During eights-on-pylons, if the projection of the visual reference line moves forward with respect to the pylon, what should the pilot do?

When the projection of the visual reference line moves forward with respect to the pylon during eights-on-pylons, the pilot needs to climb to the pivotal altitude. This is essential because the pivotal altitude allows the airplane to maintain a consistent radius around the pylon, ensuring that the pilot can properly navigate the maneuver.

At the pivotal altitude, the weight of the aircraft, the turn radius, and the bank angle are balanced such that the aircraft can pivot around the pylon. If the projection moves forward, it indicates that the aircraft is too low for the current configuration and is not in the proper position to maintain the maneuver effectively.

Climbing to the pivotal altitude provides the correct height for the aircraft to maintain the necessary turn radius and ensures that the visual reference line aligns properly with the pylon as expected during the maneuver. This adjustment helps in controlling the arc of the eights around the pylons smoothly and accurately.