Yikes, I landed an airplane!

bullwinkle

bullwinkle

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Bullwinkle
Hey all...

I had two lessons for my sport pilot ticket in the last two days, and in those lessons I made my first six landings in an AMD Zodiac CH601XL. I would not say they were "great" landings, but I didn't bend anything.

It's amazing how fast things happen during landing, and how many things you have to keep track of and adjust for all at once. The Zodiac is pretty sensitive to fly as well, which just makes it that much harder.

My main issues so far:

1) Getting the pitch correct to keep the speed correct so that my sink rate is good but I don't build too much speed.

2) I drift off the runway centerline too much, and it takes gross corrections to bring me back. My instructor said he wants me to try to make smaller corrections sooner.

Anyhow, I landed a plane six times, and my instructor didn't have to take the controls on any of them. Woo-hoo! :D
 
Awesome! It's a great feeling and once you "get it," it will be just fine tuning.

Expect to have days when you simply "forget how to land" once or twice, but that's part of the process.
 
Thanks guys. Part of my personality is to be a perfectionist, so I hate when things aren't perfect. I have to just keep practicing until what's in my brain matches what happens on the runway!
 
what's funny is that after a while you'll be thinking about how SLOWLY things happen during landing! ;)
 
Somebody has a signature here that says.

"There are three things necessary to make a perfect landing.
Unfortunately nobody knows what they are."
Or something to that effect. And for the most part it's true.
 
Landing is just one of those maneuvers that has enough going on that makes it a big deal at first. Don't worry, it becomes natural with time. Don't expect to get everything immediately.

Congrats and keep at it!
 
When I was getting checked out in the Zodiac almost a year ago now, it was the first time I'd flown in 15 years. I kept overcontrolling on final and overrotating in the flare, which meant that I kept dropping it in from what felt like feet in the air. After the fourth or fifth such arrival, I looked over at the instructor, and commented on how he hadn't said anything about it yet. His reply was that, as long as I put it on the mains first, I wasn't going to break anything. Don't worry too much yet about making it nice and pretty. Just keep the nose in the air until after the mains touch down, and you'll do okkay.

What speed are they having you use, and what flap settings? How much power are you carrying down final? (You need a little if you're trying to be gentle.) Also, don't forget that the elevator controls airspeed and the throttle controls descent rate; get it trimmed up for the airspeed you want, then don't mess with it.

If the Zodiac survived my ham-fisted learning, it'll deal with yours. Stick with it. It'll come, sooner rather than later.
 
jmaynard said:
When I was getting checked out in the Zodiac almost a year ago now, it was the first time I'd flown in 15 years. I kept overcontrolling on final and overrotating in the flare, which meant that I kept dropping it in from what felt like feet in the air. After the fourth or fifth such arrival, I looked over at the instructor, and commented on how he hadn't said anything about it yet. His reply was that, as long as I put it on the mains first, I wasn't going to break anything. Don't worry too much yet about making it nice and pretty. Just keep the nose in the air until after the mains touch down, and you'll do okkay.

What speed are they having you use, and what flap settings? How much power are you carrying down final? (You need a little if you're trying to be gentle.) Also, don't forget that the elevator controls airspeed and the throttle controls descent rate; get it trimmed up for the airspeed you want, then don't mess with it.

If the Zodiac survived my ham-fisted learning, it'll deal with yours. Stick with it. It'll come, sooner rather than later.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Jay! We're using 1/3 flaps abeam the numbers, and full flaps after the turn to base. Final at 65kts.

Do you have trouble with sticking ruder pedals in your Zodiac? In N130AW we both noticed that the pedals will stick, then a you put a lot of pressure in to move them the rudder will sometimes "break free," giving too much rudder...makes very subtle/precise rudder use pretty much impossible. We have it in as a squawk to maintenance, but it's probably not going to get fixed in the next few days. Unfortunately that mean for now most of my corrections are with ailerons.
 
jmaynard said:
When I was getting checked out in the Zodiac almost a year ago now, it was the first time I'd flown in 15 years. I kept overcontrolling on final and overrotating in the flare, which meant that I kept dropping it in from what felt like feet in the air. After the fourth or fifth such arrival, I looked over at the instructor, and commented on how he hadn't said anything about it yet. His reply was that, as long as I put it on the mains first, I wasn't going to break anything. Don't worry too much yet about making it nice and pretty. Just keep the nose in the air until after the mains touch down, and you'll do okkay.

