Hi

[Lyn]

Hi, Im a new member. Im learning to fly in a Jabiru and absolutely love it. I have the best instructor and would fly everyday if I could.

 

 

[Guest Chainsaw]

Gday and welcome Lyn!

 

Seems like you have a bit of flying passion happening there :)

 

 

[Lyn]

Yes, I know. flying is very addictive isnt it?

 

 

[Guest Chainsaw]

Where do you fly?

 

Whenever you have lessons, be sure to get on here and tell us your story. We would love to hear.

 

 

[Guest Darren Masters]

Hello Lyn from a former Jab driver. How do you like it? Where you flying at. Welcome to TAA. Would love to hear your stories.

 

 

[Lyn]

Hi, I started having lessons in the jabiru in June and really enjoy it. I fly at South Grafton and have the best instructor.

 

 

[Guest Chainsaw]

Good on you Lyn. Nice part of the world too. Tell us about your training, we would all love to her about it.

 

 

[Lyn]

Would like to know how many hours it took you guys to master the landings. I think Im one of those people that likes to keep doing something over and over until I get it. I hate doing my circuit training for an hour and then having to wait a week or two before I can get back for more practice. The hour goes so fast!! (especially when your having so much fun). This week I did cross wind circuits.

 

 

[dazza 38]

HI Lyn, welcome.Everybody is different, with how many hours it takes to master landings.Also, very dependent in what you are learning to fly in.Eg- a Jabiru is a little less forgiving than a Skyfox Gazelle.As a example.What will happen is that it will all fall into place.Everything will click.As you build up more experience, having a two week break between lessons, will not be as detrimental as it is when first learning.By that i mean that, when guys first start learning circuits and have a couple of weeks off, it normaly takes a bit off time, in the next lesson to get back to where they where when they finished the last lesson few weeks before.Its best to try and fly at least weekly, when doing circuit training.I hope this helps.Cheers

 

 

[Lyn]

Thanks, I try to get there weekly, it depends on the weather and finances. I would love to just buy a plane and go there everyday!! With the landings, I do the best circuit, come in for my final and it's not until im just about to land that I then seem to get the ground effect happening and my landings become pretty dodgy. I suppose just more practice then.

 

 

[Coop]

G'Day Lyn,

 

Hey, the bit you are learning now is the hardest part.It's a very finely judged visuo-motor skill, and it doesn't come immediately. Lots of people experience rapid improvement, then a "plateau" where they don't think they are getting any better. If this happens to you, this is NOT the time to give up, because what's happening is your brain is making the transition from a skill you have to think about to one that happens automatically, without having to think about it. Just keep at it, and one day it'll all fall into place, just like Dazza said. Probably the nearest comparable skill is riding a bike- and that only happens in two dimensions!!

 

Keep at it- it'll come soon,

 

Regards

 

Coop

 

 

[Guest just Mal]

I'm up to 17 hours, flying 170 and also160 (3 hours) and just last week got a Much improved added into my file by my CFI.

 

Yes I'm just starting to nail my landings . I told Mike that I would treat ALL my flying as if I was flying solo, and I did my flying as if it were true.

 

It helped heaps, I fought like hell to nail the landing and thats what happened.

 

Its too easy to say Help when looking at grass instead of strip (yaw happening) or when trying to flair.

 

The little Jab moves around a bit doesen't it.

 

The hard part is looking at the end of the runway as you get into that last 12 feet, while this voice says "keep descending". you need to do this because you can judge your height, yaw and descent better when looking at a fixed point a long way away .

 

Then suddenly the voice says "don't land", "don't Land" and its time for lots of elevator.

 

So I'm 2 ft off the ground and this guy is telling me to use heaps of elevator which at speed, in circuit would make may blood curdle and he wonders why I'm a bit tentative.

 

Yep at slow speeds you need more input and yes you have to try these things , mistakes tell you what to do or not to do.

 

Finally its all power off (throttle) and we sink gently on to the runway.

 

That wasn't hard was it.

 

The definition of a landing as I understand it is " a controlled crash into terrain".

 

It sometimes is a frustrating process and no two landings will be the same, you will work on it for the rest of your flying life.

 

So.

 

Happy landings

 

Mal

 

use of the throttle is really important to landing the jab. and adding power will stop you from touching down too early or to get out of trouble if you want to go round. As well tne controls have more authority if you have a little power on. lastly use the nose (pitch attitude) to get your speed and the throttle to get descent rate, fight any sink etc.

