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Thanks to everyone for their input on this thread. I enjoy the sharing of experiences and it has helped me a lot.
Today marks 16 months since my first flight in my Bearhawk 4A with 320 plus hours and over 500 landings. I'm not saying that to brag, just the opposite, that is what it takes for me to come close to reaching an "average" proficiency level. Jon (Battson) has said over and over, practice is the key. In that time, there has been a learning curve for me that continues each and every flight. That is what makes it fun for me!
I'll just try to throw out some thoughts here that I have learned rather slowly over the last 16 months.
My Bearhawk landing strategy stages goes as follows so far:
Sorry this so long but just one more point. Nev's data driven approach is the only way I can really know how I'm doing. I use EFIS data and cameras to really judge how I'm doing and improving. There are mainy times that I landed 10 feet short (fireball) and never knew it. Video don't lie.
My new challenge - in all this time, I neglected doing any engine out practice. Recent attempts at this have revealed that I suck at it. It is a whole different game to clean up the flaps and lower the nose with no option for use of power. A lot of times I would either eat trees on approach or run off the butte on the far end of the back country runway. Try it. I'm learning a lot about landing the BH in engine out simulation. got a long way to go.
Fly safe! Practice hard, fly easy!
Today marks 16 months since my first flight in my Bearhawk 4A with 320 plus hours and over 500 landings. I'm not saying that to brag, just the opposite, that is what it takes for me to come close to reaching an "average" proficiency level. Jon (Battson) has said over and over, practice is the key. In that time, there has been a learning curve for me that continues each and every flight. That is what makes it fun for me!
I'll just try to throw out some thoughts here that I have learned rather slowly over the last 16 months.
My Bearhawk landing strategy stages goes as follows so far:
- GA primary training stage - Just carry extra speed, aim for the big old runway, don't bend anything! Phase 1 initial hours.
- I wanna be a STOL Competitor - I tried to work my approach speeds down and tried to get my landing distances down to competition level. I fly with Carbon Cub drivers and they could do it. I could get slow and short at impractically low payload weights. I couldn't do ten 1.1 VSo approaches without at least two of those being way two firm, or long due to timing and magnitude of power burst to save a landing.
- Wing VG's installed phase - this was a huge step forward to landing shorter. It made the approaches much more stable and helped do it slower. Thought I was on my way to competition. I really started preparing for trips to Canyonlands, UT about this time. That meant I had to start practicing at what I call "day trip" weight. That is full fuel, all backcountry tools and survival gear, chairs, table, extra stuff to account for ice chest and "cold" drinks. The full fuel is to account for my flight deck commanders weight. The difference between 2 hours of XC fuel burn and the weight she last told me when I married her some 43 years ago!!! Whee has kinda mentioned this, at those practice weights and slow approach speeds close to 1.1 VSo, it took way to much nose high flare and power burst to arrest the downward inertia (weight). It could be short but teeth would click, eyebrows would raise sharply and the flight deck commander would use bad words.
- Made several actual backcountry trips - this is the fun phase. Made several trips, had a blast and realized I didn't have be able to do STOL competition level landings to be safe. The other thing I learned was there was always wind which never blew on the nose. That means landing in a cross wind or a quartering tailwind on a narrow two track wide strip. For control and visibility I had to land a little faster anyway most of the time. Even at those slightly higher approach speeds I hardly use 25% of the runway if I consistently hit my aim point. I found that if I landed at STOL competition speeds and got a little bounce in a crosswind, I was at the edge of a runway (12 foot wide) at the mercy of the breeze.
- Current landing strategy - Canyon speed on downwind - 65 KIAS, flaps 2. This is practice for canyon maneuvering configuration. Abeam the numbers - reduce throttle (full prop, about 1300 rpm), trim for 50 KIAS, flaps 3. I did try to do full flaps right off the bat but found speed control within 2 knots was too difficult and draggy in the turns. As turn into final, pull latch knots of flaps, and start concentrating on the aim point. Usually a high start and idle throttle now. Power if the aim point starts to rise. Slow a bit (nose up) if the aim point goes down. With the VG's this is safer than it sounds in my Bearhawk. I can slow up and descend pretty steeply as the speed goes down into the low to mid 40's KIAS. Actually, I've gotten to where I don't really pay attention to the airspeed once I finish my base to final turn. As aim point passes under the nose, start the round out with a little power going in. Lately, this is really nice chirp, chirps and a rollout of about 450 feet. Oh, for visibility reasons, which I need on two track wide runways with prairie dog holes, I land tail low, wheel landings with braking to almost walking speed before the tailwheel goes down. This is good for the passengers and my airframe. I know the guy that welded the fuselage/landing gear and he is an amateur for sure!!!!
Sorry this so long but just one more point. Nev's data driven approach is the only way I can really know how I'm doing. I use EFIS data and cameras to really judge how I'm doing and improving. There are mainy times that I landed 10 feet short (fireball) and never knew it. Video don't lie.
My new challenge - in all this time, I neglected doing any engine out practice. Recent attempts at this have revealed that I suck at it. It is a whole different game to clean up the flaps and lower the nose with no option for use of power. A lot of times I would either eat trees on approach or run off the butte on the far end of the back country runway. Try it. I'm learning a lot about landing the BH in engine out simulation. got a long way to go.
Fly safe! Practice hard, fly easy!
(And, YES, I'm just teasing – mostly.)
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