What speed are they having you use, and what flap settings? How much power are you carrying down final? (You need a little if you're trying to be gentle.) Also, don't forget that the elevator controls airspeed and the throttle controls descent rate; get it trimmed up for the airspeed you want, then don't mess with it.

If the Zodiac survived my ham-fisted learning, it'll deal with yours. Stick with it. It'll come, sooner rather than later.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Jay! We're using 1/3 flaps abeam the numbers, and full flaps after the turn to base. Final at 65kts.

Do you have trouble with sticking ruder pedals in your Zodiac? In N130ZW we both noticed that the pedals will stick, then a you put a lot of pressure in to move them the rudder will sometimes "break free," giving too much rudder...makes very subtle/precise rudder use pretty much impossible. We have it in as a squawk to maintenance, but it's probably not going to get fixed in the next few days. Unfortunately that mean for now most of my corrections are with ailerons.
 
bullwinkle said:
Do you have trouble with sticking ruder pedals in your Zodiac? In N130ZW we both noticed that the pedals will stick, then a you put a lot of pressure in to move them the rudder will sometimes "break free," giving too much rudder...makes very subtle/precise rudder use pretty much impossible. We have it in as a squawk to maintenance, but it's probably not going to get fixed in the next few days. Unfortunately that mean for now most of my corrections are with ailerons.
Click to expand...

I, personally, think it is that particular Zodiac. It did the same thing when I flew in it and it drove me crazy. I think that it is fixable if they would spend some time and have it looked at. Might have been a partial reason I moved on to the 172 and my private instead. I had just under nine hour in it and most of it was spent on TKO's and LNDG's. It took me that long to get the feeling of it and my instructor at the time was about ready to let me solo it. Then he went back to Norway and I moved up to the 172's. Keep up the hard work and it will come. It's okay not to be perfect. I've spent a lot of time beating myself up during training on my landings while my instructor kept telling me "If it can fly again it was a good landing" Randy
 
EppyGA said:
I, personally, think it is that particular Zodiac. It did the same thing when I flew in it and it drove me crazy. I think that it is fixable if they would spend some time and have it looked at. Might have been a partial reason I moved on to the 172 and my private instead. I had just under nine hour in it and most of it was spent on TKO's and LNDG's. It took me that long to get the feeling of it and my instructor at the time was about ready to let me solo it. Then he went back to Norway and I moved up to the 172's. Keep up the hard work and it will come. It's okay not to be perfect. I've spent a lot of time beating myself up during training on my landings while my instructor kept telling me "If it can fly again it was a good landing" Randy
Click to expand...

Thanks Randy...interesting that the plane has had that issue for so long. I really think the mechanism just needs to be lubed, or maybe a cable is binding somewhere. It doesn't seem to be a big deal, but it sure makes things harder than they need to be.
 
I use half flaps abeam the numbers, and full flaps just after turning base. I also find that the airplane will trim at 65 knots with half scale nose up trim with half flaps, and won't quite trim hands-off with full flaps and full nose-up trim.

My rudder pedals have the same stick yours do. I think it's because of the V blocks used to center the nosewheel and rudder pedals. AMD told me it'd smooth out after 100 landings or so, but it hasn't yet. I need to call them and see if there's a fix. Strangely enough, I notice it most when leveling off for cruise: the rudder sticks a bit in the right position I was using during the climb, and it takes a little pressure to get it to center again.
 
bullwinkle said:
Thanks guys. Part of my personality is to be a perfectionist, so I hate when things aren't perfect. I have to just keep practicing until what's in my brain matches what happens on the runway!
Click to expand...
Congrats, and don't worry- you'll make better landings soon, then later you'll make worse ones. :D

Perfection is the goal you should always aim at for sure, but you gotta stay flexible... "keep an even strain", as the old test pilots used to say. I started doing better as a trainee when I allowed myself to acknowledge my strengths as well as my weaknesses, and simply noted (and worked on) what needed improvement rather than beating myself up over it. Some newbies give up too soon because they are disappointed in their own lack of finesse. Gotta just dust yourself off and get back in the saddle.

