Landing Streaks

Hi Jay;

We have a well known phenomenon in low altitude display work that sounds
like it might just fit your observation. We call it the rote to rote loop.
In our scenario it can be a killer. In yours, probably just something you
want to become aware of as you move through your flying career.
What happens is that a pilot doing the same thing time and time again goes
through different stages of alertness. It isn't necessarily a constant, and
the levels will vary from pilot to pilot.
What happens is that in doing the same thing repeatedly, you begin as a rote
action, then you develop through various stages of improvement and mental
alertness until you peak at some point. At that point you begin what in our
business can be a real killer; a slide into a form of complacency where what
you are doing is so familiar to you that you begin performing again as a
rote function. Slowly....and insidiously....the "outside the box" cues begin
to dissipate. In effect, you're missing things that during the development
process, you were picking up through more focused and intensive
concentration.
In short, when you reach this stage.....and most pilots who fly fairly
consistently will reach this stage.......your performance follows a sine
curve as you react to something and save it......pick up a bit on your
concentration....up your performance level a bit......then slide back into
that complacency again.
Most of the time a pilot can get away with this, as the natural tendency is
to catch these errors before they become catastrophic. The cycle continues
this way through the pilot's career.
Air display pilots are forced to be aware of this and we take steps to avoid
it by constantly keeping our edge through extremely low error allowance
parameter practice sessions.
Even pilots with this extremely high proficiency factor screw up and get
caught in the performance sine curve lower end....i.e...the Thunderbird
Mountain Home Viper crash just recently. Brain fart.....happens to the best
of us. The trick is to keep it down to a low roar. That's why I keep telling
pilots to make EVERY flight...no matter how insignificant and local......a
PRACTICE SESSION!!!!!
Dudley


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:RF%Td.1853$Ze3.1281@attbi_s51...
I've noticed something about my landings over the last few years, and
wondered if you folks have had the same experience?

After my first 100 hours or so, my landings were pretty consistently okay.
A nice one every now and then, adequate ones the rest of the time. Every
now and then a crosswind landing might stress the gear a bit, but nothing
too horrible.

Around 500 hours, I seemed to master the art of the greaser -- if I
really, really worked at it. Most of the time, my landings would be good,
sometimes great.

Now, some 400 hours later, flying about the same frequency throughout (1 -
2 times per week. Around 100 hours per year), my landings seem to run in
streaks where I will be almost perfect, separated by periods where my
landings are good, but not greasers.

What *is* that?

I don't feel any different. The plane is no different. I'm flying just
as often. Weather conditions are similar. I feel like I'm working the
approach just as hard, and in the same way. Yet, *something* is
different.

For example, right now I'm in a streak of near-perfection. I had
passengers on Wednesday that told me they had never landed so smoothly,
ever. Hell, *I* have never landed so smoothly, ever, as a passenger or a
pilot. I've just been rolling them on, in any wind condition. Yet I know
that two months ago, I had a couple of real clunkers that probably had my
passengers wondering if I was really a pilot.

So, what is this phenomenon? Karma? The stars? Blood pressure? Phase
of the moon? It's frustrating to not be able to break down cause and
effect here -- does anyone else notice this?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Dudley's answer is more descriptive, but, simply put, it's all about
pitch attitude and airspeed for the aircraft's weight at landing.
Each time you fly, you are probably at a different weight. That varies
the actual landing speed by a few knots. It also changes the amount of
pull on the yoke to get the proper pitch attitude to fly at the proper
speed for that weight.
If you use the same numbers for when the whole family is flying vice for
those times when it is just Mary and you, you will probably be too fast
and float.
Wind also comes into play, but that is different with each flight.

In a previous article, "Jay Honeck" said:
So, what is this phenomenon? Karma? The stars? Blood pressure? Phase of
the moon? It's frustrating to not be able to break down cause and effect
here -- does anyone else notice this?

I think every activity requiring dexterity (or strength or endurance, but
that's not relevant here) goes that way.

When I was a cross country ski racer, I remember every now and then I'd
have a day where I was *way* above my game. Unfortunately, some times
that happened on a training day - like the time we were training on some
hills and I found myself passing a guy on my ski team who was one of our
best climbers (and who later won a silver medal in the Olympics as a bike
racer and wore the yellow jersey in the Tour de France). But once in a
while it happened on a race day, and I found myself beating guys who
normally finished way in front of me. I think it happened on a race day
twice in my 6 year racing career.


--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
So logically, if she weighs the same as a duck, she's made of wood, and
therefore a witch.

On Sat, 26 Feb 2005 14:25:53 GMT, Jay Honeck wrote:

So, what is this phenomenon? Karma? The stars? Blood pressure? Phase of
the moon? It's frustrating to not be able to break down cause and effect
here -- does anyone else notice this?

