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Old 18th Jul 2012, 23:41
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Chuck Ellsworth
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Vancouver Island
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Hi gallwood, I seldom post here anymore, however your question and the answers you have received have prompted me to see if I can help you with your problems when landing.


I'm about three weeks in to circuits on my PPL. The last but one lesson I was making good approaches and some half decent landings. However, my last lesson was terrible. The approach seemed to go ok, but then at the last minute, during the flare, I would drift way off to the left. It was so frustrating .
I know of no reason that a stabilized approach and flare for the landing would suddenly cause the airplane to drift off to the left during the flare due to the very short time period involved in the change of attitude to transit from the approach profile to the level profile in relation to the ground...unless you are for some reason moving one or more of the flight control surfaces inadvertently.

( The flare )

The flare is very short........(1) approach path.....(2) the flare.....(3) the hold off period.

In which case your instructor should be aware of what you are doing and explain what you are doing wrong and correct it.

How much time was spent teaching you attitudes and movements during your first flying lessons?

Therein may possibly be the reason you are having problems with controlling the airplane......you did not really understand the attitudes and movements portion of the flight training......the basics.

Having owned a flight school and seen some of the products the flight training industry is turning out called flight instructors makes me rather depressed at times......a lot of the flight instructors do not understand attitudes and movements either.

Note:::

I am not suggesting your instructor is to blame....I am only trying to help you get past this problem.

Last edited by Chuck Ellsworth; 18th Jul 2012 at 23:58.
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