Doesn’t take long to become rusty :(

[danny_galaga]

So I went on holidays and today is the first time I’ve flown in a month. It was terrible   Forced landings were dire, I got lost twice! Had to do a go around too. All this caused the instructor to use a few choice words  

 

so ive gone from thinking I was going to do my flight test on Sunday to looking at more revision.

 

i never want to go a month without flying again!

 

on the plus side, and the instructor agrees- it’s better to be shaken up a bit now than be complacent later

 

 

[KRviator]

Had to do a go around too.   

Why is a go-around seen as a bad thing among pilots? I average one go around for every 4 landings I do at Somersby because it has very little margin for error and I'm not prepared to push the boundaries. The aim is to get down in one piece, not get down off the first approach - that is a bonus.

 

 

[Love to fly]

More revision and currency is good.  And absolutely nothing wrong with going around - EVER.  I fly most weeks.  If for some reason I don't fly for a few weeks I notice the difference.  So don't feel bad about it, just accept you need to get up to speed again and then I'm sure you'll blitz your flight test.

 

 

[facthunter]

It's not like lifting weight and at no stage will it just "happen". You will always have to be the one that makes the plane do what it must do.  It never runs on rails and is a creature of the air and subject to it's vagaries. You manage this and make it come together.. THEN you are an "airman"  Nev

 

 

[danny_galaga]

I think it was a combination of nerves and jet lag. Annoyed at myself because I’ve been there before and kind of kidded myself that it was like riding a bike. But I guess if I hadn’t ridden a bike in twenty years the result might have been similar

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Depends on how many hours you have done Danny......we all get a bit rusty after a month. Sometimes I havent flown for 3 months...first 5 mins is terrible..well I think its terrible. The trick is to get used to the feel again before you start doing setups for landing. Takeoff then fly around for 20 or 30 mins. Go up to height and do a few stalls and slow flight etc...then come back to the circuit and setup for T&G. It is like riding a bike you dont forget but what you lose is the finess of flying. That is what you need to get back into the feel of. Gentle on the rudder and the stick. 20 mins of just flying the aircraft and putting it in the piece of sky you want it to be in and holding levels will soon bring back the skills you have learned. Dont feel special Danny...everyone is the same. Another thing NOT to forget is any pilot with 100 hours or so under their belt is still very much a novice pilot

 

 

[ClintonB]

I agree, I had 35 days without a flight lately, I went last weekend on a 1.5 hour flight to somewhere I had never been just for new scenery. When I got back to a medium crosswind, given a straight in approach. Supprised myself with a good landing by briefing myself on way down to remember everything I have been taught. I would much rather fly once a week if weather permits. Always found this better for skill retention.

 

 

[facthunter]

You put in the effort. Often when things are really calm and you think you will pull off a greaser for sure the whole thing goes "Clunk" into a very ordinary arrival. With gusts or a crosswind you concentrate more. Better result.. Nev

 

 

[Toestub]

I had a shocker BFR due to 6 months out of cockpit. Lets just say I looked like I had never actually landed a plane. Came back a week later and you wouldnt know I was the same pilot. Didn't help I was taught a bit different to the way the new CFI expected me to manage the plane in the circuit. His way made sense but rusty and trying to adapt to his way made some silly mistakes.

 

 

[Yenn]

No matter how experienced you are you can always find faults with your flying. Hopefully as you gain experience the faults become less life threatening. At the moment I seem to be verticly challenged, I have trouble holding altitude to as close a tolerance as i would like.

 

 

[facthunter]

Go back to basics. Its a situation- response thing. If you are descending, check and adjust attitude slightly more nose up either by instrument or visually. If you are accurate at attitude holding you will fix it.. If you "fixate" on the VSI or Altimeter you will overcontrol. Same if you "fixate" on airspeed. with either power or pitch... People think when they are in early training 'Straight and level".! How easy is that? But it isn't easy to do it RIGHT.

 

Try running through the whole speed range, frequently trimming it out. Don't fly on trim. (The old bad habit). Elevator placed to achieve attitude then trim the force out. You KNOW this of course, but are you doing it? Nev

 

 

[danny_galaga]

One thing that was throwing me off is that the Tecnam throttle slowly inches up. So in straight and level say I’ve trimmed it at 4800 rpm after a while it may have gained a hundred rpm or so and because I didn’t notice that, the plane slowly climbs. The effect is even more pronounced when landing but you just keep a firm pressure on the throttle to keep it at idle.

 

 

[BirdDog]

It's funny you say that Nev. I tend to leave my trim alone completely during take off and landing. I only trim out during level flight.

 

I just never felt comfortable trimming on final and having a somewhat "sloppy" stick. I like to feel that I have back pressure etc - does that make sense? Plus I don't ever want to get into a situation where I am forced to put forward pressure on the stick because I have over trimmed it etc.

 

Some pilots say I am mad, some say they do the same thing - but it works for me.

 

 

[facthunter]

Some aircraft don't have a lot of trim change with speed change. Others have a lot.( Far too much to contemplate holding against) Generally don't trim in turns and a bit of back pressure on final sometimes is appropriate. A lot of go arounds require a quite high forward stick pressure, especially if the speed increases markedly. This can be deadly if the seat locks fail. under the load. Nev

 

 

[snarf007]

I had a 4 month hiatus from flying and went with my local instructor last week for a refresher. I knew I was rusty, but had no idea that I would be that rusty. Booked another hour this weekend and It amazes me that I always learn something when I fly with a CFI.

 

Keep safe

 

 

[facthunter]

So you should if she/he is any good at the job.. Dual is not a punishment . It's an opportunity. Nev