Directional control after touchdown...

Dan wrote:
On May 20, 6:34 am, john smith wrote:
Dan wrote:
What are the proper control inputs to correct the situation?
Yoke full aft, full right aileron, left rudder as necessary to maintain
directional control, flaps up.

OK, so you're saying that based on the situation, I should trust the
ATIS, not the fact that the plane is drifting right? Should the
ailerons _always_ be into the wind regardless of actual aircraft
drift?

No, you should know from which side the wind is coming before you ever
touch down. This is very easily detected while on final. And if you
slip to accommodate the crosswind (which is the correct way in this
airplane and almost all others), then you know exactly what is up before
you ever touch down and you also know if the crosswind component is
within the control authority of the airplane.


How much rudder in one direction or the other can a tricycle gear
light plane take without groundlooping?

Quite a bit, but if you start to ground loop, then back off! One thing
my primary instructor stress was that you ALWAYS apply whatever control
input is required to get the performance you desire. You don't fly to
some preplanned target. He was not a fly by the numbers pilot and,
while I appreciate the need for that in many high performance airplanes,
his basic philosophy is sound. The conditions are what they are, not
what you planned for or what you wish they were. Fly the conditions,
not some preconceived notion of what they should be.


I am working on a checkout in this C182 after about 400 hours in
Pipers. Compared to what I am used to, the Cessna ground handling
(especially after touchdown) seems very squirrley. I've had the same
experience with the couple hours I have in 152s and 172s as well.

My Skylane wasn't squirrelly at all. Typically, it is the pilot that is
squirrelly. :-)

Matt