Lesson 16 - 1st August

Today was another hour continuing with circuits.  Once again the wind was pretty much straight down 2 5 so a repeat of all the previous circuits.  It was a little bit bumpy so not a perfect day.

We concentrated on some take offs instead of just doing touch and go's and, obviously, on the landings.  Today it just seemed like an uphill trek!  Again I wasn't relaxed and was forcing the aircraft a bit too much.  I was very stiff with my legs and feet on the rudders and need to be a bit more relaxed there.

Take off wise, these got a bit better as the hour went on and I must remember to keep the right rudder in more as the aircraft it as full power as there is more prop wash forcing it to yaw.  I need to watch my attitude in the turns, especially when I have different levels of flap on. 

Landings, I need to concentrate on lining up with the centre line and using more of the rudder to steer the aircraft.  Dave also said that he wanted to feel me using the rudder pedals more on the landing approach.  He described it as 'Dancing' on the pedals and, again, being more relaxed with them.  

I also have the tendency to over control the ailerons and I only need small movements not big ones.

The round out and flare still need work.  It is a very much a 3 stage approach.  The first round out is at about 15 to 20 feet and this is to come out of the steep decent.  Once you are at 20 feet, keep the aircraft there as as it comes towards the ground, pull back to flare not to the runway.  This will vary in time, but needs to be smooth.  The idea is not to land but to keep flying the aircraft about 2 or 3 feet off the runway and trying to stop it landing.  It is the lack of power that will eventually allow the aircraft to fall to the runway regardless of the efforts you make to stop it.

It just needs more and more practice.

A couple of other observations.  I had my line of sight wrong.  There is a small hump on the cowling and I was eyeballing to the right of this when I need to be eyeballing to the left of it.  This meant that my lining up was not right and also my use of the rudder in the turn was also affected.  The other was my radio.  Dave said that my radio was good, in that I was clear and concise and talked at a nice steady pace.  However, this was not the case on one of my approaches to land when I completely lost the ability to talk.  I couldn't get the aircraft call sign out and couldn't remember what I was suppose to say!  It was all a garbled mess.  I was concentrating so much on the landing, I think my brain was overloaded.  It only happened the once but I must have sounded like a complete idiot to anyone who was listening!!  

Purchases this post

Lesson £135 - 1 Hour

Totals

Total Costs = £3948.91

Total Hours Icarus C42 = 15 hours 50 minutes

Total Hours PA-28 = 1.05

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