| Lesson 6:
Date & Time: Saturday 01/05/2008 Where: UZA Aircraft: Cessna 172 N517DL Instruction: 1.8/.5 hour (air/ground) Dual Instruction with Derek Alter Delta Lima: Today we�re in a plane as old as I am. Built in 1977, this Cessna looks OK on the outside, but surprisingly nice on the inside. At this point, I�m doing the pre-flight by myself and I�m usually sitting in the cockpit when Derek comes out to begin flight instruction. It has all of the bells and whistles that are in the other planes, so let�s go. I figured that this plane wouldn�t climb or maneuver as well as Sierra Papa and I was right. Delta Lima climbs like a pig, however, once at altitude this plane will cruise very nicely. First I did some approach stalls. We had tried one of these in the last lesson, but this time we did them with the flaps down (so we were in an approach configuration, as if coming into land). Derek showed me one, then I did two myself � I�d slow down and apply carb heat (this prevents carburetor icing at low RPM) as if doing a slow flight exercise. However, this time I kept pulling back on the yoke, holding our altitude while reducing airspeed (pitch angle controlling airspeed). At around a little under 55 knots, the stall warning horn started going off, and it got more insistent as the airspeed indicator wound back off the green arc...then came back through to the start of the white arc (the stall speed with full flaps). It took what seemed like forever before the aircraft would actually stall! The needle went back behind the white arc, and the stall warning increased it's urgent tone. The aircraft was starting to buffet a lot, and feel very very mushy. Then the stall broke! I released all the back pressure and added a little forward pressure. Full power! Carb heat off! The airspeed increased, "Just a little climb", comes a voice in my ear as the nose pitches back up too far... As the airspeed came up, I retracted the flaps and we were back straight and level. There, that wasn't too bad, was it? We lost maybe a couple of hundred feet during the exercise, which really brings it home why you don't want to do that on final approach, since you are going to get lower than this. Anyway, it was pretty exciting, and not at all gut-wrenching or frightening! Time for power-on (or departure stalls). Derek starts by demonstrating one to me. First we throttle back to 1500 RPM, and allow the speed to decrease to around 65 knots. Then holding that airspeed, we apply full power, then pull back on the yoke. The airspeed goes down. We are now in a takeoff configuration - no flaps this time, and no carb heat. Derek was really pulling back on the yoke, and the stall warning was blaring the impending stall. The airspeed indicator kept going back, past the green arc (incidentally, this is called VS1 - stall speed in a clean configuration). The buffeting was really noticeable now, but although the stall horn was wailing, we were still not quite stalled. The airspeed went back behind the white arc...still we didn't stall. I could feel the right rudder pedal was down quite a way to correct for the airplane's left turning tendency. Then "it" came. "It" is when your instructor stalls the airplane, and holds the right rudder in a little after the stall. The nose pitched WAY down, and quickly too - and the right wing dropped. I could swear we were about to enter a spin! Derek released all the rudder pressure and back pressure on the yoke, let the airspeed build, leveled the wings and pulled us out into a slight climb...then back to straight and level. Now it was my turn to initiate the roller coaster ride (this should prepare me for Six Flags's roller coasters!). So, I reduced the throttle and got the speed back to 60 knots. Then I added full power, and kept pulling up, and adding more right rudder as the left turning tendencies of P-factor, gyroscopic precession of the propeller and torque all took their left turning effects. Once again, back went the airspeed. The airspeed needle was going back in inverse proportion to my anxiety about what I knew would happen next! However, the stall was a lot less adrenaline-producing now that I knew exactly where it would go, and what would happen. You can feel when it will happen better when you have the controls in your own hands, so it's not as unexpected. Even so, the aircraft still breaks into the stall suddenly, and rolls quite sharply. I overdid it a little when pushing the yoke forward, as we enter a steeper dive than when Derek was at the controls, but it wasn't too severe. Our hour was just about up, so we headed for home, and I got to do some more radio work. I did a great job, but occasionally forgot to say Rock Hill at the end of my calls. I still can't get used to how high we seem to come in on final approach, but the C172 seems to have a pretty steep glide slope on final. I stay on the controls as we land...I notice Derek isn't letting go of them yet for landings...but that'll come soon! Conclusion: If you are learning or about to start, don't let the intentional stall work put you off! Once you know what's going to happen, they are very exhilarating and fun, especially those power on stalls! What I Learned: Stalls - Doing them at altitude is fun...but you want to make sure that you don't get into a stall condition close to the ground as you might just hit it! Well, it looks like next time we'll be doing some more slow flight and stalls with plenty of take offs and landings. |