GraemeK

Tomo - my point entirely - we never use either throttle or stick in isolation, we're constantly adjusting both. But my challenge still stands - what happens in a perfectly trimmed aircraft in cruise if you throttle back to idle and don't touch anything else? I reckon the altimeter starts to unwind and the ASI stays at the trimmed airspeed (plus/minus a bit). Happy to be proved wrong. I'll let you know if our A380 driver is up to the challenge :DevilDog:

Sharp - 100% - and both methods produce the same result as I've pointed out before. In descent, both methods result in you maintaining the aim point constant in the windshield. If the aim point moves down, you're overshooting - either reduce power to increase descent rate, then forward stick to maintain speed - or forward stick to adjust glidepath, reduce power to control speed. Six of one, half a dozen of the other. At the risk of promoting disharmony in the Mazda household, I would question this - in all these cases we respond with both throttle and stick. For example, in turbulence, yes we reduce power but we also increase backpressure and thus the combined actions reduce airspeed while maintaining altitude. If we simply reduce power we'll enter a descent. Question for someone who has access to a plane (right now I don't, since I left my FAA licence at home ). Set up straight and level, trimmed for cruise speed. Check trim by hands off stick. Then throttle to idle. What happens immediately to ASI and altimeter? What happens then to ASI and altimeter? Just for good measure, what happens in the same situation if you lock your arm to maintain the same stick position? Interested in feedback as to what happens practically. If I can wangle it, I'll try to get our A380 driver to check out how his machine behaves on the way back home.

Maybe so - but that speaks heaps for the demand for training there. Frankly, if I tried to book into a school and they said fine, drop around in half an hour I'd be a bit worried - that'd mean they have no-one wanting to train there. Once you get into the booking cycle, you can be flying several times a week - go for it!

Mick - don't worry, absolutely normal but very frustrating! It's a bit like golf - just when you think you've got it licked you suddenly go downhill rapidly! Stick with it - things will get better. As my instructor once said to me, if it was easy, everybody would be a pilot .... :)

I haven't landed at YCEM, but have flown close by (from YLIL). Nothing much to add to the replies to your thread on the other forum - the Tecnam is a great trainer. Have you thought of trying Lilydale - choose between the Jabs or the Warriors, and a great team of instructors. Cheers GK

Service Difficulty Reports

Not so sure of that. Starting descent on base - back on the throttle, back on the stick to reduce airspeed to descent speed. So, holding nose up - and the trim lever comes back to hold the reduced speed. I suspect (although I haven't tried it) that Methusala is right re increasing power - in "See How it Flies" John Denker states that from straight and level in a properly trimmed aircraft, if the power is increased and no other changes are made, the airspeed will momentarily decrease slightly as the aircraft starts to climb.

I recall a few times at Minneapolis where we used reverse thrust to power out of the gate, instead of a tug. Must have sandblasted the wall of the terminal, not to mention the FOD. :jump:

Thanks folks - might try a little slower - although the landings are good ATM .....

Hmm - next theory then

Yep - I need one of those - under the wheels!

Ahh - that explains why I'm having so much trouble landing the b****rd then!

We aim for 75 on the approach in the 160 - half flaps. I know the POH says 63kn over the fence, but that's what we're taught - maybe because we almost always have a fair crosswind component.

Pretty much the same here Meth - trim for 75kt in the Jab, then eyes outside for 98% of the approach (other 2% is just glancing at the ASI to make sure it's still 75).

That distance error is what you'd expect with the wrong datum as basscheffers said ....

Freight guys seem like a fun lot, here's another:

Some nice shots there Tomo!

First, I agree with most - it's final! Secondly, it might add a word to the RT, but I always call turning (base/final/etc) and try to make the call during or immediately before the turn (where possible, of course - aviate first - if I've finished the turn before I can make the call then it's just base/final/etc). Reason? Anyone hearing my call and then trying to sight me has a much better chance of seeing me if the wings are banked.

Check-in's right - legally you can't. Only ATC can instruct a pilot what to do, and even then the PIC can override by stating "REQUIRE". Note that UNICOM and other CAGR operators are not ATC. I've heard RPT pilots try to tell others what to do despite the above. Asking another pilot his intentions is fine - I've often had to do it when I wasn't sure what they were up to, or where they'd forgotten to state intentions.

not sure about the others, but the Dynon has solid state gyrometers as well as the accelerometers.

Well done Wolf!!

It's a bit pricey just for use on the Jab I guess, but I use Tyrepliers bead breakers on my 4WD. They handle 13" to 19" rims, and mine came with a 4" to 12" adaptor so it'd do the job. Work like a charm, and won't damage tyres or rim! EDIT: Just checked out their website, and they have a lightweight motorcycle bead breaker for around $80 that should do the job (just like a fancy G-cramp but won't slip off) - but I reckon markendee's suggestion is the go!

Welcome to the forums Doug. Good on you!! A Tecnam's a whole lot more fun than a kitchen anyway (I'm trying to convince my wife the same, but with no luck at all). Looks like we both had the same late life crisis (except mine started at 60) - what a great way to enjoy retirement and to set new challenges.

Well said Darky! I'll be taking longer than Darky did to go solo, but by the time I do I'll have a fair bit of experience up. I spent a lot of extra time early on in the training area for instance - because if the weather was unsuitable for circuits, we headed off to practice advanced stalls, steep turns etc over and over. If I was focussed on cost or time to solo, I'd have headed home instead. I've also experience more than my fair share of messed up landings, but I'm getting there - albeit slower than others. To me, the learning never stops, and the solo is one milestone along the way.

I agree with Tomo - you can never read too much. There's nothing black and white in this flying thing, and coming at it from several different perspectives helps you to build an understanding. Chris, I agree about some of the things in Stick and Rudder being dated - but what really amazes me is how much is absolutely still relevant, given the book was written 66 years ago, and only 40 years after the Wright brothers - when we were still learning about flight and aircraft.