Good luck, and enjoy!! :smile:
 
Bullwinkle, There are three kinds of poeple in this world. Perfectionists, "Progress is what we want", and "Good is acceptable".

Work on becoming one of the other types. Life is imperfection in progress...
 
jmaynard said:
My rudder pedals have the same stick yours do. I think it's because of the V blocks used to center the nosewheel and rudder pedals.
Click to expand...

Well, you gotta expect to have at least some problems when the tailwheel is installed on the wrong end of the aircraft... :smilewinkgrin:
 
bullwinkle said:
Hey all...

I had two lessons for my sport pilot ticket in the last two days, and in those lessons I made my first six landings in an AMD Zodiac CH601XL. I would not say they were "great" landings, but I didn't bend anything.
Click to expand...

You obviously have not learned the definition of a good landing and a great landing.

Good Landing: Any you can walk away from.

Great Langing: Any that you can reuse the airplane after.

Sounds like you've had great landings so far.
 
The speed thing and center line become second nature.

Practice, practive, practice.
 
jmaynard said:
I use half flaps abeam the numbers, and full flaps just after turning base. I also find that the airplane will trim at 65 knots with half scale nose up trim with half flaps, and won't quite trim hands-off with full flaps and full nose-up trim.

My rudder pedals have the same stick yours do. I think it's because of the V blocks used to center the nosewheel and rudder pedals. AMD told me it'd smooth out after 100 landings or so, but it hasn't yet. I need to call them and see if there's a fix. Strangely enough, I notice it most when leveling off for cruise: the rudder sticks a bit in the right position I was using during the climb, and it takes a little pressure to get it to center again.
Click to expand...

Yep, sounds like you have the same rudder issue. The school maint guy lubed them up last night. But flying today, after doing slips, the rudder stayed about one third deflected until I centered it with the other pedal. I really don't like this, it seems like I'm having to fly with one control surface tied behind my back! And the thought of a cable binding, wearing, and breaking makes me :yikes:

Jay, if you find a solution please let me know so I can pass it on to my flight school.
 
bbchien said:
Bullwinkle, There are three kinds of poeple in this world. Perfectionists, "Progress is what we want", and "Good is acceptable".

Work on becoming one of the other types. Life is imperfection in progress...
Click to expand...

Bruce, your list seems...imperfect. :smilewinkgrin:

I'm usually okay at the "Progress is what we want" thing...I'm just a tad impatient, lol.
 
Congrats! You do know what the three things that make a perfect landing EVERY TIME are...right?
 
My MAJOR problem landing a plane (as a stu) was I'd stop flying it right after the wheels hit the ground. Left on its own, an airplane does all manner of ill will to the operator. I also managed to go through a number of instructors (as they moved on up to company flying) so each new instructor had to reteach me to land every time.
And crosswind landings were the worst.
Today, however, were all crosswind landings 13G23 Variable. Not pretty but the plane is reusable.
Trust that they WILL improve. They sort of have to before your instructor lets you loose on your own.
 
silver-eagle said:
My MAJOR problem landing a plane (as a stu) was I'd stop flying it right after the wheels hit the ground. Left on its own, an airplane does all manner of ill will to the operator. I also managed to go through a number of instructors (as they moved on up to company flying) so each new instructor had to reteach me to land every time.
And crosswind landings were the worst.
Today, however, were all crosswind landings 13G23 Variable. Not pretty but the plane is reusable.
Trust that they WILL improve. They sort of have to before your instructor lets you loose on your own.
Click to expand...

I've had a few lessons sine my original post, and now have 38 landings logged. I definitely had the problem with not flying once the mains hit, but with therapy I'm overcoming it. :D
 
Wooohoooo....welcome to the clan.

Someone teach him the secret handshake now, OK.
 
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