regular practise...how often do you??

[foxy]

Hi guys,

 

This is just a general enquiry to the flying public, to satisfy my own curiosity.

 

After all the posts re: steep turns and stall speeds etc, and after taking a few guys out for conversions to do some P.F.L.'s, and stalls etc a few weeks ago, and finding out how much i had to re-teach him, and even in some cases, having to save us from entering some pretty hairy situations, begged the question....how often, as licensed pilots,do we practice things like steep turns, stalls and practice forced landings?? In essence, the things that may one day save our lives.

 

Its surprising to me having taken a few guys up that have their licenses, for conversions, and asking them if they practise these things.....the amount of times i have heard....NO, not since i did them during training.

 

So, i wanted to find out if there are many guys that do this as a regular exercise during their days flying. Im lucky in the fact that teaching these sequences keeps me current, but, it should be something that we all try to practise. At least every now and then. Just for my own curiosity....

 

Thanks, Liz

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Depends daldy, in my own aircraft I might throw in some manouvers once a month or so. If I jump in a different aircraft either after a service, or a type I haven't flown in a while, I will make a point of doing some stalls, and throwing it around a bit to refamiliarize myself with the type.

 

Since a lot of my time is in taildraggers, and a lot of my landings three-pointers, I'm basically approaching stall just prior to touchdown anyway.

 

simply if you don't make a point of practising these manouvers regularly, you will no doubt lose the skills...........................................................................maj...

 

 

[foxy]

simply if you don't make a point of practising these manouvers regularly, you will no doubt lose the skills......

 

Maj,

 

That's exactly why Ive asked the question....I've seen the skill level for these types of things not at all at a level they should be for license holders! I was hoping with this thread, it might just remind a few people to go out and do some refreshing!!

 

cheers.

 

 

[Tracktop]

Ok Liz I'll have a go

 

Steep turns - sometimes

 

simulated forced landings - regularly

 

engine out on takeoff - occasionally

 

short field stops - often

 

stall recovery - nope - but then I do fly a trike and spend a lot of time practising not to require a stall recovery.

 

 

[Guest burbles1]

I get a bit tetchy if I haven't flown for about a month to 6 weeks, and feel that I at least need to get a few circuits in just to keep up skills for that. Today was the first time in 5 weeks I'd gone up, and I did a few steep turns for practice. Next time, I'll probably do glide approaches if there's no circuit traffic.

 

I haven't practiced stalls since my Certificate a year ago, but I did some PFLs in May before Camden became Class D. Problem is that I'm limited as to where I can do PFLs safely at an airstrip - I will only do them where I can go right to the ground (e.g. The Oaks) - but I don't have a x/c endo yet so I can't go to The Oaks for this. A bit frustrating.

 

 

[Tomo]

Great question Liz, and one that I often think about myself. Just of late I've done a lot of this sort of thing, due to having to demonstrate it in my GA training etc.

 

I was flying with another instructor many months ago for a check flight to use his aircraft, when he asked the question, "how often do I experiment (for want of a better word), and really get to know your aircraft". That's when I really thought about it, and make it a regular thing now, as much as possible.

 

The hard factor for us that don't actually own an aircraft is the cost, you hire an aircraft to do a certain thing, go to this place etc... not just for practicing stuff. It shouldn't work that way, but I'm sure that is a steering factor for a lot. I'm fortunate in that I can borrow, and or use many types of aircraft now, so it has been pretty good.

 

What area's do you find pilots lacking in when demonstrating these things Liz?

 

Personally I get skitish if I haven't flown at least once a week! The last month or so I've pretty much done a bit every second day......

 

 

[dazza 38]

A few weeks ago i flew the Tecnam Golf, i had not flown it for about 6 months, although i fly different a/c around every second weekend, first thing i did was do stalls, then steep turns, just to get used to her again.Even though i have had a certificate for years , every few months i like to go up with a instructor, whether to get endorsed in another a/c, or sometimes just to see for myself that , i havent got or grown into bad habits.

