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Old 21st May 2006, 18:13
  #11 (permalink)  
Pilot Pete
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Egcc
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The problem you get if you straighten up too early (say at a couple of hundred feet), is that the wind of course backs and decreases as you get over the runway, so your adjustment at 200' is now not correct at touchdown! I was once taught to do this by a, how shall we put it, not overly fantastic training captain! This lead to trying to adjust the rudder and aileron really late on and just made things worse!

When you make the adjustment to the rudder to line the aircraft up with the runway, hold it there. Do not be tempted to 'fiddle with it' as you will get all out of shape. Make the rest of your adjustments using aileron alone, in effect with a new datum (your wing down position), adding more if you are losing the centre line downwind and rolling some aileron off if you are losing the centre line upwind. In both cases, when you have the centre line back, adjust aileron again to hold it there.

What you really want are strong crosswinds with no gust for practice. It won't take long to get them right, but if it is gusty, or a crossind that is rolling over hangars or terminal buildings (like Manchester 24R) then it is not easy to learn the correct base line technique as there is so much else going on!!

Have fun.

PP
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