Scudrunners

Recently, I was checking out the runways before I took off.

See, at my home airport, there is a "big" runway (5000+ feet) which is
used by twins and trainers that approach much too fast, flare too high,
and land long. That's ok, they're just learning.

Then there is the "short" runway (2699 feet) which is narrow and sometimes
is totally idle, because often everyone will only use the "big" runway for taking
off and landing.

If you choose the correct runway, it can save you 10 or 15 minutes of waiting
before takeoff. Sort of like looking at Google Maps for the red traffic before
you go someplace in your car.

Well, there was traffic on the "short" runway, which was a bummer. I mean,
they're allowed to use it, but it's kind of nice to have it for myself.

Just watching, there was a 182 going around the pattern. He too was approaching
much too fast. You could see it on short final - the nose was tucked down,
and he liked to flare to a perfect three-point landing, planting the nosewheel
at the same time as the mains.

Remember, if you're buying a 182, check for wrinkles in the firewall, and missing
rivets in the nose gear, from people landing like that.

A Maule appears on final. Wonderful. A taildragger, sure to ace the landing.
Well, not so much. He too came in fast, got a PIO going in pitch in the flare,
landed long, didn't have room to take off, so he back-tracked on the parallel
taxiway, and took off, violently pitching the tail up for maximum yaw.

Sigh.

Strap in, start up, call ground and I choose the short runway. I needed a few
minutes anyways to idle after the runup had put some heat into the cylinder
heads, to warm the W100 oil up. I start aircraft piston engines very simply -
low RPM at first, lean the mixture, wait for 200F on the CHT before runup
to avoid scuffing the pistons, then if I'm running multi-grade I don't need to
worry about the oil temp, but if I'm running straight-grade I do need to get
the oil temp up before takeoff. It's funny that so few pilots know the oil
they are running, but it sure changes your ops.

Off I go. It's winter, so it's hazy with an overcast. People here shit a brick
about that, but where I come from 6sm vis is a good day.

For my landing, short runway. My aircraft is 120 mph base, 110 wings level on
final, 100 mph over the threshold for a normal approach and landing. It's worked
well for me, for the last 25 years that I've been flying this type. For the short
runway, I slow it down to 85 mph short final, stall warning horn honks over
the runway threshold, power to idle, flare and land and make the Quebec
turnoff, which is half the runway or 1300 feet. I like to land tailwheel first,
then the mains come down. AOA decreases and I'm done flying. BD Maule
called it the "double whomp" landing, and the S-2B manual recommends it,
so of course no one does it.

Dumb question. For decades, I've been shit on that I'm a terrible pilot by my
fans at TC. I accept and embrace that rhetoric. But if that's the case, why
is the shittiest pilot in Canada effortlessly landing on half of the "short'
runway, that the light trainers struggle with?

Maybe it's just me, but when I watch people land, they sure look like student
pilots, just learning to fly. They can't all be, though. Some of them must be
at least PPL's.

Nobody slows down on final any more. When I was CFI at Westair at Carp in
the 90's, when we were using runway 10 I liked to land the 172 and make the
first turnoff on the left, which was around 400 feet. Fun to startle the guy
waiting, who expected you to sail down to the other end.



Would be nice to see at least one of the TC Golden Arms do that.

I get lazy going in and out of these big runway airports in the Citation Sovereign, the biggest risk there is getting run over by some CRJ doing +40 of our ref speed so we keep it fast out of courtesy. (ref is usually around 100KT)

Thankfully the good people in Wichita make the jet that fly's like a 172, with minimal effort you can have her stopped in a few thousand feet, even less if you really yank on it but I like to be nice to my plane.

I took it into Marathon Ontario 3933 x 100 feet, it was mostly bare and dry but cold as Hoth.
The book said we could easily do it POC but if you where charter no go.

I was all eager so we plunked her down on the threshold, spoilers out full reverse and brakes. Shit the taxi way was still 1000 feet to go. I had to apply power to taxi up to it.

I've never understood why if the book says the plane can do it, the charter boys and girls can't come out and play.

I guess if you're private you must be more skilled.

The idea, is to dumb everything down to the lowest level, so that even the weakest pilot can do it.

This isn't really about safety - one could just get rid of the weak pilots - and more about a political
agenda of egalitarianism.

Increase the skill of the pilots out there, and tell the weak ones to find new careers. See Atlas 3591.

