Stalls and first decent crosswind landing

[2tonne]

Took-off from Lilydale at 4:30 pm for a flying lesson in a very grim looking sky today. Wind was 10 knots straight down runway 36 and we headed to the training area to practise stalls for my first time.

 

Found the Jabiru 160 to be pretty docile in the stall, although I have to remember to use rudder to keep wings level going into the stall rather than aileron! Would hate to put it into a spin or end up inverted.

 

Some light rain and reduced visibility in a darkening sky had us head back to the airfield around 5:10 pm. Noticed a crosswind on the downwind leg for 36 but didn't appreciate just how strong it was. Had the aircraft crabbing at a significant angle to the runway but nailed the approach on final, the flare with rudder to align with the runway and the landing.

 

Checked the windsock and it was looking around 15 knots all crosswind - confirmed this with weather app on iPhone on the ground which showed the wind as 14 knots direct from the west. Apologies if this is a boring post, but it was the first real crosswind landing that I have done well and am so stoked that I just had to share it:cheezy grin: Now have 8.4 hrs in the log book.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Well done! The landing is what its all about, and crosswinds are a great challenge.

 

 

[2tonne]

Thanks! Now I just have to develop some consistency with my landings, then maybe I can start thinking about first solo...

 

 

[Ultralights]

only way to get real good enjoying a crosswind, is to not be afraid of the windsock, and get out there on crosswind days.! now you know that 14 kts is nothing to be scared of, get out there and get confident in them

 

 

[Guernsey]

I just don't like 'cross' winds, I can't see what they are angry about.

 

Alan.

 

 

[facthunter]

Just a comment about keeping wings level with rudder "going into the stall",.rather than ailerons.

 

Any stall that bothers or kills you, you will not be forewarned. Fly your plane balanced in all normal flight conditions. ie ball in centre..

 

If the plane is stalled the ailerons should not be used UNTIL it is unstalled. There are a few exceptions to this but by applying the principle always you won't get into trouble by exacerbating the problem with aileron application. Nev

 

 

[facthunter]

Don't be put off by comments like mine, 2 tonne. Kick things around. Nev

 

 

[djpacro]

.... remember to use rudder to keep wings level going into the stall rather than aileron! ....

Is that really what your instructor said?Approaching the stall, keep the wings level and keep it straight (I prefer looking to a ref point ahead on the horizon rather than looking at the balance ball) is typically what I would say. I'd expect that to be done by normal use of controls.

 

If/when it stalls then different actions.

 

 

[widebody]

Correct. Don't try to level wings during stall (incipient or fully developed). Before and after stall, use aileron and rudder as normal for straight and level (i.e.. balanced and wings level) flight.

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

I used full aileron during stalls in a Piper Tomahawk 30 years ago, still remember being upside down and wishing I was anywhere else but there.

 

 

[metalman]

Who's your instructor?

 

Cheers Matty

 

 

[2tonne]

Since that lesson with the ripper crosswind landing, I seemed to have gone backwards a little. Last lesson was circuits with a perfect 5 knot headwind on final. Circuits were very tidy but I made some of the most ordinary landings. Didn't bounce it, but my instructor described them as "arriving" on the runway. I hope it was just an off day.

 

As for the use of rudder to keep wings level approaching stall, my understanding was that a heavy aileron input on a wing with a high angle of attack could make it stall before the other wing and drop quickly. Hence, just rudder to keep wings level. Nothing during the stall and then aileron and rudder as normal once recovered. Mind you, I have heard various different theories on effects of rudder and aileron close to the stall so could easily have mixed that up with my instructors comments.

 

 

[2tonne]

Hi Matty, forgot to mention, my instructor is Bob. Given your location, I guess you may know him.

 

 

[metalman]

Maybe by sight , I was flying Craig's Eurofox a lot ,got my own plane now but still drop in to say g'day regularly,

 

Cheers Matty

 

 

[Guest steve-nz]

Don't worry about the days where your landings are feeling a bit "off"

 

Every time the plane is in one piece and you can tax back, it's a good one.

 

I just started flying this year in a Jabiru UL 450 - and sometimes have that "flatish" landing still - only got 20 solo and about 40 duel now.

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

Some landings still dodgy........that's good and normal.........It's not unexpected in training to put down the aircraft so perfectly you cant exactly tell when you transitioned from flying to driving....and the next will be an "arrival"........improving as you train is about just modifying the ratios so that you have more of the former and less of the latter.......but the day you think you've got it to 100%former....then I'll forecast an "Arrival" is in your near future.......

 

Bottom line as long as its fun and as long as you damage nothing then you are getting what you paid for! When an "Arrival" occurs if you can understand what went wrong and why you did what you did, or what changed then that's even better.

 

My first serious Arrival after getting my certificate was landing on a cross strip in a way that the winds don't normally favour.....There is a line of tall trees close to the edge of the arriving end and I was landing normally with some cross wind component, about 40degrees from memory and when I let down below tree height the chariot seemed to almost fall out of the air......I learnt all about rotor near the top of the trees and the fact that winds on that strip with that direction fall away to nothing because of the windbreak of the trees........so I now tend to look for that possibility when I land somewhere new....

 

Andy

 

 

[ayavner]

Very normal 2tonne.... my whole journey has been one of 2 steps forward, 1 step back or sometimes 3 steps back. its just a sign that your brain has reached a saturation point and needs a bit of time to connect the dots. In other areas of my life I've come to realise that is a big part of mastering anything... the master knows when he is stuck on a plateau that there is something at that level left he needs to understand.