etsisk
En-Route
Yesterday we had what folks estimated as 24040kt, but zero gusts, right at TPA (and above) - it was as placid as a yogi on the ground, and about 200' above the trees, you felt a bit of a bump (as we touched the bottom of the airflow, I think) and within another 50-100', I was in a 35 degree crab into the wind to maintain my track. It certainly made for interesting turns downwind->base and base->final for rwy 320!
I started off by doing two complete circuits of the pattern, simply because that's the most wind I've dealt with making those turns. I thought about the turn from base to final, and how it would want to push me wide of the mark, overshooting so I'd find the rwy to my left (l-hand pattern). And I thought of all I'd read about how folks do cross-controlled approach stalls. And then I thought that I didn't want to do any of those!
After two circuits I had the hang of it, um, turn-wise anyway! But I didn't have enough flaps on initially, so I had a bit o' speed and between that and the Horton STOL kit, well, my flare was certainly flare-y! Almost balloon-like! Maybe not "almost"!!
So, ok, I bounced like Dolly Parton fallin' down stairs. But I landed, and went back up to give 'er another try (uh, landing - not Dolly).
On the SECOND landing, I did quite well, no bouncing at all. My turns and approach weren't perfect (still working on that side-slip thingie) but better than the first, for sure. Admittedly, though, it was still calm as a cow on the ground!)
By the time I was on my FIFTH and last landing, well...
as we were rolling toward the turnoff the CFI I was flying around with (a very helpful young man named Joey) said, "You know, I don't believe I could have done that any better myself!"
It was a great morning!
I started off by doing two complete circuits of the pattern, simply because that's the most wind I've dealt with making those turns. I thought about the turn from base to final, and how it would want to push me wide of the mark, overshooting so I'd find the rwy to my left (l-hand pattern). And I thought of all I'd read about how folks do cross-controlled approach stalls. And then I thought that I didn't want to do any of those!
On the SECOND landing, I did quite well, no bouncing at all. My turns and approach weren't perfect (still working on that side-slip thingie) but better than the first, for sure. Admittedly, though, it was still calm as a cow on the ground!)
By the time I was on my FIFTH and last landing, well...
It was a great morning!
