Two Currencies You Spend: Altitude and Airspeed (AFH Ch. 4)

Every airplane is an energy machine: altitude and airspeed are the two currencies you spend, save, and trade every second you fly. Maya and Rico open AFH Chapter 4 — how energy height works, why pitch and power are really energy controls, and how energy thinking makes approaches stable and go-arounds obvious.In this episode:Energy height: your total account balance of altitude plus airspeed Trading the currencies: zoom climbs, dives, and what each exchange costs Pitch and power as energy controls, not just attitude controls Energy errors: the deficit approach and the overdraft flare VX and VY as energy decisions, flown on purposeSources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 4. Also referenced: **Chapter taught:** Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 4 — Energy Management: Mastering Altitude and Airspeed Control.; No specific 14 CFR sections are cited in this chapter — it is a conceptual, energy-model chapter rather than a regulatory one. No regulation numbers are stated on-air.; **Handbook edition:** FAA-H-8083-3C.; **Episode description disclosure:** Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.. Current as of August 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.