Photos: Solo flight; 9-11-05

[beaky]

Went down to 47N for a little pattern work this last Sept. 11th... was going to fly the day before, but had to cancel. It was a lovely day at Central Jersey Regional; this pic was taken later, when the wind had picked up a bit. I'm here to have a good time, but a moment of remembrance is in order...




My new friend, N75715, a 180-hp "Super Hawk", is waiting patiently for me, her first operator of the day.




During my preflight, this nifty Zenair Zodiac (?) in Luftwaffe colors showed up. The pilot was having trouble finding the fuel pump; I showed hm the way.





Starting to get busy as I taxi; there's a nice Comanche ahead.








He rolls before I reach the hold-short line for 07; there's nobody on base or final, so I take off for some pattern practice. Feels wonderful to be taking off solo again, esp. so soon after my last flight!!



A little wide coming off the xwind leg on my first circuit... but I get it together and make a few good landings. I'm still having trouble flaring 715 properly; it's weird. If I pull back, even at 50 kts with a good sink rate, she just rises and floats, and it's hard to put her down on just the mains. By the last landing, it's better, but not perfect. Next trip, I vow to hear that stall horn going as I touch down. At any rate, I now feel much better about the state of my pilot skills.

[Willit Run]

Nice Shots!!  Did you do any touch & go's or did you
follow the rules in picture number four??

[beaky]

Nice Shots!!  Did you do any touch & go's or did you
follow the rules in picture number four??

LOL... the last time, I did bounce it, and I was worried that that placard referred to some weird mechanical anomaly, so I asked the owner of the flight school (not the owner of the plane) what the sign meant. I did not mention that I'd bounced it...
He blinked at me. "What does it mean? No touch and gos!" he said.
"Yeah, but... why?"
He blinked again. "Because the owner doesn't want you to..."
So I hadn't created a possible disaster... I felt better.
No big, as I don't bother with t&gs. They save a little time, and teach you how t go around, but they're not proper practice for landings, IMHO.

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Hi Sean:

How much flap you carrying on final prior to touchdown.?

Are you adding flap on base prior to final?

With the stall horn activated prior to touchdown and right on the numbers I have 40 degrees of flap on the C172.  

I do not touch down half way down the field but on the numbers or as close to the approach end as I can.

One of the most useless things is the runway behind you!

Once the aircraft is on final and I am happy with the amount of flap I have, (no crosswind of course) and the nose of the aircraft is pointed at the numbers and trimmed I take hands off controls and trim.  Trim, Trim, Trim, the aeroplane will do the rest.  Fly with rudders and relax.

Over the approach end and at the numbers start to flair and as the stall horn goes off ease back on the power.
Let her settle on the mains with the nose gear dropping naturally.  On aeroplanes like the DC6, Cosmo and Herc you put the nose wheel on the runway but with a light aircraft like the C172 there is no need for that.

As for touch and goes...I see nothing wrong with them, done correctly they will sharpen your skills, especially on a 2000 ft bugsmashing grass strip.

Practise makes perfect buddy, just don't try to hard, it will come naturally without you realizing it happened.

That is one of the joys of flight, it will wrap you in its arms like a good woman one day and smack you like a professional fighter the next.  

That is why they say flying has it's ups and downs.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[flyboy 28]

Great shots, Rotty.

I don't see the point of To-Go's myself. You can learn to better your taxi skills.

[beaky]

Thanx, Doug: I know all of the above; that's why it's goofy that I'm still tending to nearly 3-point this particular 'hawk.
I used 30 degrees flaps on final for the last landing; it helped. And oh yes, as soon as I roll out on base, i always chuck in that second notch of flaps, unless I'm practicing a slipping, no-flaps approach at a long runway on a calm day...
I've gotten into the habit of making short-field landings with flaps 20 max, from flying so much out of now-defunct 2N8 (more than 20, and it's unlikely you'd climb safely on a go-around there, esp. off 09, with two sets of power lines to clear!). Now I'm trying to get used to a longer, obstruction-free runway, and it's harder...!
Go figure. I'll admit I was a little bashful about getting properly slowed-up on  final that day- a little bumpy, with a slight xwind again, and I guess I'm still a tad gun-shy  down low, with only a handful of hours over the last 5 years. I know, it's silly, esp. with the extra power available from that 180hp conversion. But at least I've been descending sufficiently on base... that's a step in the right direction.
As for the flare: I was consistently flaring over the overrun area, but floating a bit too much, and experiencing the aforementioned difficulty using pitch to drop her into the stall zone without ballooning, something I never used to have trouble with. Probably  3 or 4 knots too hot in the flare, that's all.
As for t&gs: I guess they're just no substitute for full-stops, that's all. I agree that certain skills can only be sharpened that way, but lIMHO, if you're going around after you've touched down, you went wrong way back on final.

