Sorry if this is a duplicate but the last few days my postings don't show up in my daily digest mode email from KRNET as they always have, unless I re-send them.
**************************** Mark Jones said, > "That first landing was absolutely the worst landing I have ever made (except when I hit a deer) and by being so slow it almost caused me to crash my KR on touchdown." I did the same thing when leaving Omaha after picking up my new KR from Steve Bennett. I hadn't flown a KR in many years and was dressed in shorts since it was the middle of July but ran into rain and cold temps and was shivering and somehow landed downwind at my first gas stop, although didn't mean to. I was too addled by the unfamiliar plane, abundant gas fumes from leaking line connections, and being chilled and very uncomfortable that I mistakenly assumed the wind was from the west - the usual direction out there on the Wyoming border. But the wind was from the east that day. I stalled it above the runway at what seemed and felt like at least 20 feet and came slamming straight down and was sure I must have broken something or blown a tire. The engine died and I was pretty stunned at what I'd done. But the engine started right up. The tires rolled. I was amazed. That was by far the worst landing I've ever made with this plane. These kinds of things happen when we are going through the survival process of learning to land our KR's. It takes a few landings and s*** sometimes happens in the process. We get better quickly or we damage or destroy our planes. You just got too slow, and I did the same thing. I think it's significant that we both made horrible landings but didn't damage anything. More common with initial KR flights (other airplanes too) is touching down too fast, bouncing, then touching down and bouncing again and then panic sets in because the end of the runway is coming up so guys try and force it onto the runway and if lucky nothing gets broken but usually something does. Best thing to do after bouncing badly is going around and touching down slower on the next pass but many bashed wing tips, broken props and nose gears, etc. testify to to the fact that guys on their first flights often don't do that (go around). Anyway, once we have a feel for our planes we can land at any speed we want. Someone in the process of developing that feel though needs to read Jim Faughn's article and take it to the bank. Going into a 1200 ft. strip is a whole 'nother subject. I think it's super important to do first flights on the longest uncontrolled runway you can find that's reasonably close. Mike ____________________________________________________________ How Old Men Tighten Skin 63 Yr Old Husband Uses Wife???s Wrinkle Cream, His Results? Amazing http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/54e1256aef863256a4f42st03vuc
