Getting cross with the wind

Low cloud base and dubious weather over the practice area today, so I was confined to the circuit. Bob, as usual, had a plan so that we got something productive out of the lesson.

A 6+ knot crosswind certainly gave us something to work with , coupled with the fact that my circuit practice is a little rusty. Bob summed it up nicely by saying “If I send you out to the practice area on your own. I need to know that you can land it on the way back.” No arguments here.

Bob had a list of things he wanted me to concentrate on. Mostly eliminating the kangaroo impressions I’ve become so good at. I agreed that this wasn’t a bad idea. I also wanted to work on my approach angle. Dragging it in under power is bad technique and given the summer harbour traffic could see me impaled on the top of a dinghy!

The above was on top of the crosswind practice we set out to achieve. My technique of choice is to use a slide slip. I find it tricky though. Not the technique per se but I find it difficult to bring myself to maintain the aileron input all the way down. My mind still says the yoke should be straight when you land. Consequently I am pretty much fighting the plane all the way down. I make life hard for myself, nothing new there, unfortunately.

Still with the requisite amount of complaining and moaning from me, I did actually manage to pull off some reasonable landings. With one minor problem. My old nemesis. That fricken centre line.

It hates me, officially hates me! I fly a plane equipped with a built in centre line repellent. There is no other explanation.

At one point I landed, took a brief look around me to judge that I was Ok to continue with my touch and go, I winced. “Hmm I’ve heard rumours that there is a centre line round here somewhere.” I tentatively joked in half apology. I was waaaaay over to the left.

Now you know things are bad when mild mannered Bob resorts to sarcasm “yep I heard that too, lets taxi over there and see if we can find it, eh WMAP?”

Next time, determined to do better I found myself exactly the same distance on the right side of the runway. “this isn’t even funny anymore” I complained.

Bob made some joke about a “Goldilocks landing” next time but the truth is I never did get it “just right”!

I think my head might be on crooked or something!