Finally had some nice weather here in central Oklahoma and was able to squeeze some money out of the wife for flying. Well anyway, went out solo and practiced some ground reference stuff. Turns around a point, s-turns, slow flight, and some stalls power on and off. Everthing was right down the middle of the PTS. I like power off stalls (kinda fun) but power on stalls scare the pooh pooh out of me.
Any ideas why the difference? Got back to the airport winds where 340/5 for runway 31, I usually do 2 notches of flaps, today I thought I would try all 40 degrees of flaps. Well nedless to say it handles different. It sinks like a rock once airspeed gets around 60. I bounced pretty good, but I had read so many times on message boards not to force a bad landing and just go around. So I added power and went around.
Does that count as a landing for logging purposes? 2nd time around approach and speed where much better, but I got on the brakes really soon after touchdown and I heard this squealing noise. What could that be? O'crap I locked the brakes up for a split second, reapplied brakes and locked agiain. This time got off of them competely.
Is it unusual for a student to have different phases of a single flight have such different levels of performence?
It is rather dis-heartening for the landings to be bad when 1. they normally aren't. 2. The rest of the flight was performed rather well. (tooting my horn) Any ideas, comments, or suggestions?
Thanks
First, on power off vs power on stalls -- power off the nose up angle is rather benign if you slow down and have full flaps. The degrees of difference from stall to recovery are minimal.
Power on you may have experienced a wing drop, if you didn't fully compensate for left turning tendencies. Also, in power off stalls the nose angle is higher, and the difference between stall angle up and recovery angle down may be greater (though it doesn't have to be).
You may also have spins in the back of your mind.
If so, have your CFI demonstrate spins and recovery in an approved airplane (CFI should ensure CG is within limits, etc). After a couple you may want to try recovery yourself.
After a few spins and recovery, you'll realize the worst that can happen when stalling is a spin, and you'll know how to prevent them (don't introduce any yaw while stalling) or at the very least recover (Power back, ailerons neutral, Rudder opposite rotation, elevator forward to break the stall, then back to recover).
BUT -- don't go figuring out spins on your own -- get a CFI and an airplane competent and capable in spins.
Another piece of advice that may help is to go with the stall break -- in other words, don't hold yourself back in the seat -- that only intensifies the "falling" sensation.
And -- you should probably do stalls with your CFI until you're sick of them. Face the bogeyman enough times to realize it ain't gonna bite.
As far as landings -- have you landed full flaps before? Many students are surprised at how much nose up is required on the transition from descent to level above the runway with full flaps.
Bouncing is almost always the result of too much speed. Get the airplane slowed down to the appropriate approach speed, get just above the runway, reduce power (if any power is in on level off) and hold it, hold it, hold it -- just don't let it land.
In crosswinds many pilots just want to get the landing "over with" so they force it down while its still flying.
Doesn't work.
Of course your crosswind correction will have to be constantly adjusted for the varying winds and the ever-changing airspeed a few feet above the ground -- good -- you should be flying the airplane until it's tied down or in the hangar.
Hopefully some of this helps -- and keep in mind -- you're not experiencing anything different than every pilot since the Wright brothers!!!