Jay,

It's funny you mention this, because, I am in a horrible landing slump. I
went up today, as it was 8 knot direct crosswinds, and I wanted to work on
getting out of my slump.

First landing. Well, say it was horrible to say the least. I touch down,
go back in the air, seeing I was too high for my own comfort, I went
around. I had a great stabilized approach, and as soon as I went below the
tree line, everything went to crap. I got a sinking feeling, I added a
touch of power, then ground effect kicks in. I touch down, go back in the
air, I float for ever, stall horn going strong, and figured forget it, just
go around. The plane just didn't want to land.

Second landing. I used 2 notches of flaps to account for the gusty cross
winds that I experience below the tree line. Mains touch, I "skip" across
the runway, as the mains touch, go up maybe a few inches, and touch again.
Plane didnt' want to stop flying, but the landing wasn't too bad.

Third landing. Again 2 notches of flaps, 78 knot approach speed nailed,
get below the tree line, and got that sinking feeling. Add a little power,
the mains touch, nose wheel touches, and goes back up the air. Nose comes
down and plane settles down. Just a weird feeling for that nose wanting to
go back up.

Fourth landing, not bad though not a greaser.

Final landing. Touch down, though not a greaser, harder landing the number
4.

Like you said in your post, there are times where I can land, and not feel
the plane touch the ground, but lately, I think I am exercising the
strength of the mains. I use my G meter to evaluate my landings, and even
though it did not register more then .5 G, I am sure I got some bad
"ratings" from the "landing judges" today.

As far as your question as to why, I think it's karma....

Allen

Like you said in your post, there are times where I can land, and not
feel
the plane touch the ground, but lately, I think I am exercising the
strength of the mains. I use my G meter to evaluate my landings, and
even
though it did not register more then .5 G, I am sure I got some bad
"ratings" from the "landing judges" today.

As far as your question as to why, I think it's karma....

A few years ago my landings seemed to have gone to pot. Nothing I could
put my finger on, but I could seldom get it right. I thought I could
detect some
resistance in the elevator movement, and asked my mechanic about it. He
pronounced it normal. Then somewhat later I read an article about the
importance
of keeeping your control mechanisms lubricated - and took the advice.

Presto! back to normal. It really does make a difference.

Another thing is the use of flaps. My plane has 40 degrees in 10 degree
increments. I have found that it is best to reserve the fourth notch
for
those occasions when you really need it.

David Johnson

On 26 Feb 2005 14:59:04 -0800, wrote in
.com::

I read an article about the importance of keeeping your
control mechanisms lubricated

That's part of the 100 hour maintenance for PA28s.

The shaft that extends through the instrument panel must be lubricated
regularly. If it is dry, it will repeatedly bind and release as it is
pulled back during landing. Checking for control shaft lubrication is
part of my preflight check list, and is especially important with
rental aircraft. I just stick my finger in the extra quart of oil I
carry in my flight bag, and rub a little on the shaft, then move it
throughout its range to distribute it.

I read an article about the importance of keeeping your
control mechanisms lubricated

That's part of the 100 hour maintenance for PA28s.

For sure. I keep the yoke shafts lubricated (with spray-on silicone spray)
every few flights.

It makes an amazing difference.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 03:29:29 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote in
t8bUd.61071$tl3.27936@attbi_s02::

I read an article about the importance of keeeping your
control mechanisms lubricated

That's part of the 100 hour maintenance for PA28s.

For sure. I keep the yoke shafts lubricated (with spray-on silicone spray)
every few flights.

Silicone seems like a more appropriate lubricant than engine oil, but
that is what is specified by Piper.

It makes an amazing difference.

I've found that keeping the shafts lubricated reduces PIOs and
ballooning. It's often overlooked; I've never had an instructor
mention it.

On Sat, 26 Feb 2005 14:25:53 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

I've noticed something about my landings over the last few years, and
wondered if you folks have had the same experience?

Sure have. I still have the same problem after twenty years of flying
for a living. One of my instructors said "some days you're the
windshield and some days you're the bug!"

It's just one of those things, I guess...

-Jack Davis
B737

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In article RF%Td.1853$Ze3.1281@attbi_s51,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

I've noticed something about my landings over the last few years, and
wondered if you folks have had the same experience?


hehe I haul skydivers so I get to make a lot of landings. (just over
5000 in 2900 hours). With that much practice I've gotten where I do
okay putting the airplane on the ground. But every once in a
while....it's a good thing Cessna spring steel gear is so stout!! G

I think someone raises the runway surface....when you're going for the
greaser and inch or two can make a big difference.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html