As part of my flight training, I have to fly into a class C airport. The closest one to SNS is Monterey, CA (MRY). MRY would have to be one of the less busy class Cs around, unlike say San Jose (SJC).
Due to an unexpected problem with oil pumps for all Rotax engines, all the airplanes that I usually fly in my flight school were grounded. My instructor called me Wednesday evening and gave me two options. 1) Put off the flight till the airplanes were fixed, or 2) Fly his personal Cessna 140
It wasn't a difficult choice. For those unfamiliar with that aircraft, the 140 is from the 1940s and is a tail dragger. I also knew that my instructor had invested in a new engine very recently, and that it was now going "like a rocket".
I had never flown a tail dragger before. So along with all the confusion around communicating in a class C airspace, I had to pay attention to what I was doing with the airplane. My instructor though belongs to the school of thought that emphasizes flying based on feel. Indeed, once I got the basics in place, most of my flying has been done with all the instruments masked. All he said was "Don't think about it too much. Just fly the plane."
After a small briefing on communication procedures, we went out to his hangar to preflight the 140. It was a beautiful plane. I have always believed that tail draggers look the way airplanes ought to look. They look like they are meant to fly even sitting on the ground, as if eager to take off with the nose-high attitude.
Once the preflight was done and we took our seats, I started up the brand new engine. The panel was very basic though it had a GPS. My instructor told me he didn't know how to use that one because it was so old. The irony of it in a Cessna 140.
After getting clearance from SNS ground to taxi, I proceeded to taxi the airplane to runway 8. Rather, I tried to taxi the plane to runway 8. You see, I found out that tail draggers are very particular about the pilot being very aware of what he is doing. Unlike in a tricycle where one can let it drift around and still get it back going in a straight line, such thinking in a taildragger will result in one going in every direction except straight ahead.
I was therefore introduced to proactive rudder control. And boy was it difficult. What I did love about the taildragger was that I could spin it on the spot with the independent brakes.
My instructor said, "Now remember, once you get some speed on the take off roll, push the yoke in to get the tail up, and then pull it back up to take off. It's easy. Oh, and do whatever it takes to keep the airplane rolling straight down the runway"
I could immediately see myself being extricated from a burning Cessna 140 nosed over on runway 8.
As I began the roll and tried to be proactive with the rudder, the tail started swinging back and forth more than necessary. My instructor had to intervene, and I was very thankful that he did. Pick up speed, elevator down, roll along on two wheels, elevator up and a smooth take off.
What immediately struck me was how much more smoother this airplane flew than the Tecnam. But then, this is the design that has stuck around in essentially the same basic form through all the popular Cessna aircraft for 60 years now. They did get something right.
Getting Norcal approach and then transitioning to MRY tower was smooth. I made use of a kneeboard for the first time and was thankful that I did for all the writing involved. As I entered base, I suddenly realized that I had no idea as to how I'd land a tail dragger.
As I presented this problem to my instructor, the Zen master that he is replied, "Do you remember the attitude that the airplane had when sitting on the ground? Well just make sure that you have the exact same attitude when landing. Also, don't forget to keep the airplane going straight down the runway"
After trimming the airplane for the correct speed, I tried to push away those familiar images again - me being extricated from a smoking wrecked Cessna 140, this time on runway 10R in MRY.
As I turned into final, I found myself pulling back on the yoke as I was thinking about the landing pitch. A firm push back followed by, "Remember, it's not difficult if you don't think of anything except flying this airplane down the centerline of the runway" from my instructor got me corrected again.
Down, down, watching the end of the runway, the descent rate, and I start pulling back on the yoke. But evidently it was too soon as the plane lost speed and dropped down onto the tarmac, bounced up, and down again. This was followed by a very very loud noise as the tail wheel rolled on the runway. "What the hell is that? Did I break something?"
"Think of this plane as an aluminium megaphone. We are sitting at the big open end, and the tail wheel is at the small end." That made sense to me, though I was still afraid that the landing had to have jolted something loose. My instructor though did not look concerned at all. But then, this airplane had survived close to sixty years with a lot of pilots like me at the controls.
We taxied off the runway to think through what had happened, and to plan for the trip back. This involved noting down a bunch of frequencies, instructions etc. from MRY clearance.
After another interesting take off, I was handed off to Norcal Departure, and then to SNS tower. I quickly found myself in the pattern to land in SNS.
This time I was determined to get it right. I concentrated solely on flying the airplane. Trim set up, turn into final, keep the airplane pointing straight ahead. Down, down, watching the descent rate, pull the yoke up to the correct attitude, slight aileron for the cross wind. I touched down and miraculously didn't bounce up again or nose over. I was happy to know that the tail wheel was rolling along happily at one end of our flying megaphone.
I relaxed too soon and I think I was pretty close to a ground loop when my instructor interevened again and got us going straight again.
My instructor told me he was very impressed with my flying that day. He attributed it to me concentrating on flying rather than thinking. I attribute it to beginner's luck.
It is very very difficult to keep a tail wheel airplane going straight as I discovered. It requires a lot more awareness of and a feel for the airplane and what it is doing. The rudder which was almost a forgotten control in the Tecnam is in your face in a tail wheel. Adverse yaw was very evident in this plane (and I suspect in all the old taildraggers) which required considerable rudder input.
I flew into MRY twice more on Saturday in a Tecnam Bravo - a high wing airplane unlike the Sierra. I hadn't flown this type before and I didn't do a good job with it at all. I guess my luck deserted me. Maybe flying three different types in three days was too much to take. But hey, I'd do it again.
However, I did get the communication in class C done without any major mistakes. And that was the point of the lessons.
No comments:
Post a Comment