On 16 Jun 2004 15:42:24 -0700, (Michael) wrote:

Edward Todd wrote
Got my ticket in '76. The first landings I was taught in a C-150 were no
flap, no power landings. Pulled the power abeam the numbers and set up a
glide at 70 mph.

And there is a good reason to learn that way - it reduces complexity.
You don't screw around with anything after the downwind abeam point.
You set throttle to idle, pull carb heat, trim to the correct
airspeed, and after that all you do is fly the airplane. Obviously

Wellll, it's not quite that simple. This is where you learn to correct
for wind such as how much to lead a turn or how much to shorten down
wind (how close in to fly base) In some planes this can make a big
difference. Still, this is where to start the stabilized pattern and
I think most do.

your instructor understood the concept of starting simple and moving
to the complex. I'm sure you learned to do full flap landings at some
point - but flaps are additional complexity you don't need while
learning to fly a pattern and land. On top of that, the flare becomes
less critical since the sink rate is reduced.

At this point I was taught to hold it off till it stalled. To this
day I still normally make full stall landings even in the Deb.


Unfortunately, most of today's instructors don't really understand
this. They start the student doing landing procedures that involve

I really don't see that around here and I'd be surprised if it were
true except in isolated instances.

multiple power, flap, and airspeed changes in the pattern. Each of
those changes requires a change in trim. The result - the student has

Again, I was taught to trim for airspeed on final. Adding or reducing
power did not require trim changes in the 150s, 172s, or Cherokees.
Changes is speed did as did changes in the flap settings.

too damn much to do. His airspeed control goes to hell (because with
all those configuration changes the plane is perpetually out of trim)
and he just doesn't have enough time to simply fly the plane.

That is why the basic pattern is the "stabilized" pattern. *Most* of
the instructors I know start with the stabilized pattern. Learn the
airplane, learn the speeds and power settings, learn to adjust for the
wind. THEN work with power such as short and soft field landings.

Once the student/pilot learns "the numbers" the rest is easy. Well...
more so than if they didn't start out with the stabilized pattern.


So what happens? Power is added and the pattern is made wider to slow
things down and give the student more time to do everything that he
doesn't really need to be doing yet. Accelerated stall becomes a
concern because the student may not be able to tell that he is pulling
back too much - he's gotten used to flying out of trim. On top of
that, the student is still fumbling for throttle, flaps, and trim -
and is late making power reductions and flap additions, so the pattern
gets even bigger. The instructor spends his time reminding the
student to perform the "procedure" instead of watching his flying.
Everything is worse.

I'm sure this must happen on occasion, but I've not seen much
indication of it being common place. OTOH any pilot, be they student
or old timer can slip up and get behind the plane for any number of
reasons.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Michael