3 days 40 landings 6 hrs flying

[Compulsion]

I had 6 hrs up but hadnt flown for 3 weeks. I decided to spend 2 hours a day for 3 days trying to get landings right. I was very lucky that my Instructor Ian from RPA Murray Bridge could spare 3 days to spend trying to teach me something.

 

Thursday was a great day with nil wind, blue skies and smooth air. I did 14 landings in 2 hours with engine outs thrown in to keep me trying. We went over to another local airfield just to change things. I was amazed at how much feel I had lost in 3 weeks off. I ended Thursday with a good landing. Not great but good.

 

Friday I beg Ian for a change from circuits and he kindly agreed. We flew from Murray Bridge along the edge of Lake Alexandrina to Goolwa. My first attemt at a bitumen runway saw me really sweating. After a very ordinary coffee I took off and flew along the coast and then back to Murray Bridge. Just to upset me Ian made me do 3 circuits.

 

Saturday was work day. Circuits, circuits and more circuits. Around 15 landings at 2 different fields. I side slipped into Rolos loosing 1000 feet in no time. More glide aproaches and then home to Murray Bridge. I am still not consistant at landings. I am improving but still a way to go. I take my hat off to instructors that have the patience to do what they do.

 

Oh well next weekend will be more circuits.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Hi John, dont worry about not being consistant with the hours you have.It takes time and it will all fall into place.Sounds like you are doing fine.

 

 

[facthunter]

Go and do some airwork. Steep turns left and right and steep gliding turns . Get to push the plane around. You'll go stale on circuits. Just a thought. Don't spend more than 45 minutes at a time, when you are concentrating continuously, either. You get less value for your money Nev

 

 

[Doug Evans]

yep keep at it mate it will come enjoy garranty the first solo we bring u a grin from ear to ear ?

 

!

 

 

[Mark11]

I did my first lot of circuits today !! It was great... Low passes - no landings...

 

 

[Herm]

Sounds like you are doing just fine. Every person will have thier own learning time and thier is no competition. Just enjoy yourself as it seems you are. You can never spend too much time on instruction as long as you can afford it. Landings just seem to click. One day you will just get it, it's like a light turns on. Then you will land good most of the time..never every time, but you will always land safe.

 

Thanks for sharing your learning process

 

Regards

 

Mardy

 

 

[Compulsion]

This was flying along the Goolwa coast heading for the Murray Mouth

 

 

 

[REastwood]

What was wrong with the coffee John?

 

 

[Compulsion]

Lol. That was a joke when my wife asked why it cost me $400 to go for a coffee. Sorry it didnt come out the way it was intended. As soon as I get to fly with my wife I will be bringing her down so she can share the coffee. The view out from Goolwa is amazing. I hope to return soon.

 

 

[Guernsey]

Lol. That was a joke when my wife asked why it cost me $400 to go for a coffee. Sorry it didnt come out the way it was intended. As soon as I get to fly with my wife I will be bringing her down so she can share the coffee. The view out from Goolwa is amazing. I hope to return soon.

That sounds like good financial management to me, only $200 per cup of coffee. .

 

Alan.

 

 

[Mark11]

Before I started flying, $200 was a lot of money and I thought long and hard about spending it.... Now I've just surrendered and think nothing of it (otherwise ill get grumpy)....

 

We went out for dinner last night only $102!!!

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

Hi John, I can't tell you how many students whose whole training thoughts seem to focus on landings! Apart from the obvious that you have to do them, they are often over rated in their execution. AS others have posted, back to some specific upper air work is a good way to refocus, remember a good landing is really just a stall with a vertical reference point( the ground). So being comfortable at this end of the airspeed- feel equation is important. The other area that often helps are counting down to flare height and strip runs with your instructor for getting the reference height right. Anyhow, just some things to ponder that I'm sure your instructor is across with you.

 

Have fun!

 

 

[Pilot Pete]

I dont have much of a problem with landings. I love the feeling of coming down and greasing the drifter onto the strip. It's the take offs that I can't get a handle on. I'm all over the place and considermyself lucky that I'm still on the strip by the time I lift off. I seem to over correct the swing and feed in too much rudder, then I back off too much and swing back the other way.

 

 

[Compulsion]

Hi Peter. When learning to fly gliders I lost it on take off once and the tug dropped the cable when he lost sight of me. Take off I don't have an issue. I just wish I could get my eye in and nail the landings. LOL