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

I think you are trying to hard Sean

Try doing some approaches with visual to the runway only.
-from downwind to base
-ease back on the power and add flaps
-watch the runway
-let the nose drop naturally, trim by feel, keep watching the runway
-base to final, watch the runway, you will know if you need more flap or not, control the descent with throttle by watching the runway
-only glance at the instruments
-your vertical speed and airspeed should pretty much be set on base
-over the numbers switch your scan from straight over the nose to the left front corner of the windscreen...this might help if you are flairing to high or making 3 pointers.  Scan back and forth.
-Relax and don't be afraid to talk to yourself outloud. You may fine yourself correcting yourself which is what you want.
-Everything comes together in time, so give yourself some time.

Have Fun!

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Hi Sean

Guess I should have caught this right away:

that's why it's goofy that I'm still tending to nearly 3-point this particular 'hawk

It may not be you buddy, but all aircraft are not rigged the same, most types are close, but there can be differences and perhaps this bird is one of them

I remember a Chippie that had the rear stabilizer replaced, that bird hated students with a passion.
That aeroplane had to be flown all the time.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[beaky]

Aha!
I was hoping someone might validate my take on that... but of course you haven't flown '715 yourself... but I swear it's not just my rust... like the first time I flew it, during my BFR, I'll be damned if I couldn't level off for cruise properly. Other 172s I've flown, y'just start getting the nose down about 50 feet early, take a smidge of power out, then as soon as it stops climbing, take a little more out and she'll settle down level, and  you're there.
This one just would not stop rising, or so it seemed. Felt like I was nose-down, yet unless I powered back to about 2100, she still wanted to climb. I've never, ever had to push forward past neutral to level off a Skyhawk before, turbulence or no. This is not a bad trait for a Skyhawk with two people and full tanks, mind you, but it was weird. The CFI took it briefly to demonstrate something, and he, too, seemed to have a little trouble with it (he just started with this school, so it's a new plane for him, too). And the other-hmmm, let's look at the logbook- the  other ten Skyhawks I've flown in my time (189 hours total, mostly 172s) were not anywhere near so tricky for me to land properly as this willful old gal.
But whatever- it's not rigged wrong, just probably less worn-out than most I've flown, with a bigger engine. And a couple of flights on variable-crosswind, bumpy summer  days isn't enought to tell for sure. Next time, maybe, I'll have her well in hand...

It'll help if I stop trying too hard; you're on to something there, too. Flying is 90% mental, as they say, but it's possible to think too much about it.
Thanx again...

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Hi Sean

There is one thing left to do if all else fails...do not tell anyone about this

Whenever I go flying I always do my own walkaround, even if not pilot in command, I will nonchalantly, casually walk around the aircraft without anyone else close by.

At some point I will pat her on the nose and give her a little rub, with no one listening I will tell her what a wonderful looking gal she is.  I shall sweet talk her.

You know how to do it....you are not that old you can't remember your first date.

Now know one knows I do this so don't tell anyone, if the old girl found out I would be down in the barn standing in the corner waiting for the guys in the white coats

I never had an aeroplane not get me home yet, now I have had a few that didn't like my copilots, so they would act up a bit, the odd engine or instrument failure, nothing serious though.  

I would just tell the old gal after I was alone with her he wasn't much of a copilot anyways and pat her on the nose and leave it at that.

Well buddy you might want to try that the next time you fly that tempermental old gal, just don't let anyone hear or see you LOL

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[beaky]

LOL... very brave of you to admit that....
Y'know, I realize now I've been remiss. I always say hello to 715 as I approach for the walkaround, but I haven't given her a pat on the nose yet. What a cad I am!! No wonder she's miffed!!
 Normally, I'll do this- in fact, I've done a bit of airliner-riding in the last few years with this job; I've gotten into the habit of kissing my fingers then touching the exposed metal of the fuselage near the doorway as I enter the plane from the tunnel- thingie... I do it quickly, with a silent greeting, so nobody'll notice. Even those big, hardworking  girls need some respect and tender appreciation.
 ...but don't tell anybody....

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

SHHHHHHHHH.....I won't say a word

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[beefhole]

Yeah guys, this is the perfect place to exchange secrets you don't want anybody to know about

Don't worry.... your secret is safe with me... and my family... and my friends.... and the guys at my school.... and Lower Merion Township..... and Montgomery County....  and the state of Pennsylvania....

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

You be good now beefhole or rotty and I will make you fly with one of us LOL

AND

ROTTY lands with his eyes closed

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[Hagar]

AND

ROTTY lands with his eyes closed

Is that what they call blind-flying?

Carry on chaps. Don't mind me. This is all very interesting.