REFLECTOR: Tips - How to land smooth as a roockie

Sun Jun 24 18:10:05 CDT 2007

I saved this post on "Soft Landings" from Dave Dent. I'm still building my
173 Long Wing FG, but will be landing soon and some of these concepts apply
to all Velocities. Ihope Dave doesn't mind me posting it again:

********************************************************************************************************************************************

I could go on for a long time how hard it was to land the XL.  I found it
one of the most difficult planes I had ever landed.  I tried every
mechanical add on I could to correct my inefficiency to land the plane
right.  I was all over the runway trying to put it down.  I was never told
how to it make it right without thinking I was going to brake something.  I
had been landing Long EZ's and Cozy's for a number of  years and thought I
would never have a problem landing the Velocity.    But when I started
flying the Velocity I was rudely awakened.  I didn't know all about big
canards like the Velocity.   I do believe one of the problems comes from the
larger wetted area of the fuselage.  So doing makes it makes it act more
like a boat then a plane when it comes into ground effect.

I have well over 4000 hrs flying light aircraft and every landing is a new
experience as it is with most pilots.  So don't think you are a lone.  Birds
are not meant to land they are meant to fly.  Great effort is put into
planes to make them fly better and faster, not land smoothly.  Just to
withstand the landing.  I have seen aircraft that have been designed for
NASA by some of the best.  They take off fast, they fly fast, they fly high
and can also fly very slow, but when it comes to landing they still look
like something looking  for a place to hit, so that when the parts start
flying off they cause the least amount of collateral damage.

So I came up with a method of landing that seems to work over 90% of the
time.  This is my method and it may help for those still seeking a good way
to get over the idea that they are going to brake their plane on the next
landing.

Now I'm dealing with the XL/RG first but the method works on the smaller
Velocitys as well.
When setting up on your approach speed, with gear down or speed brake down
doing much the same, set up the best angle of attack based on your visual or
glide slope needle angle.  Then while holding that angle trim the aircraft
nose up to take the pressure off your hand then trim it up about one second
longer till you just have to push the stick forward to maintain that same
angle, ever so slight.  Then when you start to slow the plane down by
reducing the power more you will have to keep applying more trim to have the
same forward pressure you need to keep the nose at that angle.  Now when
you come over the first set of numbers on the runway start looking at the
numbers on the other end of the runway and don't take you eyes off them till
your main gear is planted and you will find that you will have to relax on
the stick to let the nose settle onto the ground.  I'll guarantee you, that
if you look at the runway beside you our just in front! of you , you will
hit it, and hit it hard.  So keep your eyes on the end numbers.  It works
most every time.  Don't ever let the canard go above the horizon.  If you
can't see the end of the runway because the canard is in the way your nose
is to high. Most likely it won't be.

I still remember the picture of the plane planted in the middle of a tree in
the meddle of  field and there is only one tree in the wide open  field.  If
you aim to miss it you will hit it for sure.  It all came back to me one day
when I was thinking about the helicopter training I had.  During hovering to
flight transitions.  I was taught to keep my eyes way out in front to keep
from hitting the nose on the ground.  The instructor showed me then, if I
looked at it, you'll would run into it.  So by using this technique I have
made much better landing and not to concerned about braking something on
landing.

Another thought on this.  When once lined up with the runway keep your feet
off the rudders till you absolutely need them.  It just makes more work out
of it.  It will make you use a great deal more stick movement and get you
into a minor PIO, that will make you sweat.  So use as little rudder as you
can during your approach.

I hope this gives a little more confidence into those that have just started
flying these beautiful planes.
Dave

On 6/23/07, Ramin Yavrom <yavrom at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> Hi Lou,
>
> I have only 25 hours in my Vel, not more of an expert than you. However, I
> used a trick that really helped me land much smoother.
>
> Since I am new to Velocity I decided I will use an airport nearby that has
> a 6500 ft and 11000 ft runway so that i could come in with a bit of power to
> make it a smoother landing.
> Meanwhile, repeated practice with power landings allowed me to slowly get
> a hang of the plane and its landing nature.
>
> Eventually, as you get more and more comfortable with it, you will be able
> to land with less and less power, untill you come in with full idle.
>
> I also feel no mater how good you get, even an expert Vel pilot will
> occasionally have a terrible landing with full idle. I have seen it.
>
> So, you may wish to do some thing like I did.
>
> Have fun.
>
> Ray
>
>
> *LHOSK at comcast.net* wrote:
>
> Lou,
>
> Go get some training at velocity.  I am a retired airline pilot and Navy
> trained pilot with I don't know how many hours and I felt it prudent to get
> checked out. (I had not flown a light plane in 30 years). Just land the
> velocity on the mains and  hold the nose off , it may take quite a bit of
> back force, slowly lower the nose before the canard stalls. In other words
> fly the airplane don't let it fly you. It's just another airplane no magic
> involved.
> Good luck,
> Lon
>
>
>
> -------------- Original message --------------
> From: "Lou Stedman" <stedmanlou at adelphia.net>
> Thanks Bob. Where are you based?
>
> Lou Stedman
> Velocity N7044Q
> Olean, NY
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* SlvEgl99 at aol.com
> *To:* reflector at tvbf.org
> *Sent:* Saturday, June 23, 2007 1:44 PM
> *Subject:* Re: REFLECTOR: Tips
>
> Lou,  Likely nothing. Most of us let the nose gear hit pretty smartly, I
> think. At least I seem to do that. I try to round it out a few feet above
> the runway but seem to hit pretty smartly in any case. Velocity has a strong
> gear (mine is an XL FG) and it seems to stand it pretty well.
>
> Bob Wood
> 260 hours, N658SE
>
>
>
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> From: "Lou Stedman" <stedmanlou at adelphia.net>
> To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Tips
> Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 19:07:15 +0000
>
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-- 
All the best,
Dennis
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