Lesson 16: Gusty Crosswind Practice and Go-Arounds

Today I continued my landing practice at Bay Bridge airport. It was a gusty day and of course there was that old crosswind. I battled the winds and fought the upstarts and downdrafts. I had to go-around a few times before I had a comfortable final approach and successful touchdown!

Hopefully will solo soon :)

Lesson 15: Gusty Crosswind Landings

A crosswind is always difficult...but a pilot must know how to manage and control a plane in a crosswind. I started to taxi and according to the AWOS the winds were from 200. A perfect 90 degree crosswind. The wind sock was exactly perpendicular to the runway. Pilots had been taking off and landing on runway one one so I began to taxi towards that runway. At the hold short line my instructor pointed out that the wind sock at the end of the runway did indeed favor runway one one...which means wind shear. 

I continued to apply my turns to a point lesson to flying in the traffic pattern with this strong crosswind. As I turned left after departure I had to make a very steep turn on the crosswind leg to prevent from being blown away from the runway. Once I was in the downwind leg I had to crab quite a bit to stay parallel to the runway. I did a nice job going through my landing checklist. Level off at 1,200 feet, airspeed at 67 knots, flaps at 10 degrees, engine rpm at 3,000 and I was abeam of the numbers. Things were looking nice on the base leg. I was at 600 feet over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Upon turning for final things began to get messy. Remember that crosswind? You have to apply some serious right aileron and left rudder to slip into the wind to remain on centerline. The plane dropped and climbed due to wind shear and gusty winds so the approach was not stable. As I was gliding in over the runway there was a big dip in the winds and the plane dropped quickly and my flight instructor stepped in to execute the go-around. My second approach was better but I executed a go-around. Yep, number three was just not there yet, though it was indeed my best approach to the runway yet. I maintained centerline and fought the crosswinds. I also used my engine power to overcome the dips and rises in wind along my final approach path. On a side note, there was another plane turning right base for runway one one. The traffic pattern is always a left traffic pattern meaning that planes should always turn to the left for each leg of the traffic pattern. Due to this I had to extend my downwind past the major superstructure of the Bay Bridge. I turned base before I entered the Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) for Washington D.C. Now my final approach is probably twice as long as it usually is. Nonetheless, I fought the crosswinds, if I felt the plane drop and bob upwards I carefully adjusted the engine RPMs to accommodate the abrupt change in altitude (which, by the way, you can feel this change when your butt is being pushed on or it feels like a sudden drop) and I made it back to the runway. Still I had to go-around and abort my landing. Nothing wrong with that since my approach was not stable. My fourth time around I nailed it. Everything looked great during the approach but as I began to flare I let the winds push the nose of the plane to the left so I landed on the left side of the runway with an awkward touch down. It was not rough. The landing gear did not break. I was able to taxi the plane to the fuel pump. I was able to walk away from the plane. Thus, safe landing.

All in all I had an opportunity to continue working on my crosswind landings in gusty winds and landing procedures in general. If I could just get some calm winds.....I could SOLO!

Lesson 14: Crosswind Landings

Today I practiced crosswind landings. I have been applying what I have learned in my most recent lessons. Today I made sure to control the plane. I would only let the plane land when I was ready to let the plane touch down. I had some excellent landings and I'm very confident about flying.

I learned something very interesting. I teach my students how to calculate lift using the lift equation. My flight instructor reviewed the constants in the equation. Lift = coefficient of lift X 1/2 X wing area X air density X velocity squared. The speed, lift, and coefficient of lift can be changed. As the angle of attack (AOA) is increased the coefficient of lift increases until the plane stalls. AOA is something a pilot can change using the stick. Increase the AOA and you increase lift. Decrease the AOA and you increase the speed. This is important when on final approach. You need a good glide slope and stabilized speed but once you are above the runway you must exchange your rate of decent. Pull back on the stick and increase the AOA. Lift is just a little less than the weight of the plane slowing the decent. This step, the flare, I have been lacking. Today I greatly improved it! I also applied turns to a point in my lesson. Since there was a strong headwind on base to final I made a shallow turn to prevent from being pushed from the centerline.

Overall it was a click flight where everything clicked and went well! I cant believe it is February because it was 50 degrees and sunny. It was an amazing Friday flight!

Lesson 13: Crosswind Landings, Go-arounds, Soft Field Landings, Simulated Engine Failure

Yes! I am beginning to get the hang of landings. Today was warm, around 50 degrees out. But there was a decent crosswind. Before I began flying my flight instructor sat me down and gave me a landings pep talk. She told me that I am in control of the plane. The plane will do as I say. If it is not time for the plane to land then do not allow the plane to land. I must be in control of three very important things. Three things that I was working on in the last lesson. I must control and maintain airspeed, glide slope, and staying on the centerline. I also must pay attention to looking out my window. I can glance at my instruments to make sure my airspeed and altitude look appropriate but I must be able to recognize change. I must improve my ability to see a physical change in the runway I am looking at. Are the houses below me getting larger or smaller? Am I still parallel to the runway? Flying requires a person to think three dimensionally. In a car one must monitor the direction and speed of the car. In a plane a pilot must monitor, control, and maintain speed, direction, and altitude....and recognizing a visual change in the immediate surroundings.

