Advice on flying C150

[Wireless]

Hey there!

I hadn't flown for a year until last weekend when I went flying with an instructor in a C150 in order to get back into shape. Last year I flew a hell of a lot on tailwheel, stick and rudder types.

Despite being rusty my flying was still fine but I could not land the 150 for the life of me. I found this very embarrassing as I learn't to fly on one 5 years ago. Being used to tandem or single seater cockpits, I found the side by side aircraft very difficult to line up on the centreline on approach. But the biggest thing was setting her up on base leg.

I was reducing power from 2350 to 15/1600 rpm after turning base, then once within Vfe, adding two stages of flap. I found that it was a struggle to get the speed down to the 65kt that I had been told to approach at (I could have sworn that when I last flew this plane 5 years before we used to come in at 60). The wind was 14kt and 10 degrees from port.

A very good instructor once went through with me on how to set up small Cessnas on base but I can't remember those words of wisdom. Any advcie to save my embarrasment?

Bill

[Flyin'Dutch']

Hi Wireless

Bit difficult to say without sitting next to you and observing what you are doing but hazard a guess that you did not trim agressively enough.

Best plan would be to give it another go and fly it with 2 stages out of the circuit for a bit and appreciate the configuration and attitude trimming it for the desired speed and ROD.

Are we talking KTS or MPH?

FD

[Pogs]

Hi Wireless,

I seem to remember the following

2300 rpm on downwind - about 85 - 90 kts (and trimmed)
On base reduce to 1500 rpm - maintain 1,000 ft (or whatever)
Speed in white line 2 stages of flap. Hold trim wheel at top most part and move to bottom (makes sense?) - do this twice and watch the speed settle to 65kts. Always worked for my instructor - hope that might help

Pogs

[Wireless]

Thats it Pogs!

I remember now. Yes, I was once told that "take two blows of full trim" . I also remember being told to try to maintain height when reducing the power, allowing the speed to fall quickly before two stages of flap then setting the attitude. Oh, regarding Rate of descent. Is it correct that roughly speaking, 100rpm reduction loses 100 f/min?

Thanks guys.

By the way, speeds I mentioned are in Knots. I do remember that when I learned to fly on that aircraft 5 years ago we approached at 60KTS and cruised at 80KTS. Maybe just fuel economy!

Bill

[big pistons forever]

Hmmmm, Advice on flying the C-150. The only pointer I can think about is to keep turning your head, because you don't get much peripheral vision through the holes in the brown paper bag over your head ;) :D

[Loony_Pilot]

Hi,

I instruct on the C150

On base leg, reduce power to 1700 RPM or less, hold the aircraft level (ie do not let the nose drop or lose height) and once within VFE (white arc), take Flaps 20 and allow the speed to come back to 75mph (approx 65kts). What you should find with that power setting is that by the time you have the flaps to 20.. the airspeed will be about right.

Once you have the speed stabilised and the aircraft trimmed you can concentrate on setting up a stabilised approach at that speed(75mph)

I emphasise not letting the nose drop when you reduce power.. it causes no end of problems in getting the approach stabilised.

The aircraft will land quite happily at FLAP20, no real need for FLAP30 or more unless you have a very short runway indeed.

Hope this is of some use

[flyboy6876]

Hi Wireless

My configuration for landing C152 is as follows:

As turning onto base, carb heat on, reduce to 1500RPM and hold attitude. In white line select 2 stages flap. Use 5 full goes on trim. Nose will settle so that the horizon is about half way up front screen at 65kts. This should allow you to turn finals at about 700ft.

Turn finals, carb heat off, 3rd stage flap and should come back to 60kts. From there on its a case of juggling throttle and attitude to maintain the glide path and speed.

Oh, and add 5kts if doing a flapless landing.