Chapter 15 - Handling Qualities

This section will set forth the types of tests, procedures, instrumentation requirements, data analysis and presentation, and the purposes for conducting the various tests required to define an aircraft's handling qualities. In general, handling qualities tests are conducted to define the basic stability and control characteristics of the aircraft, define how the aircraft responds to pilot or other inputs, and to define techniques to maintain safe flight in the operational envelope. The terms handling qualities and flying qualities are often used synonymously; however, a distinction is sometimes made between the two notions. Flying qualities generally refers to a set of attributes determined by an aircraft's stability and control characteristics. Handling qualities reflect the ease with which a pilot can carry out a mission task using an aircraft that possesses a particular set of flying qualities. There are a number of sources of detailed information regarding test conduct, analysis, presentation, and evaluation of handling qualities. A few of these sources are listed as references and several more are shown as bibliographic entries.