fixed gear vs. retracts

Thu Jul 17 10:29:58 AKDT 2003

You need to practice those full stall landings... hehehe  I never saw an
ATP do that with a jumbo jet... those are all controlled crashes with
lots of braking once they hit the ground.  Somewhat reinforced gear on
them big birds!

I would modify the advice George gave - go to the airport and spend the
$ for a short lesson from a qualified CFI, talk to him (her) ahead of
time and let him explain and demonstrate the mechanics of a good
landing.

I was pursuing a private license years ago and actually got through the
solo sequence twice, 13 years apart... wife decided a house was a more
necessary way to spend money than a pilot's license the first time, and
I went back to school and had no time to continue the second time. But I
would never have quit the second time if my instructor had not dorked up
her knee as one of the Luvabulls and then got fired for participating in
a dangerous outside activity. I would have found a way to make time to
sit next to her for an hour a week! Love them small planes they used as
trainers!

Let's see, I think it has been about 8 years since that second try,
almost time to think about another shot.  Maybe.  But that experience
did help me a little, I do try to stall the plane an inch off the
ground, hold it off till it stops flying, etc.  Gear tends to survive,
but the plane takes a beating running out of runway and into the weeds! 

John

-----Original Message-----
From: discussion-request at nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]
On Behalf Of Keith Hoard
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 10:58 AM
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Subject: Re: Re: fixed gear vs. retracts

Wow, I have an Airline Transport Pilot licence and I still dork my
planes in
and rip the gear out sometimes. . . .

Keith L. Hoard
Cordova, TN
khoard at midsouth.rr.com

A man in Arkansas spent 19 years in a coma before he finally regained
consciousness.... The only other person from Arkansas that didn't know
what
was happening for 19 years was, of course, Hillary Clinton.
 - Jay Leno

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "GeorgeF." <av8tor at flash.net>
To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 10:24 AM
Subject: Re: Re: fixed gear vs. retracts

> At 11:01 AM 7/17/2003 -0400, you wrote:
> >With all of the variables that can affect the outcome of a landing
> >(deadsticks, other airplanes, strange topography, unusual wind gusts,
> >etc.) *I* have never heard of anyone who DID *NOT* "break" landing
gear
> >(or parts) sometime in their career.
> >The record you quote, George, is ENVIABLE!!!  20 years without ever
> >breaking landing gear stuff....I think we need a "Landing How To"
article
> >from you for the K-Factor!!!  (As I'm fortunate to make it through a
days'
> >flying without some sort of off side/ends/surface landings which
> >potentially hurt things - Then there's those horse hoofprints off the
end
> >of the runway...)
>
> Well I've also had my Private Pilots license for as many years and
that is
> one great way to learn the physics behind who to make good landings.
That
> includes deadsticks, other airplanes, strange topography, unusual wind
> gusts.  Once suggestion is that if you know someone with a Pilots
license
> give him a few bucks (ok $60/hour if the plane is rented) and go with
him
> and do an hours worth of Touch AndGoes.  You'll be amazed at what
you'll
> learn!  After all in a real plane bad landings, bent gear, and in most
> cases bounces are not acceptable......
>
> The most common mistakes I see is people landing too fast!  An
aircraft
> which is not stalled when landing isn't landing but CRASHING!  All
good
> landings start with good approaches.  Start by making long
> approaches.  This will give you a chance to SLOW down the airplane and
> evaluate the wind conditions.  If at all possible learn what's called
the
> Wing Low method to compensate for crosswinds as opposed to Crabbing.
Most
> modelers will crab right down to the ground, that will result in an
instant
> BAD landing as you're landing gear are going a different direction
then
> what the airplane is flying resulting in a massive side load.  That's
a
> large reason you see people "bouncing" (both model and fullscale)
during
> crosswinds.
>
> With the wing low methods the landing gear are going the same
direction as
> the plane.  To land using this method you use aileron to hold the
upwind
> wing low.  To correct for the tendency of the plane to turn that same
> direction you would use just enough opposite rudder to keep the plane
> aligned with the runway center line.  If done correctly you'll have
the
> upwind main landing gear hit the ground first, followed by the
downwind
> main gear, and finally the nose gear if you're flying a trike.
>
> George
> http://www.MilAirComms.com
>
>
>
>
>
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