I learned to fly at the old Brampton Flying Club. It was 2 grass strips 1800 feet long with power lines and trees. The club members really thought nothing of it and even operated a 172 off the strip. We always got our entertainment when "visitors" decided to drop in. Usually after multiple approaches they would go away with no coffee but providing wonderful "how not to" instruction for those watching.

This was a group of owners and students and keep in mind people were going solo with an average or 5 to 10 hours and not even thinking a 1800 foot strip was limiting.

I would also go farm strip touring where some have cross strips of 300 ft in case the wind got to the point of where x-wind was a factor. I think the most difficult place I frequented was an 800 ft strip that was fence to fence and when asked the farmer said, he left the fences up so only his "friends" would drop in to visit.

We had out local cult hero. He was a barn painter and would land at a farm to sell barn painting services. He had a super cub on Bradly wheels. We all dreamed to have that go anywhere combination. Even so I use to land on a road in a new housing development in Georgetown to visit people. I wonder if one could do that today --

I truly believe flying back then (60's) was far more fun than in today's anal retentive environment. I guess "by the ars of your pants" still seems to be far less limiting. Unfortunately, time marches on.

I am not convinced that skill and knowledge comes entirely from experience,
as everyone in aviation would have you believe.

The quality of training makes an immense difference. This is deemed to not
be important any more, though.

I am not convinced that skill and knowledge comes entirely from experience,
as everyone in aviation would have you believe.

The quality of training makes an immense difference. This is deemed to not
be important any more, though.

The question is why is it not deemed to be important anymore?

And who exactly is allowing this situation to go unchanged?

I truly believe flying back then (60's) was far more fun than in today's anal retentive environment. I guess "by the ars of your pants" still seems to be far less limiting. Unfortunately, time marches on.

I agree with you Liquid_ Charlie, I got my PPL at Central Airways in 1953 and in those days the minimum time to get the license was thirty hours and the instruction was good enough to do it easily in that time frame.

Oh, by the way the rate we paid was eight dollars an hour solo and ten dollars an hour dual.

In Cessna 140's and Fleet Canucks.

Those dreaded tail wheel machines that are so hard to fly.

Chuck Ellsworth wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 24, 2020 1:17 am

Oh, by the way the rate we paid was eight dollars an hour solo and ten dollars an hour dual.

In Cessna 140's and Fleet Canucks.

Those dreaded tail wheel machines that are so hard to fly.

https://www.bankofcanada.ca/rates/relat ... alculator/

According to the BOC Inflation Calculator that $8 bucks back in 1953 equals $77.39

Just a quick visit to the Pacific Flying Club Rates

Website shows a Cessna 152 is $135 Solo and Dual is $213

I was doing the math with a ramp rat a few years ago who was lamenting the costs of getting his training.
It went like this

Cessna 150 = 20K (find a partner) 10K
6 Gal Per Hour at 1.75L X 3.8 =6.65 per Gallon X 6 = $39.90
Call it $50 Solo.

Fly the shit out it 200 Hours is 10K (obviously not including annuals, instructor and tie down.)
Sell your share for as close as you paid +10K get your Multi IFR with that.

or go to the flying club pay 27K for a 152 Solo and then more for your MIFR.

I like my math better. Its even nicer with 3 pilots

I think it was Bede - really smart guy - that said he did an unnecessary engine overhaul
on his 150 for $27k at 3000SMOH, it didn't work after he got it back, and after fixing it,
it still doesn't make the power that it used to.

It's all about cost control. Buy the right airplane, and don't spend money on stuff
that you don't need to, which everyone in aviation regularly does.

Learn from the mistakes of others. Most people struggle with learning from their own
mistakes!

Privately owned aircraft require completely different maintenance than frequently-flown
commercial aircraft.

Free advice from a really shitty pilot that doesn't know anything about aviation or engineering:

1) Camguard. Stops internal corrosion and valve sticking.

2) Battery Tender. Stops the battery from sulfating.

3) Listen to your engine. It's talking to you. Fix what's broken, not what isn't broken.
Learn to remove and replace the cowls. Learn to check your compression. Learn to
clean your spark plugs. Learn to lean the mixture. Learn to change the oil and check
the screen/filter.



You show me your compression numbers (and tell me where it's leaking) and a picture
of your spark plug tray, I can tell you an awful lot about your engine.

As usual the Colonel has good info and advice.

Chuck you forgot the $100 rebate from the government for getting your ticket along with the training school getting $100 as well.

Ah, Wong Bros the Chinese airforce - did my multi-IFR there. Link trainers -- need I say more LMFAOOOoooo