An old guy finally learns to fly

mikeinbama said:
Don't know if anyone here has ever landed at ALX, But runway 36 runs uphill and it has a bit of a swag past the numbers. It creates an illusion of being too low, so naturally, I flared too high and dropped it in, but the plane was still flyable...
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I did my first XC to ALX today, you're right it really messes with your timing and depth perception.

Roll Tide
 
I thought I would resurrect this thread. Apparently I'm still learning. Switched from a tapered wing Piper to a Hershey Bar wing........I don't think a brick falls out of the sky faster. Seems like learning to land all over again.
 
Mike, yeah I fly a 1965 Piper 180 with a hershey bar wing. I've been very surprised at how quickly it sinks when you pull the power vs a C172. I've gotten used to it and actually I enjoy it way more now.

In a 172 I'd do a stabilized approach all the way down, and basically pull power completely when the field was assured. In my Piper I carry some power all the way down to the field and need to almost immediately add more back pressure when I pull the power since the nose is much heavier (CG more forward) than the 172 and want's to go right down. If you do that in a Cessna you'll blow right out of ground effect. Cessna's have some crazy float potential.

It does take some practice, but I'm greasing more landings in the Piper then I ever did in the Cessna's. If I started out flying low-wings and went to a high wing, man I'd probably be floating down half the runway the first time I tried it.

Most accident's I've seen from low-wings come from people carrying power then pulling it and when the nose drops they aren't ready for it so they add back pressure causing waay too much float, stalling and then landing hard flat on the mains (since the fuel tanks are right above the mains, that could be very bad). The other one is where people pull the power but come in hot and fast and forcing the plane down creating a PIO which leads to prop strikes or nose gear collapses.
 
mikeinbama said:
I thought I would resurrect this thread. Apparently I'm still learning. Switched from a tapered wing Piper to a Hershey Bar wing........I don't think a brick falls out of the sky faster. Seems like learning to land all over again.
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You never stop learning. I'm around flight hour 200 now and still constantly learning something.
 
mikeinbama said:
I thought I would resurrect this thread. Apparently I'm still learning. Switched from a tapered wing Piper to a Hershey Bar wing........I don't think a brick falls out of the sky faster. Seems like learning to land all over again.
Click to expand...

Once I learned to fly the Hershey Bar wing, I made better landings than the semi-taper. More greasers, less floaters.....
 
mturnerb said:
Once I learned to fly the Hershey Bar wing, I made better landings than the semi-taper. More greasers, less floaters.....
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It certainly doesn't float like the taper, that is FO' SHO. The first few landings were pretty flat, I would round out and about the time I would start to bring the nose up...oh....just landed.
 
Hey, Old Guy!!

Happy 50th Birthday!!

You were right, we had a beautiful flight back home after your party. Deborah got some good pictures looking behind us . . .

Hope dinner was good.
 

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It was fantastic! It has been a red letter day for sure. I am envious of your flight, it was a beautiful sunset. Thanks again to you and Deborah for coming over.
 
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