Landing on Grass Over Trees

[FlyingMonkey]

Hey all...

Went up this morning and did some landing practice at my favorite grass strip, Aerie (1GA9).  The runway is about 1950ft long.  The more challenging landing direction is from the Southeast, with ~60ft trees pretty close the approach end.  Between the trees and the runway is a soft vegetable garden, so if you land short you will quickly be upside down.  The trick is to get close to the trees and then get down quickly but not in the garden.  It's a fun place to practice grass landings, approaches with obstacles, and relatively short field operations all at once.  The good thing is that the runway is plenty long for a CT so you're not in big trouble if you don't get it right, and there is a very good go around from this end.  In the video you can hear my buddy commenting; we were both flying and making commentary on each other's landings.

https://youtu.be/y5PHKyAPH84

 

EDIT:   I have posted this video before, but here's the landing from the other end of the runway for another view.  This direction has a road right before the end of the runway, and you have to pretty much fly through the front yard of the neighbor across the street (he actually likes watching the airplanes go by)...

https://youtu.be/d49dR1wECvA?t=65

The technique I use at both ends is the same: minimum airspeed (48-52kt), 30° flaps, add power as needed to maintain altitude, and slip if needed to get down faster. 

[Ben2k9]

Nice..how do you like the iFly ?

 

[FlyingMonkey]

I like everything except the alerts.  When you get a traffic or obstacle alert, a box pops up that covers the map so you can’t see the threat until you tap “acknowledge”.  A freaking stupid interface decision.  I have mentioned it to Adventure Pilot.

[AGLyme]

Very much appreciate the CT landing vids, thank you for taking the time and effort to post on YT.

[FlyingMonkey]

7 minutes ago, AGLyme said:

Very much appreciate the CT landing vids, thank you for taking the time and effort to post on YT.

My pleasure!  I think many who have not tested their limits in a CT might be reluctant to do so, and I want to show them there is nothing to fear.  The CT is a very capable grass and short-field airplane.  I fly around a lot with others piloting STOL taildragger airplanes, and I can get in and out of 90% of the places they go, even with my small non-tundra tires.  These airplane are pretty good at just about everything you can do VFR.

[Ed Cesnalis]

36 minutes ago, FlyingMonkey said:

These airplane are pretty good at just about everything you can do VFR

I concur. 

Weak point is the nose wheel and wholes.  Once again I will plug having a high level of nosewheel control so you can decide when it settles if there are holes and such to avoid.

[WmInce]

4 hours ago, FlyingMonkey said:

My pleasure!  I think many who have not tested their limits in a CT might be reluctant to do so, and I want to show them there is nothing to fear.  The CT is a very capable grass and short-field airplane.  I fly around a lot with others piloting STOL taildragger airplanes, and I can get in and out of 90% of the places they go, even with my small non-tundra tires.  These airplane are pretty good at just about everything you can do VFR.

Two textbook landings, Andy.

Well done!

[AGLyme]

The CT arrives end of next week.  Woodstock is assembling and achieving FAA signoff within the next month or so and I will soon commence transition training.  The CT has a lot of "pros" after a lot of research... one of them is the CT is no stranger to grass fields as evidenced by its European heritage.  I re-learned (after a 36 years break from flying)  how to fly in a Cub and landing on a grass field is a blast.  Naturally the Cub's flying characteristics are world's different than the CT's.  One of the "cons" of the CT is the more fragile/thin stance (under 6') landing gear -- compared to say a 152/172 and a Cub's... I am looking forward to mastering the landing techniques revealed in your vids Andy.

I ordered the Tundra tires (effectively the same tires used on a Cherokee Six) so I could more easily land in grass fields, and, help cushion the inevitable bad asphalt landings inherent in learning how to perfect landings.

I realize this question has been brought up many times over the years on this forum... but is there a definitive real world answer to the following question for the CTLS model? (assuming max weight, standard wind conditions):

Optimum Downwind speed/ how much and when flaps?

Optimum Base speed/how much and when flaps?

Optimum Final speed/how much and when flaps?

I have learned the hard way that if I don't achieve a routine on the above, everything else goes to hell especially when working with a Class D Controller on landing. 

Thanks to the CTFlier veterans, we newbies are learning a ton here.

Andrew

[Ed Cesnalis]

2 hours ago, AGLyme said:

I realize this question has been brought up many times over the years on this forum... but is there a definitive real world answer to the following question for the CTLS model? (assuming max weight, standard wind conditions):

Optimum Downwind speed/ how much and when flaps?

Optimum Base speed/how much and when flaps?

Optimum Final speed/how much and when flaps?

There is more than one.  They range from chop and drop a-beam the numbers (coasting in with landing flaps at 55kts)  to flying it on with minimum flaps.

2 big speeds to worry about, 100kts for zero flaps, good idea to get this before entering a slow pattern. 80kts for 15* flaps and you want this on downwind so you can deploy flaps at will.

My CT is happy flying a 300' pattern like a part 103 ultra light.  A big stable approach means little or nothing to me.

[AGLyme]

Thanks Ed...