Flight Lesson #8 - Slow Flight - May 29, 2010

Today the lesson will be slow flight in the landing configuration. The goal is to get used to transitioning from cruise flight to the landing configuration and the very distinct difference in handling in slow flight. This is especially beneficial as with any successful flight will end with a landing. To land in the Cessna 152 you will want to maintain 60 knots on final approach. As you make this approach at this airspeed it is valuable that you have some experience in how the plane will handle and react at this slow speed. For a student pilot, this is best performed at altitude. Descending at 60 knots and 300-500 feet a minute is not the place to experience slow flight characteristics for the first time and without supervision of a CFI. Heck, it is interesting at 5000'!

Todays lesson starts with the pre-flight briefing as to what I will be doing when in the practice area. I will be flying in the landing configuration while executing some turns. This should give me an introduction to how the plane flies a slow speeds. The pre-flight inspection went well needing only to add one quart of oil. This plane requires, according to the POH, and is expressed as 4-6 quarts is a minimum of 4 quarts and a maximum of 6. With a full 6 quarts and 12+ gallons of fuel, we are ready to fly for an hour with a one hour reserve. More comfort with the performing and completion of the start-up and taxi checklists comes during each flight lesson. With these checklists out of the way it is time to taxi. Out on the ramp while transitioning to the taxi way I get used to not only looking at the wind socks to visually verify what the wind is doing but also the numerous flags that can be seen a different heights and at different places along the runway. I am learning this to be very valuable as with the tree line blocking north wind and affecting the wind socks along that edge of the run way, the flags to the south may in fact show any breeze. Bottom line, when it comes to wind, look for anything that will end up giving you the very best indications overall that you can get.

Today there is again a little wind that makes the take off interesting. I am somewhat getting used to there being some bumpy conditions on the climb out. Stay focused, do what you are trained to do. You are climbing. After the climb checklist and at 4200' I turn north for the training area. This is the time I can sneak a peek at the river and Sierra peaks as I work to maintain heading, climb pitch on my way to the designated cruise altitude and transition to the cruise configuration. I am getting used to the pitch, power, trim and mixture setting coordination. This is another brief moment when I get to look around before the lesson begins.

After clearing the airspace and turning south, David instructs me to reduce my speed to 45 knots and maintain 5000'. I coordinate the power and pitch to comply with instructions. I notice very soon into the maneuver how mushy the controls become. Added to this is the first time I have flown at 45 knots in S&L flight and which represents a speed which is very close to stall speed. I feel very much like I am flying with a very noticeable nose high attitude. This flight attitude is necessary to maintain altitude at this speed. I notice too that the stall warning horn flirts with its very low tone that at any moment of inattention will begin screaming if the nose goes up any further with the corresponding loss of airspeed. This is great practice to monitor the outside references and airspace while scanning back to instruments in an effort to maintain the configuration in which I am flying. I practice making shallow bank turns left and right to experience how turns in this configuration feels. It is hard to describe how the plane feels in this configuration. How about mushy, wallowy, spongy, sluggish, slow! In this configuration the pilot needs to use more control input to make the plane fly. Coordination of yoke and rudder becomes more pronounced. Again, this is a valuable lesson to feel and understand when control inputs need to be more pronounced and when, when going back to cruise, a much lighter touch is required. After getting used to this flight configuration, I rather enjoyed the challenge of scooting around with my tail hanging down.

The lessons sure go fast. Back to reality. David calls S&L flight as we head back to the airport. Back to 2200 RPM while adjust the pitch for S&L flight at 85 knots. Soon we are near Wolf Mountain, I finish the descent checklist, level off at 4200' and begin the turn to a left 45 (degrees to the runway) for a downwind approach for runway 25. I go through and complete the approach checklist reducing RPM's to 2000 while maintaining 4200'. Next thing I know I am lowering flaps, turning to the base leg and final approach when David takes over and makes a very nice landing. I know I will get more comfortable as time and practice goes along. Each time I get another little piece of the procedure that I did not remember before. I again am amazed at just how fast the sequence in the pattern goes before we find ourselves over the numbers and rounding out. Off the active runway I complete the after landing checklist and taxi back to the hanger having logged another productive flight to build on what I have learned to date. I find flying to be so much fun, so challenging and a place where you think of nothing else but the task of flying at hand punctuated by moments of sightseeing. I look forward to the next lesson!