Asrian
21st Apr 2009, 21:39
Just back from the airfield and I just need to share it with someone :)
Most of my relatives and friends are not into flying and don't care... :(
This evening, somewhere on a grass strip in germany, I did my three circuits and full stop landings on a Diamond Katana DV 20.
Sunny evening, great visibility and almost no wind.
After some circuits the instructor got out and said "Do Your next ones alone!"... :ooh:
My first circuit and landing was ok, but on downwind I had the low sun on the horizon against me. But visibility was ok.
At next final some light wind came up and changed direction to cross and slightly behind. Without instructor the Katana was a lot lighter and therefore even more agile as she already is. For a second I also put the flaps up instead of full down :O , recognised the mistake and corrected it immediately a few seconds later. So I came in quite high this time and had some wind gusts and thermals also. But managed to get her down within the limits.
At the last circuit the wind had changed direction a little more to the back so the instructor asked at the radio if I wanted the opposite runway to land on but because the wind was very light and because I would have had the low sun on the horizon against me on final I decided to take the first one still. Had to use quite some stick and rudder to get her down on the field within the limits due to light gusts and some thermals.
Relief! Happiness! Joy! :)
Then on taxi back to the hangar it happened: Suddenly I heard a strange noise from the front wheel and I had to apply more throttle to keep moving forward. I'm cautious at taxi and not too fast, because its a bumpy grass-strip. But...now somehow the front wheel had a flat tyre! :uhoh:
The instructor and other guys from the flying club assured me that my landings and taxi speed were ok and within the limits and that such things just can happen any time...
But it was quite a surprise and I'm still happy it happened at the end and not earlier... :hmm:
Most of my relatives and friends are not into flying and don't care... :(
This evening, somewhere on a grass strip in germany, I did my three circuits and full stop landings on a Diamond Katana DV 20.
Sunny evening, great visibility and almost no wind.
After some circuits the instructor got out and said "Do Your next ones alone!"... :ooh:
My first circuit and landing was ok, but on downwind I had the low sun on the horizon against me. But visibility was ok.
At next final some light wind came up and changed direction to cross and slightly behind. Without instructor the Katana was a lot lighter and therefore even more agile as she already is. For a second I also put the flaps up instead of full down :O , recognised the mistake and corrected it immediately a few seconds later. So I came in quite high this time and had some wind gusts and thermals also. But managed to get her down within the limits.
At the last circuit the wind had changed direction a little more to the back so the instructor asked at the radio if I wanted the opposite runway to land on but because the wind was very light and because I would have had the low sun on the horizon against me on final I decided to take the first one still. Had to use quite some stick and rudder to get her down on the field within the limits due to light gusts and some thermals.
Relief! Happiness! Joy! :)
Then on taxi back to the hangar it happened: Suddenly I heard a strange noise from the front wheel and I had to apply more throttle to keep moving forward. I'm cautious at taxi and not too fast, because its a bumpy grass-strip. But...now somehow the front wheel had a flat tyre! :uhoh:
The instructor and other guys from the flying club assured me that my landings and taxi speed were ok and within the limits and that such things just can happen any time...
But it was quite a surprise and I'm still happy it happened at the end and not earlier... :hmm: