kevmusic
1st Jun 2012, 08:52
I took the Luscombe up yesterday. It was the first time I'd flown in a fair while, and on paper, a good day - wind 10-15 kts straight down the runway, good vis., cloudbase not an issue. There's no fuel at Old Hay, so first job was off to Headcorn to re-fuel. I was definitely out of practice: given the number of times my wheels actually touced the runway at Headcorn I think I was lucky to get away with one landing fee!
Then I sauntered back to the field for some touch-and-goes. Now by this time, the thermals were getting busy but that normally doesn't worry me - after all, they're usually pretty docile below about 300' where I need to concentrate. I've been flying from this field for about nine months now, and this is the first time I've encountered a really thermic day. And this is where I found out that, at this site at least, thermals and wind-shear can affect you a lot lower than 300'!
The bumps, tips and gusts started up as a I turned final and lined up. Keeping the airspeed on 56 was the initial problem. Then the picture started to slide up and down the screen - you know the sort of thing - lift and sink, trying not to react too late, or to over-react. Can't wait to get below three hundred for it to get calmer! It was really tough. Sometimes the tip-ups were so strong I found it difficult to apply opposite bank - and this was where I really had to be careful. Roll was sluggish but yaw was easy, and with the ASI sweeping 10 knots either side and me at 200 feet......
The thermals were active all the way down to the ground. I'll never forget being really low (I'm not sure - 30-50 feet?) just behind the fence and hitting windshear with wing-drop. She fell like a stone.
Just for the record, I did three T & Gs and on the last one I did think to add 5 knots to the approach speed (finally! you say) which at least added a margin for safety. Another interesting point was that I guess as the thermals left the ground, the windsock went all over the place. My nice 'down the runway' wind suddenly was acquiring a few knots right across!
I've never been so bumped about on final before (including, in five years' gliding experience) and I was really sweating as I taxied back in.
Then I sauntered back to the field for some touch-and-goes. Now by this time, the thermals were getting busy but that normally doesn't worry me - after all, they're usually pretty docile below about 300' where I need to concentrate. I've been flying from this field for about nine months now, and this is the first time I've encountered a really thermic day. And this is where I found out that, at this site at least, thermals and wind-shear can affect you a lot lower than 300'!
The bumps, tips and gusts started up as a I turned final and lined up. Keeping the airspeed on 56 was the initial problem. Then the picture started to slide up and down the screen - you know the sort of thing - lift and sink, trying not to react too late, or to over-react. Can't wait to get below three hundred for it to get calmer! It was really tough. Sometimes the tip-ups were so strong I found it difficult to apply opposite bank - and this was where I really had to be careful. Roll was sluggish but yaw was easy, and with the ASI sweeping 10 knots either side and me at 200 feet......
The thermals were active all the way down to the ground. I'll never forget being really low (I'm not sure - 30-50 feet?) just behind the fence and hitting windshear with wing-drop. She fell like a stone.
Just for the record, I did three T & Gs and on the last one I did think to add 5 knots to the approach speed (finally! you say) which at least added a margin for safety. Another interesting point was that I guess as the thermals left the ground, the windsock went all over the place. My nice 'down the runway' wind suddenly was acquiring a few knots right across!
I've never been so bumped about on final before (including, in five years' gliding experience) and I was really sweating as I taxied back in.