Discussion The I’m going out flying thread 2018

[AKNick]

I am getting closer to the ground every time I go out, but still have not gotten to where I can continue to stay close. I think flying low and close is probably much easier (at least that is what I have been told) yet I am leery to do that especially when there are a lot of people around for safety concerns.

Not long ago I finally got within inches of the ground with the rudder on my Mojo 65 and that was really super cool. One guy said he was sure it touched the grass. Whether it did or not that was fun, yet seemed I had to be much more "in tune" with everything that low and close compared to doing the same thing 20' off the ground. I think not having an unlimited banking account and plenty of time to repair affects how low and close we fly

Seen a video where a guy put a VERY long tailwheel on a mojo so it was a few inches past the rudder. acted like a spring when he bumped the tail to the ground... but it kept him from having to patch the rudder covering! lol!
It is quite the rush getting the plane close to the ground. Some days it just wont feel right... those days you just tell yourself that it's a good day to work on something up higher. Like everyone else is saying, no need to push it so much a nice plane ends up IN the ground. (notice I said nice plane)

 

[stangflyer]

Seen a video where a guy put a VERY long tailwheel on a mojo so it was a few inches past the rudder. acted like a spring when he bumped the tail to the ground... but it kept him from having to patch the rudder covering! lol!
It is quite the rush getting the plane close to the ground. Some days it just wont feel right... those days you just tell yourself that it's a good day to work on something up higher. Like everyone else is saying, no need to push it so much a nice plane ends up IN the ground. (notice I said nice plane)

So very true. There are some days I go out with an intention to try some things I have mastered quite well on the flight sim at home. Oh yeah, those inverted harriers and torque rolls look so sweet and just micro inches from the ground. When I get to the field however, it's like, Uh...umm, ah, Neeooooo! Not even going there. It is the confidence factor. Even your better pilots will tell you the same thing. Once you have your confidence in doing something, it just happens naturally. First two flights of the new 330 was pretty spooky for me. Why? Mostly because it was new. And of course not knowing the flight envelope has a big factor in that too. By the third flight I "Zoomed' her in low and "yanked' on the elevators. She "popped" up and I figured..."this looks good, Let's do this". And down she came in a tail slide until a few inches from the ground. Naturally and quite under complete control. What a rush. Now it is almost like I am flying Baby (SD 260) again.

 

[AKNick]

So very true. There are some days I go out with an intention to try some things I have mastered quite well on the flight sim at home. Oh yeah, those inverted harriers and torque rolls look so sweet and just micro inches from the ground. When I get to the field however, it's like, Uh...umm, ah, Neeooooo! Not even going there. It is the confidence factor. Even your better pilots will tell you the same thing. Once you have your confidence in doing something, it just happens naturally. First two flights of the new 330 was pretty spooky for me. Why? Mostly because it was new. And of course not knowing the flight envelope has a big factor in that too. By the third flight I "Zoomed' her in low and "yanked' on the elevators. She "popped" up and I figured..."this looks good, Let's do this". And down she came in a tail slide until a few inches from the ground. Naturally and quite under complete control. What a rush. Now it is almost like I am flying Baby (SD 260) again.

Hear ya there! Quite a few years back I remember practicing on the sim, taking off, two quarter rolls off the deck to inverted, push to vertical and then a pop top. It was fun on the Sim.... one day I took off and without even a hesitation or provoking thought I was inverted... I scared myself (It was quick and perfect). LOL but pushed on the stick and finished my oh so ever practiced routine on the sim in real life. Funny looking back on that moment... I wont forget thinking "what just happened?" Thumb muscle memory wasn't even connected to my brain HA

 

[Snoopy1]

Prop hanging on sim is doable but I am struggling with what I belive it is called a-harrier. This is rolling the aeroplane slowly across the field at low height and tilted up at about 45 degrees. If it is can someone give some pointers how to get started because I am have difficulties with this one. Hay guys I haven’t even got to the field with this one yet.

 

[Jetpainter]

Prop hanging on sim is doable but I am struggling with what I belive it is called a-harrier. This is rolling the aeroplane slowly across the field at low height and tilted up at about 45 degrees. If it is can someone give some pointers how to get started because I am have difficulties with this one. Hay guys I haven’t even got to the field with this one yet.

That's a Rolling Harrier. I'm pretty comfortable doing a normal Harrier fairly low, and make circuits around the field steering with the rudder, and I can do a Rolling Harrier, but not consistently so I do those up high for now, but I am slowly getting better.
It all seems so easy on the sim.

The key to the Rolling Harrier, and I'm certainly no expert, is getting comfortable with "The Stir" as I've heard it called. For me since I roll left it's, up, right rudder, down, left rudder, repeat all while holding left aileron and applying throttle as you need it. Timing is the thing, giving what it needs to keep the nose pointed up. I like to watch for the wings to be coming around to inverted for the timing of the down elevator. Getting the nose good and high so it rolls slow has always been my problem, but it's coming around.

You can teach an old dog like me new tricks, you just have to apply the lesson with a ball bat.

 

[Snoopy1]

This dog is pretty old and really stubborn well at least his fingers are. But that is a good point . This stir method down elevator right rudder and up elevator left rudder, will have to try that on the sim. When I get a chance. Thanks for that .

 

[Jetpainter]

This dog is pretty old and really stubborn well at least his fingers are. But that is a good point . This stir method down elevator right rudder and up elevator left rudder, will have to try that on the sim. When I get a chance. Thanks for that .

Up, right, down, left, while rolling left. The timing is all about whatever it takes to keep the nose up. The higher the nose the slower it will roll.
The sim is great for getting that down.

 

[Snoopy1]

Up, right, down, left, while rolling left. The timing is all about whatever it takes to keep the nose up. The higher the nose the slower it will roll.
The sim is great for getting that down.

Thanks for that Jetpainter. And yes will practice on the sim until it is some what second nature and then try it a couple of mistakes high, and when I do I will be all thumbs and just struggling for a while until it starts to happen I hope.

 

[stangflyer]

Remember throttle management has a lot to do with angle of attack as well. Getting the right balance between the throttle aileron elevator and Rudder will make rolling harriers so much easier.

 

[stangflyer]

Prop hanging on sim is doable but I am struggling with what I belive it is called a-harrier. This is rolling the aeroplane slowly across the field at low height and tilted up at about 45 degrees. If it is can someone give some pointers how to get started because I am have difficulties with this one. Hay guys I haven’t even got to the field with this one yet.

For me the way that I enter them is I will slow my plane down to just above a stall and then I will start pulling back on the elevator to push the tail down and bring the nose up. Once I have a close angle of attack, I will push left aileron to begin the plane rolling left. As the wings come from level to 45 degrees before vertical I will start adding right rudder continuing the role holding the aileron hard over the whole time, I will start relaxing Rudder and implementing down elevator. Continuing the role when the plane comes out of inverted and the left-wing comes to 45 degrees, I relax the elevator and start pulling in left rudder. Has the plane continues to roll and the Wings come back towards level I will start relaxing left Rudder and start implementing up elevator. Rolling to the right is just the opposite of that. You start with right aileron go to Left Rudder down elevator right rudder up elevator. Sometimes you will have to give a burst of throttle to keep the nose attitude correct with the angle of attack you want. I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination. That's why I still do them up high. But they are getting so much easier when you just don't think about it and just like Nike says, just do it!