Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:43 pm
#689296
Planned local flight was from xxx to yyy. Refuel and refreshments at yyy and return.
Flight to out was uneventful, uplifted 100Ltrs of fuel, and tea and biscuits in deserted club house. Took off for return flight from runway 27. At 500 feet instead of continuing in the right hand circuit, since there were no other aircraft in the vicinity, decided to turn left onto the track for xxx whilst still climbing. I was now heading towards the low winter sun and straining to see if there were other aircraft ahead. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the leading edge wing slats deploy, warning of an approaching stall, and immediately initiated recovery. I had been climbing at 70knts, the wing slats deploy at about 50knts, usually during the flare for landing. I think that whilst concentrating on the look out whilst turning I must have been pulling the stick just enough for the aircraft to slow to a stall.
I learned to fly in PA38's and PA28's most of which have a stall warning horn. One of them however just has a red light. If I had been flying that aircraft, I may not have seen the red light with the low sun. Fortunately the aircraft I was flying has benign stalling characteristics and recovery was straight forward.
So beware low winter sun, and maintain an airspeed check. I was concentrating too much on turning onto track and maintaining a look out in the prevailing light conditions. Most of the time when I am flying I climb in the circuit to 1000 feet before turning onto the required heading. This is a safer option than a non standard turn at low height.
Flight to out was uneventful, uplifted 100Ltrs of fuel, and tea and biscuits in deserted club house. Took off for return flight from runway 27. At 500 feet instead of continuing in the right hand circuit, since there were no other aircraft in the vicinity, decided to turn left onto the track for xxx whilst still climbing. I was now heading towards the low winter sun and straining to see if there were other aircraft ahead. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the leading edge wing slats deploy, warning of an approaching stall, and immediately initiated recovery. I had been climbing at 70knts, the wing slats deploy at about 50knts, usually during the flare for landing. I think that whilst concentrating on the look out whilst turning I must have been pulling the stick just enough for the aircraft to slow to a stall.
I learned to fly in PA38's and PA28's most of which have a stall warning horn. One of them however just has a red light. If I had been flying that aircraft, I may not have seen the red light with the low sun. Fortunately the aircraft I was flying has benign stalling characteristics and recovery was straight forward.
So beware low winter sun, and maintain an airspeed check. I was concentrating too much on turning onto track and maintaining a look out in the prevailing light conditions. Most of the time when I am flying I climb in the circuit to 1000 feet before turning onto the required heading. This is a safer option than a non standard turn at low height.