 

 

[foxy]

tomo....

 

have found a few areas lacking. mainly with stalls. on a few occasions ive had ailerons usad to recover a wing drop....an aoutomatic reaction i know....but reminding the guys of the reasons not to use them....astounding at what people forget, and how quickly.

 

with the plf's is always the guy trying to pick theire landing area, or make a mayday (pretend obviously) call, before remembering that they have to keep flying the aeroplane!!! i explained to one dude, that id rather land the plane safely, having not done a mayday call if not sufficient height, instead of making a call and not 'land' at all....

 

ill admit that berfore my instructing days...even though id only had my license for only a short time before starting the instructor rating....i didnt practise them. now i can see just how important the skills are. if by asking this question means that only one guy goes and starts practising.....means that's one guys life potentially saved!!

 

 

[octave]

Last fortnight - forced landing practise, stall and a couple of steep turns

 

Today circuits.

 

To me practising these skill is a big part of the joy of flying. After I got my pilot cert I think I probably did not practise these things as much, just happy to get up fly around and get back safely but as my confidence grew I started to practise these skills more often. Of course during my first BFR I had to demonstrate these skills to the CFI so it would seem foolish not to keep these skills up to date .

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes really valuable post Liz, for those practising stalls, do have plenty of height under you, as they can lead to unplanned spins on rare occasions, but it is important to practise them, a well excuted stall series will give you no dramas..............Maj...

 

 

[motzartmerv]

If your having to think about what you need to do to recover etc...your not practicing enough..

 

 

[Guest burbles1]

Like BlackRod, I get a bit anxious with practicing stalls. But then, I once flew a Tecnam Sierra with an instructor and did a power-on stall with full flap - the sudden wingdrop at stall was unexpected, and corrected quickly. If this type of stall can lead to wingdrop, that is good practice to recover from an incipient spin (depending on the aircraft characteristics of course). I'd only do it with an instructor, though.

 

 

[ahlocks]

....I wanted to find out if there are many guys that do this as a regular exercise during their days flying.

Weird you should ask this tonight Liz..

 

I needed to take the tin toy for a run to recharge the battery this arvo and after all the discussion lately about stalls and slow flight I went and practiced just that. With a PFL and some circuits thrown in for good measure.

 

And to think that you lot reckon I never pay attention.....

 

 

[farri]

if by asking this question means that only one guy goes and starts practising.....means that's one guys life potentially saved!!

Practising,thereby maintaining and gaining skill, is something I`ve always promoted and have tried to get across in my posts and by asking the question,it gets the readers thinking about it and shows that some are actually doing it.

 

Cheers,

 

Frank.

 

 

[facthunter]

Practicing. Skills

 

Being able to throw a plane into and get out of a steep turn quickly and cleanly, is a good check. Conventional stalling and recovery is too mechanical and predictive. IF you stall a plane, unintentionally, it won't be like that.

 

Try a figure of eight with the bank angle going to 45 degrees. Power increase at entry and reduced at exit. If you hold your height and bank angle and control your airspeed properly, you are doing it OK.

 

ALWAYS clear for traffic before performing any manoeuver.

 

Try practice stalling off a steep turn. Do it with an instructor IF you are not thoroughly aware of what the plane can do. This is most likely the way you will come to grief in reality. Be aware of stall stick position. Always have sufficient height to do this practice.... Then go and practice your x-wind landings. That will keep you on the ball.....Nev

 

 

[icebob]

Hi,

 

I set myself a programme for the year, I guess this comes from my military training. I use at least 20 hours per year on top of usual practice times. So each month I add some additional component to my programme.

 

here is my latest

 

Jan-Feb

 

6 stalls

 

4 engine outs on final.

 

reduced elevator control.

 

Mar-Apr.

 

As above plus

 

steep turns 10 L/R

 

May-July.

 

as above.

 

DR Nav. 100 - 200 kms.

 

Study met: + any section/chapter in xc book.

 

CASA publications.

