Some cheetah training time under the belt - done

[Stephan van Tonder]

Whoo hoo - did 1.5 hours this morning(Andy Kasperson at Petit). Lessons booked for tomorrow and wed as well. Brings the time to 2.7h. Nothing like a early morning flip on a monday to set the tone for the week. We were doing the stall demo and just as we recovered we flew basically into a changing weather front. Got buffeted all over the place and called microland to warn them. We flew away from the field and found some calm air again. Operated there for about 15 minutes and then on return to the field it had calmed down but the wind had turned 180. I'm happy

[Stephan van Tonder]

4.5 hours after this morning. Basically a bundle of circuits and bumps already. 11 touch and go's this morning. Wind was blowing at 15km/h so quite bit of work. Right leg was feeling a bit crampy afterwards. I have a tendency to turn too early from the base leg so keep on being lined up wrong with the runway. Will work on that tomorrow.

[extra300s]

Goeie werk Stephan! Jy vorder lekker vinnig. Hou ons op hoogte.

[Stephan van Tonder]

ok another 1.5 hours to 5.7. but Eish - cross wind landing - and using crossed controls. The brain knows what to do but the body doesn't want to do that. Applying right rudder and left aileron just feels SO wrong. Really struggling with this one. I do understand the theory but struggling to hold a line with crossed controls. Will just practise practise practise till I get it right. Just scared of using too great inputs and making the plane fall out of the sky - will get over it... at myself for just not getting it right first time.

[Dish]

I hear you loud and clear - sometimes getting the left down and stomping in the right rudder is a bit disconcerting, just take your time, pratice practice practice and it will come..... cast your mind back to the first time you drove and how unusual it was.... all good things...... ?>>>

[Stephan van Tonder]

Yes this morning on the way back from the field I was working over it and remembered the first time I drove a Racing golf that has a very loose rear setup and that you basically have to turn the other way to control and hold a slide in a corner - very strange in the beginning. Took a while to learn but later it became totally normal. This is the same the only thing is you can have scratched elbows if you get it wrong. In a car it's normally only a trip into a sand trap and a bruised ego. But I'm totally positive and there is nothing that I have wanted to learn yet that I haven't managed - this will be no different.

[Stephan van Tonder]

+ 1.0 hour = 6.7 total. MAN did the wind blow this morning - 45 mph at times. Thankfully basically straight down the runway so although windy at least straight on the nose. Couple more circuits and bumps, covered Steep turns and a lot of downwind turns this morning. I was getting very tense in the landing stages but will get over it. Basically did two of them with not much assistance. I must say I am really impressed by this little cheetah. Such benign handling - you never feel like it's going to bite.

[Stephan van Tonder]

+1.4 = 8.1 and another 10 touch and go's + 2 full stop landings this morning. Starting to come right with this landing thing.

some pics taken by the softness this morning

Pushback from the hangar


pre-flight


Taxi


i'm fllying

[Stephan van Tonder]

+ another 1.7 = 9.8 total. Getting there cockpit workflow becoming better. Check becoming more automatic - Making shorter circuits now so we can get more of them in. Still a little hesitant with the crosswind landing. Getting the kick right roll left right then I forget to flare at the same time. But it's coming.

[Stephan van Tonder]

+1.5 = 11.3. How long did it take you guys to completely sort this flare - and correct for crosswind on the landing. I do everything 100% till I'm 10m off the ground then I get all stiff and forget everything. I can correct the nose and keep the wings level but then not get the flare right. The three things just doesn't happen together yet - always one of the three lacking a little. Getting annoyed with myself which doesn't help either.

[Stephan van Tonder]

+1.1 = 12.4.

[Stephan van Tonder]

+ 1.5 = 13.9. Lovely wind still day. Getting the co-ordinated rolls and flare at landing right now. Landings starting to look like something. The odd correction here and there from instructor still but 99% self executed. Did simulated engine out landing this morning. Eish not much time to think when that fan in the front don't make power anymore.

[John Boucher]

Pushing the hours....

Clearly you are enjoying the Cheetah! Is this a love affair in the making?

[Stephan van Tonder]

+1.3 = 15.2 this morning. Did my first totally unassited landing and in a crosswind 'nogal'. Not quite as soft as I wanted but at least straight and not bouncing.
Total love affair. Head over heels in love with that little plane and it's not even mine. Another of Andy's students(Ettiene) bought a 2nd hand one over the weekend. It's from middelburg - 912uls with around 700 hours on the plane. Still in good nick although the Dacron has faded a little. I was SO jealous. He paid R250k. But I'll wait patiently. I'll either build one or find one at the right price at the right time. Just want to finish the license first then I'll start looking for my own Cheetah.

[John Boucher]

Maybe Stephen, you can buy mine then....