These techniques must be gained through experience. As I continue to practice my landings my ability to think in three dimensions has improved.

Today I recognized how much I have improved. I was able to maintain airspeed much better than last Friday. My glide slope looked great. I mastered fighting the crosswind and stayed on the centerline after my second landing.

I worked on simulated engine failure again and I was on a modified final approach for runway two niner. I was coming up to the runway at a weird angle and as I turned to line up with the centerline I pulled back on the stick instead of just rolling the wings slightly. This caused my airspeed to drop from 60 knots to 45 knots. Guess what? Don't pull back on the stick. It adds drag and slows the plane down and the plane drops drastically. I added power and executed a go-around.

The next two attempts I landed but I continued to fail to flare the plane. I succeeded in maintaining everything else for a good looking landing but my flare did not exist. Hard landing number 3.

My last landing was perfect. I lined up nicely on final approach for runway two niner. I put in a nice right aileron to combat the crosswind and stayed on my centerline. I was over the runway threshold. I flared the nose and continued to add back pressure to the stick. The landing gear kissed the runway.  It was so smooth. Guess what? I didn't keep back pressure on the stick and the nose was about to drop on the ground but my flight instructor blocked my attempt to let off the back pressure and I saw the nose maintain its pitch as the plane continued to slow and I slowly lowered the nose for a gorgeous touch down and landing!

It was so nice to feel a graceful pleasant landing. I have confidence that I will be able to master the art of landing a plane and maintaing a proper glide slope.

I'm glad it was a nice warm day for flying. It makes it much easier on my fingers and toes when they are not freezing cold.

Lesson 12: Go-arounds, Forward Slips, Slow Flight, and Power Off Aproaches

Today I revisited slow flights. It is required that a pilot can maneuver a plane at slow speeds while maintaining a stable flight. I flew out to a wildlife refuge about 7 miles from Bay Bridge airport and did a U turn. On my return flight I pulled the power all the way back to idle and had to maintain 55 knots or less and descend from 2,500 feet down to traffic pattern altitude 1,200 feet and enter the traffic pattern. The plane makes strange sounds and is sluggish at these slow speeds and the engine is so quiet that you can hear the wind gusting by the cockpit over the wings. Once back in the traffic pattern I was allowed to clean up my current configuration (take out flaps, add power and trim for 60 knots) and prepare for the downwind for runway one one. I looked to my left and I was abeam the numbers (in line with the one one numbers on the end of the runway I am planning on landing at) and my flight instructor told me to pull out all power to idle. This was to simulate an engine failure and I needed to modify my normal landing pattern since I was not going to be in the air much longer. I decided to continue to fly my normal traffic pattern and as I began on final approach I realized I was not going to make it. I had to add power to make it to the runway so I did not pass the test to land on the runway with an engine failure. The second time around I turned base at 1,000 feet and made a combined or modified base/final approach for runway one one. I made direct route to the runway threshold but then needed to eventually get back on the centerline to land on the runway. I acted too late and executed a go-around. The third time was a charm. I made it!

My flight instructor informed me that I was doing a few things right...but I needed to fix two major things.

1. Stay on the centerline of the runway
2. Flare the nose when I am 20 feet above the runway to slow the planes rate of decent

So on my fourth time around my flight instructor allowed me to land with power but I had to apply the techniques I learned during the power off landings. It was much easier maneuvering in the traffic pattern with power...I stayed on the centerline of the runway...I failed again to flare the nose :(

What goes through my mind when I am about to land? That close to the ground and about to feel the wheels touch down I think... oh my gosh have a nice landing, oh my gosh execute a smooth landing, oh my gosh what if I hit the tail on the ground, oh my gosh the wheels are on the ground and now the plane has landed and I can let off all the back pressure on the stick. The plane basically just runs into the runway... rather than gracefully gliding onto and kissing the runway with a beautiful landing.

I will have to keep working on executing the flare and fighting the crosswinds to stay on centerline. I will also need to work on three important landing techniques.

1. Maintain airspeed
2. Maintain glide slope
3. Stay on the centerline

Landing is much more difficult than taking off but if I ever want to enjoy flying and taking off from the runway my plane must land back on the ground.....safely!

Lesson 11: Landing practice at Bay Bridge

Today I practiced my landings at Bay Bridge. I can now appreciate landing a plane after crosswind landings at Ridgley. I tuned in to the Bay Bridge AWOS and for the first time I heard the phrase calm winds at Bay Bridge. Wow! No crazy crosswind? It was beautiful. On my first pass around the traffic I landed. I also learned that a "go around" is not a negative thing. It shows a pilots ability to make the right decision when forcing a landing is NOT the best idea. Every approach should be considered for a go around unless the landing looks and feels just right, then the go around could be aborted. It was a lot of fun feeling more comfortable and confidant about landing. I did a great job controlling my airspeed by trimming properly and I got down crabbing into the wind!

I learned that I should not be so critical on myself to be a perfect pilot but that I should be looking for improvement from my previous lessons. In the end it was a gorgeous warm day for the beginning of February. It was an amazing way to end a week and spend a Friday afternoon.

P.S. I should solo in the next lesson or two!