 

 

[The Wolf]

Practice is all i do.

 

I don't have a cross country endorsement and for the near future, dont intend on getting one. When i hire the plane i pretty much just run through the BFR/test for an hour or 2 and circuits.

 

 

[Spin]

Probably not as much as I should, I have been flying with various passengers recently, most of whom don't really appreciate being thrown around. That said my son is gaining confidence and has quite enjoyed the couple of steep turns and stall I have shown him. Must admit the first one was a little more ragged than I would have liked but it soon came good.

 

2 weeks ago though I made arrangements to go up alone during the week and ran through most of the essentials including PFL. I would also like to do some circuit emergencies including efato soon.

 

Although I generally strive to fly smoothly and avoid the outer edges of the envelope so to speak, as with driving and other physical skills, I don't think that you are as safe as you could be unless you do have an appreciation of and a degree of currency with those limits.

 

 

[farri]

Being able to throw a plane into and get out of a steep turn quickly and cleanly, is a good check. Conventional stalling and recovery is too mechanical and predictive. Nev

Nev, spot on,there`s a big difference between conventional practise and being able to throw a plane around,so to speak.

 

There are turning maneuvers that I do in the Drifter that can only be done by experience and a total awareness of what is required for that particular turn,I wouldn`t even try to teach them.

 

Frank.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Yes I practice.

 

Stalls, every now and then. My aircraft is not that easy to stall, particularly with only one POB.

 

Engine failures. Haven't been too keen to try this in the cold months in case ice turns a practice into a real failure, but as the weather has warmed up, I did one out over farm land a few weeks back, down to 500' AGL. Obviously I cannot go lower without the instructor (even over designated low flying areas), as I don't have a low flying endorsement. On returning to the AD, I dropped power on final and glided in. Its on my list to do some more in coming weeks from different places in the circuit and over the AD, traffic permitting.

 

Steep turns. Yes, often. First practised in preparation for a nav flight while doing my nav endorsement. The flight was to include flying up a mountain valley, so I wanted to know ahead of time just how much space I needed to do a 180 degree turn. As it happens, not a lot :-) A full "S" inside 880m.

 

Not quite sure what angle I reach exactly (what is the angle when the Garmin Aera turn indicator has turned 90 degrees to vertical at 60kn?). Haven't done any figure 8's over a point for a while, but turning about a point, yes.

 

Haven't done any strong cross-wind landings for a while, but need to pick a day when I feel like being tossed around a lot. Cross wind at YYWG creates mechanical turbulence across the runway, either from trees or hangars. You also need someone to brace the wing against the wind while you get in and prepare for a start. Then you need to be able to taxi out of the wind when you land (usually partially into the hangar).

 

 

[Guest burbles1]

Aww, geez - now you've done it. All this talk makes me want to go out again and practice maneouvres.

 

 

[sfGnome]

I've done steep turns and stalls relatively recently, and every flight ends with a few circuits trying to keep the landing absolutely perfect (oh, alright. Trying to get the landing somewhere within a bulls roar of OK :) ). What I haven't done for a while is engine outs (memo to self - just do it!).

 

I'd really like to try some extreme attitude training just so I know where the edge is that I should be keeping away from. Problem is, I can't do extreme in RA planes, and I don't think I can fly GA without going through all the guff to get a GA student ticket that I wouldn't use...

 

 

[Yenn]

I must admit that it has been all of 3 days since I did any of those manouvers. I love em, much better than droning along on a heading to wherever at x.000' Flying is for fun not boredom.

 

 

[djpacro]

........ and I don't think I can fly GA without going through all the guff to get a GA student ticket that I wouldn't use...

You don't need an SPL to fly dual.

[farri]

I must admit that it has been all of 3 days since I did any of those manouvers. I love em, much better than droning along on a heading to wherever at x.000' Flying is for fun not boredom.

Good onya Yen,I`ll support your statement totaly, straight and level is for going places.

 

Been two days for me........flying of course.

 

Cheers,Have fun,

 

Frank.