"Roger" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 24 Apr 2005 22:36:47 GMT, "Ed H" wrote:



I'm not sure just how serious this is but ... Landings are bounced due
to excessive speed, AND/OR landing on the nose gear first.

Not to be too picky, but I think that bounced landings in a nosegear
aircraft are generally due to too great a sink rate. The gear are not
able
to absorb all the energy and the aircraft is literally bounced back into
the
air. The airspeed is not the direct problem; it's what you do or don't
do

The airspeed is *the* problem. Without excessive airspeed it ain't
gonna bounce much. More than likely it'll hit and go splat.
That is why with the Bo a normal landing takes power and a power off
landing is a fair amount faster. According to the POH the extra speed
is to give enough energy to flare.


I agree that excessive airspeed plus excessive sink rate probably gives the
most spectacular bounces. But excessive sink rate at the correct approach
speed can also lead to a damaging bounce, especially in aircraft with spring
steel gear like old Cessna 172s and 152s. That springy gear flings the bird
back up into the air a few feet. The pilot shoves the stick forward,
increasing the impact of the second bounce and throwing the plane even
higher. On the second or third bounce, the plane rises out of ground
effect, stalls, and drops all the way to the runway. At least that's the
way it has been explained to me (never experienced it). I suppose you would
need a few knots over stall speed to get that bounce, but you wouldn't
really have to be that hot.

I only have a few hours in a Deb, and only 2 landings, but I found it an
easy plane to land. I just drove it onto the runway.

For a really fun bounce, nothing quite compares with your first few wheel
landings when you're getting your TW endorsement. I'm in the market for a
Pitts. I'm looking forward to learning to fly it, but not looking forward
to learning to land it.