That comment by Wolfgang Langewiesche in his book "Stick and Rudder" has caused lots of discussion over the years. Maybe that is what he intended when he worded it so ambiguously.
"By pointing the nose down less steeply, you descend more steeply. By pointing the nose down more steeply, you can glide further"
ItThis is really only true if you are flying just a little bit slower than best glide speed (best Lift /Drag ratio) or (best glide distance). Also, that statement is really only true if you point the nose up or down just a little.
Best glide distance means the speed at which the most distance is travelledtraveled for the least amount of sink. ByIf you are flying slower than the best glide speed, putting the nose down and going faster, so that you are closer to the best glide speed, will allow you to cover more distance as the aircraft sinks. Also, that statement is really only true if you point the nose up or down just a little.
If you are already flying at the best glide speed and point the nose down, you will no longer be at the beast lift to drag ratio. You will increase the speed and distance travelledtraveled, but you will also increase the sink rate and drag from the higher airspeed. That will result in a steeper descent because you are no longer at the best lift to drag ratio.
If you point the nose down to 60 degrees below the horizon I guarantee you will not descend more steeply not less steeply and NOT glide farther as Langewiesche says in the book.
