AdamZ
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2005
- Messages
- 14,869
- Location
- Montgomery County PA
- Display Name
Display name:
Adam Zucker
Today I had my first High Performance Complex lesson in a Straight Tail Lance. Didn't think it would happen at first because the weather was supposed to go to hell. When I woke though the wind was out of the SE @ 4 and the vis was 10 and ceiling was overcast at 12,000. I called the CFII and we agreed to meet at wings at 9:45. We spent a good hour on ground going over systems, V-Speeds, behavior of the plane, comparison to other Pipers. Went over how preflight differs in a complex (checking micro circuits etc). Then it was out to the plane, the weather was forcast to deteriorate around Noon. We weren't going to ventrue beyond the pattern so we weren't to concerned about the ceiling comming down a bit to about 5000' and the light on and off rain.
You could feel the difference in just taxiing the plane it just felt heavier and that 300hp engine. WOW it just rumbled. The run up was for the most part the same as an Archer or Tiger except for exercising the prop. At the hold short line Paul the CFII remined me of the "extra" right rudder I would need. We take the runway and position and hold, mixture and prop full forward and run it up to 2000 RPMs check the engine instruments. All was at it should have been and I release the breaks and advance the throttle full forward. The Lance Launced forward and rocketed down the runway. I kept the right rudder in and maintained centerline. Rotate at 75Kts and WoW I just didn't anticipate how much right rudder I'd need upon getting airborne. The left wing dipped and it was like someone just pulled the plane left. I made the appropriate corrections and went though the gear up procedure " Gear in Transit" "Gear up and Locked" all while griping the gear leaver. At 800' Manifold pressure and prop go to 25 squared. At pattern altitude manifold pressue is reduced to 16" and RPMs to 24. POH says manifold pressure to 20" but CFI said that would be just to high for the closed pattern.
By now we were Screaming on downwind at speeds I only hoped to reach in the Archer but am used to in the Tiger. Below 129kts lower the gear and repeat the verbal statments abou the status of the gear. I remember hand stays on the gear lever until down and locked (3 in the green) One notch of flaps in and GUMPS check. Turn left base for 24 and bring in the 2nd notch of flaps and do another GUMPS check. Turn final and Third notch of flaps and 1,2,3 1-Confirm Mixture full rich. 2-prop full forward (beaware of need for go around) 3- Confirm three in the green.
The Lance felt lilke a ship with a solid lead keel. The approach was so stabilized it felt like the plane was riding on a track right to the runway.
Now I'm used to taking the trottle full out when the runway is made in the Tiger and Archer but in the Lance, Paul wanted me to bring it in with some power due to the tendency for the nose to drop like a rock due to the weight up front. I've been told that one of the big problems folks have in stepping up to the lance and saratoga models is the tendency to smack the nose down. My CFI was VERY pleased I didn't suffer from this affliction ( primarly becuse it was his plane)
Four times around the pattern and each time I put her down gently on the mains and each time after the first I got the right rudder down pat.
The power and speed in the Lance just awed me. Its the same feeling I got steppinng up from the AA-1C/B to the Tiger or the Warrior to the Archer. Yes I have been seduced. I can't wait till my next lesson.
You could feel the difference in just taxiing the plane it just felt heavier and that 300hp engine. WOW it just rumbled. The run up was for the most part the same as an Archer or Tiger except for exercising the prop. At the hold short line Paul the CFII remined me of the "extra" right rudder I would need. We take the runway and position and hold, mixture and prop full forward and run it up to 2000 RPMs check the engine instruments. All was at it should have been and I release the breaks and advance the throttle full forward. The Lance Launced forward and rocketed down the runway. I kept the right rudder in and maintained centerline. Rotate at 75Kts and WoW I just didn't anticipate how much right rudder I'd need upon getting airborne. The left wing dipped and it was like someone just pulled the plane left. I made the appropriate corrections and went though the gear up procedure " Gear in Transit" "Gear up and Locked" all while griping the gear leaver. At 800' Manifold pressure and prop go to 25 squared. At pattern altitude manifold pressue is reduced to 16" and RPMs to 24. POH says manifold pressure to 20" but CFI said that would be just to high for the closed pattern.
By now we were Screaming on downwind at speeds I only hoped to reach in the Archer but am used to in the Tiger. Below 129kts lower the gear and repeat the verbal statments abou the status of the gear. I remember hand stays on the gear lever until down and locked (3 in the green) One notch of flaps in and GUMPS check. Turn left base for 24 and bring in the 2nd notch of flaps and do another GUMPS check. Turn final and Third notch of flaps and 1,2,3 1-Confirm Mixture full rich. 2-prop full forward (beaware of need for go around) 3- Confirm three in the green.
The Lance felt lilke a ship with a solid lead keel. The approach was so stabilized it felt like the plane was riding on a track right to the runway.
Now I'm used to taking the trottle full out when the runway is made in the Tiger and Archer but in the Lance, Paul wanted me to bring it in with some power due to the tendency for the nose to drop like a rock due to the weight up front. I've been told that one of the big problems folks have in stepping up to the lance and saratoga models is the tendency to smack the nose down. My CFI was VERY pleased I didn't suffer from this affliction ( primarly becuse it was his plane)
Four times around the pattern and each time I put her down gently on the mains and each time after the first I got the right rudder down pat.
The power and speed in the Lance just awed me. Its the same feeling I got steppinng up from the AA-1C/B to the Tiger or the Warrior to the Archer. Yes I have been seduced. I can't wait till my next lesson.
