flyer770
Pre-takeoff checklist
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Flyer770
Taildraggers
- Thread starter ChemGuy
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Ari
Wait, are you guys flying taildraggers with forward visibility on the ground? You’re not a real pilot until you have flown a plane that blindfolds you during all critical phases of the flight.
Peripheral vision.
--says the pilot with only about 2 hours embarrassing herself in a C-140, but who found that if her eyes drifted anywhere other than straight ahead, bad things would happen
--says the pilot with only about 2 hours embarrassing herself in a C-140, but who found that if her eyes drifted anywhere other than straight ahead, bad things would happen
P.S. A "real" pilot = one who has soloed. <gavel-striking noise!>
ChemGuy
Cleared for Takeoff
Talk about visibility issues, here's the shot from a Super Cub on 31" bush wheels...
Its not that big a deal, you should keep your eyes moving in anything you fly/land.
Its not that big a deal, you should keep your eyes moving in anything you fly/land.
Cool plane. Not trying any "one up" BS here, but that's a good bit better vis than most round engine and acro bipes. Everyone has to find what works best for them, but for your peripheral vision to do its job well, ya gotta keep your eyes and head very still, looking straight ahead. Works perfectly in blind airplanes by learning to keep the small triangular slivers of runway on each side of your periphery looking the same.
I took my first 5 lessons in a Piper J3 Cub, and was blissfully unaware that there was anything special about taking off and landing them.
Granted, the first takeoff was "keep your hand on your stick, and watch and feel what I do", as was the landing, with a continuous verbal of the technique.
The rest of the take offs and landings were with them lightly holding their stick, and talking me through the sequences, controlling the plane with my stick.
I do not remember using brakes for anything but the run-up.
One of the results of that start in my training is that I assume landings will be made in the near stall region, and the nose wheel held off for increased air drag to save brakes. I put a ding or three in the tail tie down ring with too much elevator in the early days. Lack of visibility down the runway is not an issue, just keep exactly the same amount of runway visible on each side of the cowl, and you are fine. I can also feel a swerve starting, and counter it with rudder as long as I have enough air speed to hold the nose up. That was an ancient Cessna 150, 4th engine, and a couple of hundred hours on the latest engine.
The Cubs were simpler airplanes, no generator, no battery, no lights, no gyro's, no Hobbs meter, no starter but your hand. Tie the tail with a slip knot, chock the right main wheel, and start her up! When it is smooth running, yank the tail tie down rope, fasten your seat belt, grab the chock tether, yank, and you are ready to go. If you are solo, take the chock with you, in case you need to land, and shut down.
Granted, the first takeoff was "keep your hand on your stick, and watch and feel what I do", as was the landing, with a continuous verbal of the technique.
The rest of the take offs and landings were with them lightly holding their stick, and talking me through the sequences, controlling the plane with my stick.
I do not remember using brakes for anything but the run-up.
One of the results of that start in my training is that I assume landings will be made in the near stall region, and the nose wheel held off for increased air drag to save brakes. I put a ding or three in the tail tie down ring with too much elevator in the early days. Lack of visibility down the runway is not an issue, just keep exactly the same amount of runway visible on each side of the cowl, and you are fine. I can also feel a swerve starting, and counter it with rudder as long as I have enough air speed to hold the nose up. That was an ancient Cessna 150, 4th engine, and a couple of hundred hours on the latest engine.
The Cubs were simpler airplanes, no generator, no battery, no lights, no gyro's, no Hobbs meter, no starter but your hand. Tie the tail with a slip knot, chock the right main wheel, and start her up! When it is smooth running, yank the tail tie down rope, fasten your seat belt, grab the chock tether, yank, and you are ready to go. If you are solo, take the chock with you, in case you need to land, and shut down.
I am 5' 9" and I have zero forward visibility. Maybe my landing gear has been re-bent ant is taller than usual...
I must do S-Turns while taxiing.
OK, let me rephrase it: "Include the areas on both sides from the wingtips forward in your peripheral scan."
It's a habit I picked up from flying helicopters that have terrible forward vis.
Where did this guy look when landing?
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Aztec Flyer
I heard he was a BIG Garmin fan, and used the Syn Viz on the G3X.
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Meet the Fokkers
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Aztec Flyer
Damn.. where did he look when he was flying??
...
Same place as everyone...head buried in the iPad of course.
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Ari
He didn't have to look.
But if he had wanted to look, other than the unnecessary periscope he had, I suspect that he had about as good a forward view out the side windows as one gets in a Cessna 195.
