She's here!
 

Oh, the joy! GKEY has finally made it home. The past 3 months she was on my name, but stranded out west on Vancouver Island. Finally the weather gave just enough gap last Monday for my ferry pilot to get her over the Rockeys and into Alberta - after 7 days trying.

My instructor had to complete 10 hours first, since he has not flown in-lines before (but many Navajo's and King Air's), and has finished this part on the insurance company's list within a few days. According to him she is a "very boring plane", becasue there are absolutely no quirks. She flies "very afirmative" and "solid". No surprises. She's like "an elephant that can ballet".

Now it is my turn. I have to complete 25 hours with him on GKEY, before I can solo this bird. And only then can I re-install the aft seats for passengers (also an insurance thing).

So, tomorrow my new life with GKEY begins. My route is from Cold Lake (Alberta) to Brandon (South-West Manitoba), and back. Should keep me busy for about 7 hours in total.

I am very exited, but also quite apprehensive about the sheer size, mass and power difference this thing has compared to my 172...wish me luck!

Good Luck. Enjoy flying your new airplane. Have fun.

I like the description your instructor uses to fly describe the flight characteristics - like an elephant doing a ballet! Have fun.

Im sure you will love the Skymaster - solid and boring is what I do best - also really great traveling machine. Have a great time.

My first flight
 

So, I had my first 337 flight yesterday. I was quite apprehensive, since all my experience comes from flying my beloved 172. And this 337 looked just a tad daunting. But, armed with my CFI and a short prayer, I accomplished the task.

No matter how prepared I was, everything still happend way too fast for me on the departure. I was 500 AGL in no time at all, and so focused on climbout speed and prop/throttle settings, that I could not handle the communications as well. My airfield is in a Controll Zone D, so we need permission to fly out ouf the region airspace, before we do so. This means that if one has not done so yet, you have to keep flying the circuit until you have permission from tower to continue.

Needless to say, with my 172 I usually contact tower when I am at 500 AGL, because I still have ample time. Not so with this new bird!! From now on, I will call them at rotation!

We loaded the tanks (888 lbs) for our trip, and the controls we significantly heavier than the 172. I guess that's why I have the option of electric trims (played with that on the return flight). The rudders are real weather vanes, and quite potent. But so very effective in my 12 knot x-wind take-off last night.

We had a tailwind at 7,500 AGL and reached a groundspeed of 178 kts - cool! This is officially the highest speed I personally flew anything. Decending was a bit of a problem, trying to avoid shock cooling, but I decided to start my decend further out and do a slower rate of decent. I can see that with this plane one has to plan ahead about 20 minutes, and get your airspeed right before you reach the point where it is applicable. Knowing this, my very first landing went quite well (with a x-wind of 7 kts to boot). I did a small balloon, but hey, I kew I was sitting higher from the ground compared to the 172, and still have to "tune in" my senses for the sweet spot above ground to flare. I flew by the POH numbers, forgetting about the Horton STOL numbers, and that's why I ballooned.

And George, the S-Tec 55, is a trooper.
Not a bad day at all.

Sounds like a great flite. Guess I have taken the rudders for granted but your right - fear no cross wind in the Skymaster. You might work with your instructor re. using the gear for extra drag if you forsee the need to drop quickly. I like to stay high as long as possible and usually will drop the gear for a quick decent - can usually keep some power on for engine temp.

Where exactly in your circuit sequence do you normally drop the gear? It feels like the gear takes about 20 - 30 seconds to drop and lock. I am more at ease with dropping them when in straight flight, like just before joining downwind, or even sooner, for example.

Since my goal is to land with the gear down I have never trained to wait on any kind of final approach to drop the gear. I will identify a point in the approach TO the airport vicinity where I want the gear down - thats never as late as in the pattern. being early gives me plenty of time to run 3-4 "GUMPS" before final. Also if I am going to be losing significant altitude as you seemed to be concerned about, the gear does add a bit of drag for decent. Great thing about the Skymaster is it flys very well with the gear down so I could never see a reason to delay gear down. IFR instructors will probably train to drop gear at FAF - thats their training - Ive been picking a more distant gear down point now for 9 years and havent come close to a gear up so it works for me. If your staying in the pattern for training it will be something you need to work thru with your instructor. You might compromise by getting the gear down early and then coming to agreement where you will be running "GUMPS" - gear down checks. Hope the weather is good your way for this training. I took delivery of mine December 1998 and remember some cold trips to the airport.

gear down
 

Congrats! Sounds like your having fun.

I agree with John regarding when to put the landing gear down. I also do three to four Gumps however, I make it a point to always put my gear down five miles out. I do this not to slow the plane down but within five miles a lot of different things can happen to distract you and cause you to make the error of gear up landing. There is an old saying regarding retractable gear planes. That is, If it hasn't happened...it will! Beat the odds and put the gear down early.

Good Luck

Jerry N34EC:D

I agree 100 percent, get the gear down first, it will help you slow down and get down before a disstraction pops up and then you know what could happen!!!!!


Jim Hickam
N1871M

Exactly what I believe too. I would rather get the gear down sooner than later, and have it confirmed. That's one thing less to worry about once things start to happen quicker in the circuit. When I flew the first time, I had the gear down 2 miles out, but that is a too close for comfort for me. I had only time for one GUMP. Because I was also about to join downwind, my speed was slower when those backside barndoors opened.

I don't want to "use" the process to decrease speed or altitude, but I noticed that it is quite possible if one is not prepared for that. I think at slower speeds, letting the gear down can actually ruin your nicely set up landing configuration, and you might find yourself fighting the speed and altitude all over again to regain that,when you should be paying attention to other things. In future I will put the gear down further out and at higher speed.

At what speed do you activate your gear down usually? I did mine at about 115 kts (maybe why I felt more of an effect on the airspeed). I am thinking of letting the gear down at 120 kts and 5-6 miles out...

gear down
 

I generally put the gear down just below 160 MPh (140 Kts). I then put first degree of flap when entering down wind at about 130 to 140 MPH. 2nd degree of flap on base below 120 mph and full flap down on final.

Jerry

Follow your POH. Mine says maximum gear door extension speed is 140 MPH. Jerry has the gear door deletion kit. The big factor is the gear doors, because in normal configuration, those big barn doors at the rear really take a lot of stress.

I normally extend at about 125-130 MPH.

Larry is right, follow what the POH states. The reason Jerry is at 160 is because he is flying a newer 337 than Larry and I. Mine and Larry says 140. Also remember just because one may have the door deletion kit, this does not allow to extend the gear at higher speeds. The POH is still in charge. Although there has to be less stress on the system when the doors are deleted.

It seems that everyone quotes speeds in MPH. Is my 337 the only one with a ASI calibrated in kots? Even my POH gives the speeds in knots.