Ping: Paul Tomblin... How about a Lance pilot report

[john smith]

Paul, you have been flying the Lance for a couple of months now.
How about a pilot report about your impressions and the transition training?

[C J Campbell]

"john smith" > wrote in message
...
> Paul, you have been flying the Lance for a couple of months now.
> How about a pilot report about your impressions and the transition
training?
>

Yeah, Paul, how about that?

[Paul Tomblin]

In a previous article, john smith > said:
>Paul, you have been flying the Lance for a couple of months now.
>How about a pilot report about your impressions and the transition training?

Oh, ok. Didn't realize anybody cared. I've just been putting entries in
my blog instead of posting them here.

http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/000097.html - First flight in the Lance.
http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/000113.html - Minor problem with a busted
alternator.
http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/000131.html - Club said the plane was fixed, it
wasn't.
http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/000164.html - Much worse problem - had to
abandon the plane in London Ontario
http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/000259.html - Went to London again
http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/000260.html - Flew home from London
http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/000278.html - Finished my checkout
http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/000286.html - My first non-checkout flight

There are more entries about flying it on there as well.

Summary: The Lance is a big heavy pig of a plane. I like the speed, I
like the feeling of accomplishment from moving up to a complex aircraft.
I'm going to like the heavy load carrying capacity when I take my step
daughter off to college. I think I'm going to like the HSI when I get
used to it, but right now doing an ILS in actual conditions I feel like
I'm doing S-turns down the localizer. I like the stability of flying
ILSes at 120 knots instead of 90. But it's NOT a light touch on the
controls, especially in roll. I wish it had newer radios with flip-flops
and a better (newer) stormscope.

And now the club isn't sure if we're going to be able to keep it because
of insurance problems.

--
Paul Tomblin > http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
I think I have a new personal rule: Never watch anything which includes
the author's name in the title, particularly if the author is dead.
-- Andrew Dalgleish

[Ben Jackson]

In article >,
Paul Tomblin > wrote:
>Summary: The Lance is a big heavy pig of a plane. I like the speed, I
>like the feeling of accomplishment from moving up to a complex aircraft.

What's even better is when you've forgotten what the big deal was and
get reminded in some way how much workload you're taking for granted.

--
Ben Jackson
>
http://www.ben.com/

[john smith]

Thanks Paul.
Your blog makes for an interesting read.
Thanks for taking the time to commit it to print.
I have Cherokee Six, Turbo Arrow and Dakota time, but no Lance/Saratoga
time as yet.

[Paul Tomblin]

In a previous article, john smith > said:
>Thanks Paul.
>Your blog makes for an interesting read.
>Thanks for taking the time to commit it to print.
>I have Cherokee Six, Turbo Arrow and Dakota time, but no Lance/Saratoga
>time as yet.

All my other experience has been in taper-wing Cherokees - Warrior, Archer
and Dakota. The hershey-bar Lance feels quite a bit different, even from
the Dakota.


--
Paul Tomblin > http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
I think it's a beautiful day to go to the zoo and feed the ducks.
To the lions.
-- Brian Kantor

[john smith]

Next question(s):
Power settings for approach at 120 and 90 (MP and RPM with 10 degrees
flaps, gear down)?
At what point in the approach do you add flaps and gear?

[Paul Tomblin]

In a previous article, john smith > said:
>Next question(s):
>Power settings for approach at 120 and 90 (MP and RPM with 10 degrees
>flaps, gear down)?

I'll have to get back to you on that - I mostly play it by ear. If I'm
cruising at 2200 and 22, I'll leave it at 2200 and pull back the throttle
until I get 120 knots, then at glideslope intercept I'll drop the gear and
maybe re-adjust the throttle to keep at 120 knots and 700 fpm, and then
push the prop control to full forward.

>At what point in the approach do you add flaps and gear?

Gear at glideslope intercept, no flaps. I've mostly done ILSes at
airports with long runways, so this works out fine.

If I'm doing VFR patterns, I do 95 knots downwind, drop the gear and a
notch of flaps before turning base, retrim and add some throttle for 90
knots on base, another notch of flaps before turning final, and keep it at
85 knots on final. It's faster than it needs to be by the book, but I
find the plane gets too mushy if it gets much slower. And it works fine
for 4000 foot runways without having to brake too hard.

--
Paul Tomblin > http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
People who love sausages, respect the law, and work with IT standards
shouldn't watch any of them being made.
-- Peter Gutmann

[john smith]

Paul Tomblin wrote:
> I'll have to get back to you on that - I mostly play it by ear. If I'm
> cruising at 2200 and 22, I'll leave it at 2200 and pull back the throttle
> until I get 120 knots, then at glideslope intercept I'll drop the gear and
> maybe re-adjust the throttle to keep at 120 knots and 700 fpm, and then
> push the prop control to full forward.

Try this, pull off five inches of MP and see if that will give you about
500 fpm descent while maintaining trim airspeed. Works well for
following the GS.