At Last! Fellow Sufferers!
Mazzy et al. At last I have found some people who are doing exactly what I've done, rounding out too high, looking too close to the aircraft instead of the far end of the runway and so on.
Last Tuesday was a horror day for me on the circuit. Flapless approaches and landings, gliding approaches and landings - these went very well indeed. Tthe final circuit was going to be me demonstrating my masterful landing technique - only to have Beth grab the controls and apply power as I bounced and did my best to stall the aircraft into the tarmac from 40 feet.
So anyway, Wednesday I re read what I was supposed to be doing in preparation for Thursday - which was solid rain and cloud to 600 feet.
About 2.00 pm we found a window of clear sky and went up just to do simple circuits. I finally think I have some idea of what to do in the last 200 feet.
Get the approach right otherwise things just snowball. Throttle back to 1700 revs, hold nose up to wash off speed then chuck out ten, then twenty degrees of flap and lower nose to maintina 75 kts. Teurn final seleect aimpoint fifty yards from piano keys.
Chuck out another ten degrees to give thirty degrees of flap and position nose to give 65 kts.
Then saying under breath 65 kts, keep moving throttle and elevator to keep the aimpoint AND sixty five knots. Aimpoint - 65kts - Aimpoint- 65 kts Aimpoint etc. It seems to work.
I was rounding out too high - scared of getting too low and flying it into the grass, but the logical contradiction finally hit me. Once you do round out, the aeroplane flys perfectly happily straight and level for that 50 yards before the keys, look at the other end of the runway and then just ease back on power and hold the nose up.
Anyway we did circuits for an hour and a bit, just watching the next rainstorm coming in from over the bay. Timed it right so we had the Cessna tied down and were walking back to the office when the first raindrops hit - very satisfying.
Wednesday I go out with a Senior instructor for a check flight.