Flying Lesson #104 - More Crosswind Patterns

So it was pattern work once again. I did the pre-flight by myself (while being supervised) as well as the startup, taxi, run-up.

Before taking off we had to wait a bit due to wake turbulence from a 757 that took off form the parallel - that was kinda neqt and the fargin snow showed exactly where the wake turbulence was by being blown rather turbulently in a wakeful fashion.

Cleared to takeoff, we did so, and again gusting crosswinds form 12-24 from 300 making for a crosswind factor from 6 to 12, and the 12 was kinda spicy with some fun gusts that really made me have to ride it out on climb-out. Lots of crabbing for this pattern work to avoid getting blown off course around the field.

On the first pattern I was all sorts of behind the airplane, between the really gusting crosswind, different procedures, more wind gusts and chop blowing me all over the place and it was not great. It was beginning to feel like lesson #103 all over again. But I persevered and the second pattern was better as we started the midfield procedures a bit earlier so I could get ahead before the end of the runway procedures.

I quickly came to realize that the Archer has less rudder authority than the 172. But, you also need less crosswind correction for it aileron wise. I was using about what I would have in the 172 which is too much for an Archer as you can't get enough rudder in to counteract it, plus you actually don't need that much.

So I settled down and Ray then said on the next one he wasn't saying anything unless I scared him or did something dangerous. So I went along, did the takeoff just fine, did my procedures ok (they're different enough from the 172 I'm used to to mess me up a bit) and then while I was coming in a bit high did a pretty darn decent landing and he didn't say much at all.

I then repeated that and got better each time and finished quite happy with myself including some very nice crosswind landings, which were the only kinds of landings on the menu today.

Yes, there is indeed more float on the Archer than the 172 on landing, and you need to make sure you're not bringing too much energy (airspeed) with you to the landing or you'll either bounce up as you begin the flare or float a good distance waiting for the airspeed to bleed off. However, the landing somehow feels more solid in the Archer than the 172 and the low wing feels a bit better when you're over the runway and landing in a crosswind, it doesn't quite get as caught in the wind as much if that makes any sense.

So, I may be getting the hang of landing an Archer, which is nice. Then again, the constant ups and downs of this course of training is driving me nuts.

That's 1.4 and 8 landings.