best explanation and walk-through of eights on pylons. Thank you UND.

[@AroundTheGlobeTrotters]

I always look for UND videos. Well done and explained. Thank You

[@svenf1]

Excellent video - this is the first source that really helped me understand what actually needs to be done with this maneuver.

[@RudyNortz]

You guys do some of the best aviation vids on the internet.

[@Davethehorse321]

Going to try flying this maneuver for the first time tomorrow! I'll have to watch your video on lazy 8's as well. Definitely going to be recommending my students to watch your videos prior to my lessons when I become a CFI!

[@wimbledonreliefsociety4145]

Very good video. I can't wait to go back up to practice.

[@undaerocast]

Thanks very much, we're very happy you like it.

[@undaerocast]

Thanks very much Bob - that's the overall goal and we're happy you think so! Take Care.

[@abbieamavi]

*this video is so well made, and explained very well too! Graphics, explanation, everything is helping me study for my CPL. Thank you so much!*

[@undaerocast]

You are too darn kind. Its great to be back and we do have other stuff in the pipeline but we're also working on something very cool for AeroCast fans in the future - so stick with us and enjoy the shows. Thanks for the comment!

[@kale1305]

Great video guys.

[@greenalan12]

fantastic video!

[@javiator0083]

Very helpful. Thank you!

[@jonathanmoore9661]

When I am teaching these, I have my student imagine the shoulder line is a gun shooting the pylon, and that we are a kite with one string length that cannot be longer or shorter. We figure the pivotal altitudes for known down wind and upwind and use those as guides. We enter on the 45 degree angle downwind between the pylons and begin the maneuver when we start the first turn. We adjust the bank for distance from pylon while simultaneously adjusting pitch to keep that pylon in line with our shoulder bone. Every few seconds, check forward and look at gauges and look out for birds, towers, terrain, note places to land in case engine fails (should be done when selecting pylons.)

[@sonnyburnett8725]

Well it has been a few years "1971" but for some reason I thought you held the bank constant and varied the pitch and altitude. Sorry, guess I'm remembering it wrong or the PTS has changed. Nice video, wish we could have had these. Very nice.

[@brianb5594]

Excellent tutorial!

[@CJModiano]

Awesome vid. Thanks.

[@dsj123123]

Thanks very much; awesome videos. I feel much more confident going into my comm. training! (and as a native North Dakotan, go UND! :)

[@Aviatorpaal]

Awesome!

[@pilot_micah]

This is a really well made video!!!

[@RobertBremmer]

This video shows a good out-the-window view of what the pylon should look like. Sometimes it's hard to find perfect pylons - power lines are good, but f you don't have those, it can be a road intersection and a tree, or a pole and a bridge.

[@immortaljatt05]

Very well explained

[@hawker800FO]

most instructional for sure, ive shown a few to a student of mine. seemed to help her

[@LSC2001]

This looks like fun practice.

[@juanbetancur1046]

Great video thanks

[@pilotactor777]

Excellent.

[@bashdan]

Hi! Very nice and informative video. I was noticing that the calculations for the minimum pivitol altitude shows a multiplication sign instead of a division sign. Is that correct?

[@devilsamrat7]

very helpfull...thanks a lot for the video :-)

[@TroyWhistman]

There is an error in the formula displayed for minimum pivotal altitude at 5:53 in the video; you should DIVIDE the squared groundspeed by 11.3, not multiply!

[@jinkyulee5589]

It is true . WRONG calculation on the video .

[@MalkiZee]

Definitely from the finer aerospace videos on the web.

[@royalbirb275]

As a Riddle pilot I feel a little bit traitorous watching this, but it helped a lot...thank you! xD

[@comander402]

hello I love your channel great thanks and greetings friend ok ..

[@Mogley03]

what would be a real life scenario for using this technique?

[@GZA036]

why was 75 chosen as the minimum ground speed

[@mytech6779]

95 tas minus 20 headwind in the direct upwind portion of the turns. 105 is top ground speed because there is no direct downwind portion of the maneuver, the 60deg entry makes the tailwind component about half of true wind speed.

[@JC-cw1ww]

" The pilot will need to cross directly between the pylons to place *himself* " The pilot will need to cross directly between the pylons to places themselves" There, I fixed it for you.

[@_aidid]

He wear a nice pair of sunglasses

[@subsoar5734]

this one is such a pain in the ass

[@carlangaz007]

why 11.3?

[@aryank2000]

Carlos Sanchez it’s a big derivation. It is 11.3 for knots and 15 for MPH

[@1stinsonguy]

The UND video's are great, but please consider using a non-repetititive, monotonus background tune. Thanks, and keep up the good work.

[@alexeyozerov5234]

Great material. MUSIC VOLUME SHOULD BE MINIMAL. It. blocks the narrator. Another suggestions - do it for Piper aircraft also (both high & low wings). Thank you.

[@ricardoavq]

Great video without this annoying music!

[@user-bt2lx4gy7h]

Is it just me or does he look ridiculous wearing that shirt in a 172?

[@CFITOMAHAWK2]

Waste of time and money maneuver. From guys that cannot do all take off emergencies.

[@mytech6779]

What else would be expected from faceless tax funded bureaucrats three degrees removed from any real responsibility? Hell, just the number of scientifically inaccurate statements in FAA educational materials [some 5 revisions in!] when I was in ground school, just about made my head explode.( I took ground in my 30s after years of other engineering education.) Listening to many [half of those I have met] FAA certified "advanced ground instructors" try to explain basic aerodynamics is like listening to a flat-earther explain the motion of the moon.

[@chrisjavier1767]

Great video as always, but unfortunately just like the older series of these, the music is far too loud, far too distracting, far too overpowering, and definitely needs to be removed...

[@andyhawaii2819]

Your videos are way over-produced. It’s distracting