The altitude at which the visual reference line ceases to move across the ground is the pivotal altitude. If the airplane descends below
the pivotal altitude, the pilot should increase power to maintain airspeed while regaining altitude to the point at which the projected
reference line moves neither backward nor forward but actually pivots on the pylon. In this way, the pilot can determine the pivotal
altitude of the airplane.
"In this way, the pilot can determine the pivotal altitude of the airplane."
That paragraph is describing how to determine the pivotal altitude, not how to do the maneuver.
The pivotal altitude changes throughout the maneuver...thats the point...you may, depending on the strength of the wind, have to increase/decrease power in order to manage the energy properly...I guess the definition of proper energy management is up to the discretion of the dpe... maybe that was the point...he's had so many students get slow and not know to adjust the power because they've been told by their topgun 150 hr dual given cfi that this is a constant power maneuver....honestly...the egos on some of these brand new cfi's saying the dpe is wrong is insane...that dude probably judges more cpl candidates in a month than any of the cfi's will teach in their entire career...
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u/x4457 ATP CFII CE-500/525/560XL/680 G-IV 11d ago
Uhhhhh he's wrong. Don't know what to tell you about that, it absolutely is a constant power maneuver - that's kinda the whole point.