Old pilots and New Pilots (and dodgy landings)

[MA_Moby]

I had the honour of bumping into and chatting to two WWII pilots today at my flying club. One was an ex Mosquito pilot, and the other an ex Swordfish pilot. Sadly I couldn't muster the courage to ask them about their wartime tales (well you just don't do you), but we chatted about their grandchildren and the benefits or otherise of viagra . Both were in their 80's and still getting airbourne - good on 'em.

I myself, the new pilot in question, went out on a land away trip to Conington executing a dodgy landing, then returned to Norwich to execute another dodgier landing. Got a nice view of Peterborough and surrounds.

I got see two F-15s climbing across my nose as I heading back north of Lakenheath.

Here's a piccie of my stead (the droopy looking Cessna, closest) parked up with the rest at Conington.

[Zak33]

you're doing well mate

And you're right...you just dont ask old boys about the war until you know them a fair bit.

So whats with the dodgy landing's ? Are you being hard on yaself, or are you really not getting better?

Bet its the former

[[GSV]Trig]

Any landing you can walk away from is a good one....


Dont think the guy that actually owns the plane will go for that one tho eh

[MA_Moby]

So whats with the dodgy landing's ? Are you being hard on yaself, or are you really not getting better?

A combination of factors. Landing at Conington, an unfamiliar field, meant I got my circuit a bit wonky, a short base leg with little time to lose height and get onto final, so I missed the extended centreline and had to fly back onto it which led me to being too low and having to put on bags of power towards the end to avoid the bushes at the end of the runway threashold - the actual landing was ok. Then at Norwich i had to contend with a 9 kt crosswind - the crabbed approach was fine, but when it came to straightening up (you hit the rudder to align the nose, then put the aerolons into wind to prevent roll, so you essentially have crossed controls but fly straight) I misjudged the amount of control input needed and drifted across the runway, touching down a tad close to the edge (with a very light Marlins hop - it's a long time since I've bounced it like that). Crosswinds are tricky, as they're never the same twice, but like all these things it'll come with time and experience.