Summer landings

[Ed Cesnalis]

Summer is approaching and landing without power becomes more difficult for me. My 30 degree / throttle closed approaches are steep and require a more dramatic round out then say an approach with 15 degrees and partial power. In summer / thermal conditions if I pull back too soon or too much or too fast I am far more likely to realize a balloon or climb. I'm too stubborn and refuse to configure with power and minimal flaps unless the conditions are potentially beyond the limitations of the ctsw. The 15 degree partial power approach is flatter, done at a higher angle of attack and requires less rotation during round out and would solve my issue but again I'm an old dog.

 

We now have Q400's landing in Mammoth and it is great fun for me to see them abort on approach and go back to Los Angeles due to our winds. Here's a case where the ctsw is more capable then an 80 passenger commuter. I can drop in mid-field beyond the worst wind shear where the Q-400 needs the whole runway and has to land in the worst of it.

[coppercity]

Sounds like an interesting place to fly, I think I'll "drop" in for a visit on the way back from my first weekend repairman course in Corning.

[Ed Cesnalis]

Sounds like an interesting place to fly, I think I'll "drop" in for a visit on the way back from my first weekend repairman course in Corning.

 

Cool,

 

Navigate to the Squaw Valley VOR and then Direct KMMH.

[Runtoeat]

Summer is approaching and landing without power becomes more difficult for me. My 30 degree / throttle closed approaches are steep and require a more dramatic round out then say an approach with 15 degrees and partial power. In summer / thermal conditions if I pull back too soon or too much or too fast I am far more likely to realize a balloon or climb. I'm too stubborn and refuse to configure with power and minimal flaps unless the conditions are potentially beyond the limitations of the ctsw. The 15 degree partial power approach is flatter, done at a higher angle of attack and requires less rotation during round out and would solve my issue but again I'm an old dog.

 

CT, like you, I have joined the "high flap landing" group. My friend Phil showed me the technique and I now mostly use 40 flaps for just about all landings, including stiff X-wind ones. If done right, and for me this means keeping the air speed between 52 and 55 kts, when I'm ready to set down, pulling power ends the flight then and now. My problem lately is that I have become lazy with the throttle and am not keeping aheah of the plane. Due to the summer heat and recently winds coming up the runway, I have let the speed drop below 50kts and have just not been squeezing in some throttle to keep the speed up. Pulling back on the stick to keep from dropping to the runway isn't the way to go and gets me further behind the plane. I know that there will be others who say just use 15 flaps and grease it in and I still do this occasionally but I know what you mean about being stubborn. When done right, full flap landings are a beautiful thing. The other advantage of full flap landings is the great view one gets of the runway! :-) The neat thing is that our CT's are made for landings with all flap settings and this allows a pilot to use whatever works best for him or her.

[207WF]

I flew into MMH for fuel on my way back from Michigan two days ago; that leg was Provo Utah to MMH. Interesting and beautiful spot! Right downwind for 27 the hill blocks your view of the runway end. Even with 4 knot winds I had a downdraft on short final that required nearly full throttle. I used flaps zero, just 'cause I was chicken, even though my normal is now flaps 15. I circled seemingly forever on departure, using the terrain for lift, then crossed the sierras at 10,500 southwest of the lakes behind the ski resort (500' for mountain terrain clearance, of course). Good fun!

 

Another observation: flying high in the summer helps me appreciate why Charlie Tango, based at MMH at 7700 msl, likes to run 5500 rpm all the time. The more I flight in high DAs, the higher I seem to run the rpm, and 5400 at altitude seems reasonable to me now. That gives about 114-115 knots true on 5.25 gph with about 85% trottle, density altitude at 13,500.

 

WF

[Ed Cesnalis]

Wayne,

 

That high terrain is one reason people do a lot of strait ins at mammoth. I just did my BFR and the CFI wanted to see 3 closed throttle 40 degree landings with stopping or exiting withing 1,000'. Fun with the summer thermals.

 

Here's a photo from right downwind for niner.