 

 

[Lyn]

Thanks guys, that makes me feel better. I think what Im doing is not lifting the nose and keeping it there for long enough, perhaps last time I tried to land the plane too quickly and because I had too much speed up still, it ballooned. Im waiting for a nice day with no cross wind so I can try again. I think there is a bit more pressure for me also (in my own head), as I am the only girl at our club learning to fly. All the guys seem to pick it up much quicker and they all sit on the verandah watching me!! Atleast I give them a good laugh when I bounce the poor Jab on my touch and goes. So far I only have about 3 hours of circuit training.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Hi Lyn, just to add.Its best to have a mental picture of "trying to hold the a/c off the runway, just after Flairing", instead of trying to fly the a/c onto the runway.The aircraft will settle on the runway, when the airspeed is bled off to a stage that, it will no longer fly.I have not flown a Jabiru since 1998, and that was a LSA 55.But i do remember,it was a little twichy, when keeping straight, compared to other tri-geared aircraft. Mal, has mentioned in his above post "dont land, dont land".Good advice. Recreational type a/c, dont like to be forced onto the runway. Also if airspeed on approach is faster than recommended, jabirus will float along way down the runway.

 

It will all fall into place, with more experience.Just have fun Lyn.Keep us posted on your progress please.

 

 

[Guest aviatrix27]

Hey Lyn, I thought it was about time I chimed in too.

 

I just looked in my log book, and my first solo was after about 15 hours, more than 1/2 of that was circuit training. I'm a GA pilot and that was in a Cessna 172. I was more than slightly miffed when my husband soloed a week before me (we learned together). For a really long time, my first solo was my best ever landing, I finally did one even better in a friend's plane 3 years ago.

 

I've been through stages where I've had a lot of "untidy" landings in a row (usually with an audience), but lately, something seems to have "clicked" and most of my landings are pretty these days - that could change at any given moment.

 

Don't stress over it, just try to relax and fly the numbers, and remember any landing you can walk away from is a good landing; when the plane is still airworthy it's an excellent landing.

 

Keep up the good work!

 

 

[Guest Darren Masters]

Lyn, safe to say the little Jab is 'trickier' to land than most GA aircraft. It will fall into place in time. Very experienced pilots still have shocking landings sometimes.

 

 

[Lyn]

I have another lesson in one week, will let you know how it goes. Darren, do you fly with Jetstar? I went to Sydney recently and got to have a look in the cockpit of the virgin jet. Those big planes are awesome arent they

 

 

[Guest Darren Masters]

I have another lesson in one week, will let you know how it goes. Darren, do you fly with Jetstar? I went to Sydney recently and got to have a look in the cockpit of the virgin jet. Those big planes are awesome arent they

Hello Lyn. I am one of the cabin managers in Auckland for Jetstar. If you ever on one of my flights let me know. Always nice to give people who have an interest a look up front

 

 

[Lyn]

Oh sure, I will do that thanks. It would be nice to visit Auckland. We arent having very nice weather here, it's been raining for over a week and is supposed to keep going for another week. I can't fly the Jabiru in the rain because of the wooden prop, so waiting for a nice day. Since i've been learning to fly, i've never watched the weather and hated the rain so much!!!

 

 

[Guest Darren Masters]

Oh sure, I will do that thanks. It would be nice to visit Auckland. We arent having very nice weather here, it's been raining for over a week and is supposed to keep going for another week. I can't fly the Jabiru in the rain because of the wooden prop, so waiting for a nice day. Since i've been learning to fly, i've never watched the weather and hated the rain so much!!!

Oh yes you will get to know the feeling of not being able to fly due to adverse weather real quick! Auckland rains 90% of winter. Miserable sometimes really. In summer though it's lovely.

 

 

[Lyn]

Our aeroclub is having the annual fly-in at the end of the month, and this rain is making the aerodrome quite wet and it doesnt look like it's going to stop. Its good weather for reading. Im sitting one of my exams this week, hope I pass!!!

 

 

[Lyn]

Just wanted to say thanks to you all for your landing advice. I did what you all said and landed the Jabiru without my instructor taking over. YAY. I have done 4.2hrs of circuit training and have 10 hrs all up in my log book.

 

Once I got down low enough I looked right to the end of the runway and just kept flying it along the runway (like I was crop dusting it) until it lost enough speed to touch down. I think looking to the end of the runway like Dazza and Mal said was the trick. Now I cant wait to go again.

 

 

[Guest just Mal]

Well done! You're picking it up very quickly.

 

yes watching a point at the end of runway was something my instructor reminded me about on Monday when one of my landings was pretty ordinary.

 

I have just started cross wind landings and glide approaches this week. I can tell by my training that my first solo is not far away. I have 19 hours so far.

 

Happy Landings

 

Mal

 

 

[Lyn]

Thanks Mal, Im appreciative of all your help. My instructor actually got me to do a few circuits in a cross wind 2 weeks ago, he thought it would take my mind off the landings ha ha. I did a great cross wind circuit, but had no hope of landing it properly since I hadnt even worked out how to land in calm weather at that stage. Now that I have that image in my head and know what to do, I might have a better chance.

 

I have another lesson Saturday morning and am hoping I can do just as good.

 

Let me know about the cross wind landings and glide approaches, and any more tips. Its fun in the wind.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Its great to hear that your training is going well Lyn.