Learning to fly, or thinking of learning? Post your questions, comments and experiences here

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By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1908721
You're all too polite to say "Stop whinging". :lol: But you're right.
I can also do that.

And so.... on a positive note -

As part of my '22 in '22' quest I have booked a lesson at Duxford the day before the next airshow, to fly a Tiger Moth . It's a proper lesson, with an Instructor, not just an experience flight.
Milty, Miscellaneous, ericgreveson and 3 others liked this
By Harleyatrix
#1908779
T6
I don’t want to stick my nose in at all here, but have been reading your last couple of postings with interest, regarding the landing flare & hold off & how you sometimes have it nailed, then lose it.

A while back, I had a student, (who naturally will remain anonymous), who was so close to going solo on various occasions, then lost their ‘feel’ for the landings again.

After a few discussions, we found ‘the culprit’ - this person was also taking a few flights in totally different aircraft & ‘unlearning’ the landing attitude for the main one they did their training in.
(A bit like putting your seat at a different height each time in this learning phase).

I asked them to stop going in other aircraft for a while & to just fly their main training one.

Within a week, their ‘eye’ was back in & they went first solo shortly afterwards.
I’m not saying never fly anything else, but if it is your goal to solo, just stick with your training aircraft until you achieve this & have got a few hours consolidation under your belt.

As you gain more experience, it’s then relatively easier to adjust to the different views/heights & feels of different aircraft.

If you’re not bothered about going solo & are just enjoying flying, then fill your boots!!

Just a thought...
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By FlyingBoot
#1908796
[usermention=23363]@T6Harvard[/usermention] maybe I'll come and watch your trial lesson. Just don't forget that when you step back into your usual training aircraft that it will be all different.

I can remember doing what seemed interminable circuits without really feeling that I progressed. I then did some out of circuit practice (slow flight, unusual attitudes, etc) and felt I had better control when returning to the circuit. Maybe you need to get out of the circuit and practice some other stuff.

That said, I actually became much more confident in landing when I had a different instructor who just picked up on a couple of things that they would do differently. They were quite subtle but made a huge difference in how in control of the aircraft I felt when landing. I still rarely get a greaser but none of them are 'bad'.
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By AndyR
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1908946
You could well be over analysing and over thinking the whole thing.

As said above, there can be too much info and too much well meaning advice, in a way, almost too much pressure to do it right.

I’d agree re swapping aircraft at this stage. Don’t. Save that for later.
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1909047
T6Harvard wrote:
> I can land, it's fine, just got to make it consistent now

That's the stage I'm at...

26 years in.

Don't listen to Cessna571, the only way I "got" landings back in the day was to sit (or lie) down and imagine them and then completely tune out my instructor and do my own thing. :D We're all different, do your own thing...

As an aside, I was talking to someone last week and said that I started flying at 26, just after my birthday. I then realised it was 26 years since I started flying, so I've been flying half my life. Doesn't time fly (excuse the phrase!)...? :D
T6Harvard, Milty, Cessna571 and 2 others liked this
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By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1909071
Well, sighs of relief all round.

Even the first cruddy Base leg wasn't bad enough to throw me. I salvaged an approach and landed OK. My immediate thought was 'Wow, I managed to find the mental capacity to get that sorted out'!?

Then followed 4 decent landings and *ta da* 2 good ones. I could do with holding off slightly longer on some but all things considered I'm a happy bunny.

What made it so?

I looked again at the line-drawing in Stick and Rudder. I re-read bits of How to Make Perfect Landings. Then..... I flew the approach and landing last night from my chair. I felt it, I made tiny adjustments, I saw it.

And

I had my seat a bit further back :roll: I was convinced I wasn't seeing the same picture as my Instructor last week so I made the change (obvs prior to TO :mrgreen: ). Seemed to work out OK!

Yep, [usermention=1373]@Paul_Sengupta[/usermention] , time does fly when you're enjoying yourself. Glad you have that nice synchronicity atm.
By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1909127
T6Harvard wrote:

> I had my seat a bit further back :roll:

You can still reach far enough to achieve full rudder deflection though, right?
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By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1909129
TopCat wrote:
> T6Harvard wrote:
>
> > I had my seat a bit further back :roll:
>
> You can still reach far enough to achieve full rudder deflection though, right?

Indeed I can. I throughly checked full rudder and toe brakes could be applied without any issues at all before I chose the final position :thumright:
By Cessna571
#1909170
I found I could never decide where I wanted the seat from flight to flight.

I noticed there are holes in our runner, and I now set it “two holes visible back” before each flight.

I now no longer have the “is it in the right place, should I move it forward, back, am I comfy” before each flight!
tr7v8, T6Harvard liked this
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By tr7v8
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1909181
Well today was lesson 2 at Headcorn airfield.
Well today Paul (FI) said we'd do the 1st circuit with him "whispering" in my ear, then he'd let me get on with it without prompts, with the caveat of "unless my life is in danger" :lol:
I did the first circuit which wasn't bad, few things different at Headcorn after Rochester, Rochester is AFIS where as Headcorn is radio only. The PA28 is a bit different, in fact a lot more physical.
The weather was bright & sunny, but pretty breezy. The forecast was 15MPH and X wind whereas it was closer to 20G25 at times.
Did the next 3 and all the landings were good, so cracked that. Setting up early still needs some work, if I don't then the workload gets high & it gets a bit ragged!
Did 4 & 4 total and Paul suggested calling it a day as it was quite bumpy & he decided I wouldn't learn very much if we carried on.
Paul FI reckons I'm ok, not a disaster & we've booked a follow on session for next BH Monday, Headcorn gets busy at weekends & BH's so that'll be interesting. :shock:
Wife came so have a few videos of G-SEXX & Paul also set up a Go Pro in the cockpit so there maybe a recording!
So Total hours = 48:40 now.
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By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1909185
So you're in a completely different ac, at a new airfield, in gusty winds and you made good landings!!! So pleased to read this. Be good to see the video :D

You've got this [usermention=23229]@tr7v8[/usermention]

Break Break

I rang my Instructor this morning to ask if we could leave the circuit on my next lesson. I think both of us deserve a change :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I did want circuits yester, to slay last week's dragon :lol: but I felt so much better with landing that I am sure now wd be a good time to mix it up a bit. He's fine with that of course. I'm looking forward to it :D
tr7v8, Milty liked this
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