StanFoster
Active Member
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2003
- Messages
- 17,139
- Location
- Paxton, Il
- Aircraft
- Helicycle N360SF
- Total Flight Time
- 1250
I had a very enjoyable chat on the phone with my friend Vance this morning....and usually a conversation with a man of his depth causes an influence on me. Today was no exception.
He was impressing on me the real need to do full autos to the ground. I told him that I practice autos a lot, but with power recovery after the skids are level. What he was telling me is what I have been wanting to start actually doing....and that is just completely deliver the baby and do a full auto...instead of abort it with a power recovery.
So, when the time is right....and over a grass runway, I will do some autos and let them continue on down to the ground. I feel some of the advice against doing these in the Helicycles is because of their landing gear that can fold up if doing a run on landing. Mine have been strengthened with criss cross cables....and have had one real test with my first forced landing at the best option of doing a 40 mph run on landing.
I feel I need to move my training up to another level. I already am doing autos with stopping all forward motion....leveling the skids, and then doing a power recovery which can be interesting in itself catching the torque with the left pedal as it comes online.
I felt in the beginning I didnt have enough experience, now I have a better feel for this ship, and would like to start doing some full autos to the ground.......
I will be doing these over a grass runway, and if it doesnt look right, I will do a power recovery, but then really scold myself why it wasnt right...and keep at it till it is right. You only get one chance at a real engine out. No aborting the baby then!
Stan
He was impressing on me the real need to do full autos to the ground. I told him that I practice autos a lot, but with power recovery after the skids are level. What he was telling me is what I have been wanting to start actually doing....and that is just completely deliver the baby and do a full auto...instead of abort it with a power recovery.
So, when the time is right....and over a grass runway, I will do some autos and let them continue on down to the ground. I feel some of the advice against doing these in the Helicycles is because of their landing gear that can fold up if doing a run on landing. Mine have been strengthened with criss cross cables....and have had one real test with my first forced landing at the best option of doing a 40 mph run on landing.
I feel I need to move my training up to another level. I already am doing autos with stopping all forward motion....leveling the skids, and then doing a power recovery which can be interesting in itself catching the torque with the left pedal as it comes online.
I felt in the beginning I didnt have enough experience, now I have a better feel for this ship, and would like to start doing some full autos to the ground.......
I will be doing these over a grass runway, and if it doesnt look right, I will do a power recovery, but then really scold myself why it wasnt right...and keep at it till it is right. You only get one chance at a real engine out. No aborting the baby then!
Stan