Taylorcraft Fly-In May 28-30th

[VictorBravo]

Re: Taylorcraft Fly-In May 28-30th

Bill
No problems. Say I know you will have no problems getting in the short grass field, but do you have any concerns about getting out in 1600 feet?
Cheers
Jim

Naww... that little flap handle gadget I invented will let me "ratchet" the airplane off the ground pretty quick. Solo, and with a roaring 145HP in full afterburner, I can get off the ground at Whiteman almost before the displaced threshold. I think that's 450-500 feet. (The 85HP T-craft would routinely get me and a light passenger off in that distance) Adding a couple of hundred feet for the drag of grass still leaves me plenty of room, even for the 172 I figure. The guys up in Alaska would consider 1600 feet suitable for a DC-3 loaded up with moose meat.

Now this assumes that I will be leaving solo, meaning not having to drag a couple of 200 pound drunken bums out as a designated driver !

[VictorBravo]

Re: Taylorcraft Fly-In May 28-30th

I've been praticing, admittedly on a 6,000 asphalt runway. I'm figuring on adding 200-300 feet for the real thing.
TO 700' Landing 1,000'.

Lloyd, since you have all that asphalt to practice on...give this a try - but first try it at altitude a few times to gauge your speed correctly and then try it on a real landing.

Put the airplane into the full side (forward) slip, rudder all the way over. Establish about 55 mph to start. Make your "aim" point about 100 feet SHORT of your intended touchdown point. Obviously with all that runway, put this whole practice scenario in the middle of the pavement so if you come up short you are still safe.

When you are ready to begin the landing "flare", do it while still in the slip. Go through the process of "breaking the glide" (which means stopping the descent and getting ready for final flare) while still in the full sideslip. The flare the airplane out while still in the slip. Go ahead and slow it down and act as though you are going to intentionally land in the slip.

During this few seconds, the plane will be using up that extra 100 feet that you "shorted" yourself. You have the plane in a slight nose high attitude through this entire maneuver. This is the key, not ever letting it go low-drag and accelerating like a wet bar of soap.

Now just before the airplane is ready to settle down, LONG after the pre-flare and even a little after the final flare, just let off the rudder and the airplane will straighten itself out. The trick is to keep raising the nose DURING the moment when you are letting it out of the slip.

You have already had the nose up for the last several seconds, and now you are going pull the nose up higher because you are removing the drag of the sidelsip. The plane should not balloon upwards, because you have already scrubbed off the extra speed flaring it in a high drag slip.

The plane should settle down right at your intended touchdown point without excess speed.

Now once again, practice this at altitude several times and then practice it in the middle of the runway. Start conservatively so you do not touch down sideways of course!

There is some timing and "feel" required for this. You have to learn to sense for the moment that the airplane sheds all of its extra lift and drag, and is really ready to plop down. IT is slower than you think, and that is the big secret. That sense only comes from doing it at altitude where there is nothing but air under you.

The big key is to keep the nose up through the maneuver so the plane cannot get back into the low drag mode, even in ground effect.

Jim Meeker and a few other forum members saw me practice this exact technique up at Columbia a couple of years ago with fairly attractive results.

[lfries]

Re: Taylorcraft Fly-In May 28-30th

Thanks for the technique. I like slipping to a landing. A bush pilot who wintered in Tulare use to tell me how much he enjoyed watching a Taylorcraft in a slip.
Lloyd

[Jim Meeker]

Re: Taylorcraft Fly-In May 28-30th

This weekend will be the West Coast Rendezvous any idea on who will show up?
Cheers
Jim

[BMayes]

Re: Taylorcraft Fly-In May 28-30th

Hi Jim,

I'm still planning on showing up, but getting worried about the weather. It is not looking promising from Roseburg to Montague.

[barnstmr]

Re: Taylorcraft Fly-In May 28-30th

Looking forward to photos!

[VictorBravo]

Re: Taylorcraft Fly-In May 28-30th

I did not bring a camera so the photos will have to come from elsewhere. Also, due to an aggravated case of laziness and time mismanagement, I was there only for a few hours on Saturday.

That being said, I can still say with absolute iron-fisted authority that the West Coast Taylorcraft fly-in was a smashing success on almost all counts. The only shortcoming was some dicey weather apparently kept our Oregon and Washington contingents from being there.

Don and Matt McFarlane have a fantastic, beautiful little grass strip at their farm. 1600 feet of wide smooth grass, good aircraft parking, and a central location. No major safety concerns and no major obstructions on either end of the runway. Any competent Taylorcraft pilot will be able to get in and out of that strip even with two aboard and 65 horsepower.

Their hospitality was wonderful for the period of time I can vouch for, and equally wonderful according to those who stayed overnight. They served up a delicious barbecue Tri-Tip (I believe) lunch buffet that was worth the trip alone. Between the Taylorcraft bunch and an equal number of local friends and other-than-Taylorcraft-people, I'd say there were 40 people or more chowing down on great food and swapping aviation stories.

The Aviation Jealousy Factor was very very high at this place; next to their gorgeous grass strip they have a gigantic hangar with at least four or five interesting aircraft in residence. My beady, suspicious, all-seeing eyes noted a polished Cessna 170, a disassembled Cessna 195, a rather sturdy-looking workhorse 206, a Super Cub, and a complete 1938 Taylor-Young project undergoing a nice restoration.

Behind the hangar, the six Taylorcraft fly-in attendees were parked in a row on display. At the time of my arrival there were four B models and two very nice restored L-2's. later in the day there were at least two more Taylorcraft B model arrivals, as well as several non-T-craft light planes owned by friends of the fly-in organizer.

One such fellow flew in with a nice looking, albeit green and blue (yeah, really) Bellanca 8KCAB Super Decathlon. After lunch, he treated us to a professional quality aerobatic display. Unlike many other such impromptu airshows given by amateurs, this gentleman was very competent, very safe, and all maneuvers were performed at the proper altitude.

Official West Coast Taylorcraft Fly-In founder and organizer Ron Sawyer brought his aircraft that had been undergoing restoration, and presided over the event along with Matt.

All in all, I believe it is safe to say that a very good viable alternative to all of the previous locations has been found.

Bill Berle

[Jim Meeker]

Re: Taylorcraft Fly-In May 28-30th

I would also like to praise the hospitality of Don and Matt McFarlane they and their supportive family really put on a great Rendezvous. Can't add much to Bill's comments so I will limit myself to pictures. I took mostly video which I think are too large to attach but will list the few pictures I took
1 Flying through the Cajon Pass
2 McFarlane's filed
3 3 of the 6 Tcrafts in back
4 other 3 of the tcrafts in back
5 1 of the 2 tcrafts in front total of 8 tcrafts and I think a total of 19 planes
6 one of the L2s leaving

[barnstmr]

Re: Taylorcraft Fly-In May 28-30th

Thanks Jim.. Very nice airplanes.