Piper pop-ups and other tricks your CFI didn't teach you

[RotaryWingBob]

Driving this morning with the top down I saw a hawk soaring. This started a train of thought that it might be fun to start a thread about tricks we've learned which might be worth sharing. Here goes...

1. The Piper pop-up
I was flying my Archer one day with a CFI friend sitting in the right seat. I had started my takeoff roll and was up to about 40 kt when a turkey came trotting out of the woods and started coming onto the runway. My friend said "My airplane, watch this...".

He popped in 2 notches of flaps, and darned if that airplane didn't pop about 5 feet in the air, and we missed that old hen turkey. I'll never forget that trick

2. Watch the birds
A high hours bush pilot taught me to watch the birds. That hawk I saw soaring is a good example, Watch his ground speed as he circles. When it gets lowest, that's the direction the wind is coming from.

Where that hawk is soaring there's probably an updraft, so expect one if you fly over there. Is it struggling to maintain altitude? Look for a downdraft.

Are the birds getting slammed around up over the tree line? Then it's likely you will too. Are they getting slammed around near the runway? Maybe there's wind shear...



Anyway, let's hear what tricks you've learned and want to share

 

[poadeleted20]

I was flying my Archer one day with a CFI friend sitting in the right seat. I had started my takeoff roll and was up to about 40 kt when a turkey came trotting out of the woods and started coming onto the runway. My friend said "My airplane, watch this...".

He popped in 2 notches of flaps, and darned if that airplane didn't pop about 5 feet in the air, and we missed that old hen turkey. I'll never forget that trick

Keep in mind that once you pop over that old hen turkey, you are going to come back down on the other side. This "trick" will not substitute for sufficient runway to get airborne.

 

[RotaryWingBob]

Keep in mind that once you pop over that old hen turkey, you are going to come back down on the other side. This "trick" will not substitute for sufficient runway to get airborne.

So true, Ron!

 

[bharris]

Keep in mind that once you pop over that old hen turkey, you are going to come back down on the other side. This "trick" will not substitute for sufficient runway to get airborne.

But you could not do that with electric flaps, either.

 

[Len Lanetti]

Actually these are things that were taught to me by CFIs:

Trick 1 - Open canopy to increase drag and shorten landing roll. For me it falls into the same class of trick as raising flaps during landing roll. That is, something not normally done as it takes away from thinking about the task at hand (stay on centerline and stopping).

Trick 2 - Open/close door(s) as required to catch wind when taxi'ng a floatplane.

Len

 

[mikea]

Keep in mind that once you pop over that old hen turkey, you are going to come back down on the other side. This "trick" will not substitute for sufficient runway to get airborne.

Yeahbut you can fly all day a wingspan or less from the ground in ground effect. That's enough to clear a deer (moose?).

 

[Shipoke]

high speed approach...... come in a little low at full power,just before the numbers pull power lift nose to get into flap range,Full Flaps (will balloon alittle),Slip and land.Can only be done with manual flaps also. great piper trick for when ATC want you to keep your speed up cause that 747 is coming in behind you. Dave G. (taught to me by Skibird)

 

[Tom-D]

high speed approach...... come in a little low at full power,just before the numbers pull power lift nose to get into flap range,Full Flaps (will balloon alittle),Slip and land.Can only be done with manual flaps also. great piper trick for when ATC want you to keep your speed up cause that 747 is coming in behind you. Dave G. (taught to me by Skibird)

It works great in the C-170-B