Thread: New members

Hi, we have just purchased a CTSW registration G-CEWT which we intend to fly from Priory Farm in Norfolk England. The farm hs a 700 metre strip orientated North/South. We were aware of the difficulty of landing a CT so we have been having instruction at Chatteris in Cambridgeshire in England. We are moving over from a Rans S6 and the first thing to be learnt was to leave the rudder pedals alone! I have been having difficulty with the visual aspect of lining up the aeroplane on finals, when it is straight I feel as though it is drifting and I hope the comments from others on the site will help me get over that. We have 450 hours in our Rans including a trip this summer, with others, to Berlin Templhof before it closed. We also overflew the Dams from the famous Dambuster raid and went down to Bavaria. As we are now both retired we are hoping to do more touring of Europe once we get proficient in the plane. Here's looking forward to a long and prfitable time on the forum. Ray and Anita Osborne

I saw some pictures that Rob Lees (a Taylorcraft flier) took on a trip to Berlin last summer. It looked like a bunch of fun. Tom

People have different ways of lining up. Some put dots or lines on the windshield to line them up and keep them that way. I just put my two feet in line with the runway line and keep them on the line. If you drift or slip sideways then your feet are no longer lined up.

Hi Anita and Raymond,

Congratulations on your new purchase, I am sure that you will be delighted with the CT. I have had mine for more than 7 years now and I am still so enthusiastic about it. The interior space, the range, the performance and the great ease of access.

The aircraft seems to have gained a bit of a reputation for being tricky to land but I can't help thinking that people hear this and get a bit twitched up about it. Quite unnecessarily I think.

This web site has a wealth of information about all aspects of the various marks of CT and in the main is very well informed. As a CT owner this will become your favourite web site.

Having flown in and out of Priory Farm you certainly will not have any problems with your CT.

On the subject of lining up on the approach, I picked up an excellent tip from one of our US friends on this site and use it as the norm now. If the strip/ runway/ sheep field has a centreline, keep it between you feet!!

Although I have flown my CT on the continent I do admire you for getting to Templhof before it closed. Well done.

Peter Walker

Welcome & Enjoy...
Mal

Today I went flying again after about a month break due to a trip of my spouse to a cooking school with her friends in Mexico and me making sure the kids get out of bed and do their homework.
Small price to pay for what I am "owed" now for next syummer's flying!!!

I decided to do something different and paractice stalls, steep turns and forced landings.

Not having done the first for a while , again I was amazed with the airplane.

I tried all different configurations ranging from 0 flaps to +40 flaps and even tried a couple at -12 flaps.

You can actually stall the plane if your angle of attack is substantially high, but in any of the other configurations including -12 when you bring the stick back with miniml power, it keeps mushing down at about 900ft/min at speeds of about 20 - 25 kts. The wingtips stay level and you can keep them level with your rudder.

Again I was amazed how benign the plane flies at these low speeds and a small burst of power comletely restores full flying conditions.

For me it has been well over a year since I practiced the excercises and can highly recommend it as a refresher at least once a year to really appreciate your aircraft.

Being a high time glider pilot, the forced approaches at 70 kts were a piece of cake.

As far as our new UK folks joining us, you will learn to fly this airplane like aglove and for the landings stay steady on the rdder and account for the off centre seating to fly parallel to the rwy and if conditions are calm fly the numbers and make sure you are not to fast. Typically 55 kts at +15flaps or 49kts at +38 flaps is what I use, however master +15 first before going +38 or +45flaps.

Once comfortable you have to try 0 flaps.

Good luck!!

Hi Ray

Have you picked plane up now ? how are you getting on with it ? I think thats 5 ct's in the Wfaec group now

Rgs Mike

Hi Mike, I did send a note on the WFAeC site but it obviously did not get through. G-CEWT is safely at Priory but 3 goes to get it in. Just waiting for decent weather to get out flying her. Off to Splash on Saturday to get some decent headsets. Rgds Ray and Anita

Hi Ray,

Im off to Splash on saturday myself, i'll maybe see u there!! it will be my 1st time meeting oliver from p&m. I bought my ct of him in march08, but we didn't have the pleasure in meeting!!!

The landings will come second nature to you, don't rush it and don't be afraid to keep on power until you are on the ground, (and use the rudder, this is mainly on a xwind variant). When i got my ct and was converting from a c42, i thought i would never get the hang off it, but hey, i proved myself wrong and within a couple hrs i was starting the nail it.

I have over 80hrs now on the ct and wish i had more, the weather here across the irishsea has been crap!

must say, Im sooooo glad i bought a CT!!!!!! I love it!!!!!!!!!

regards neil

Steam Gauge CTs seem to have a 2.25" ball instrument right on the centerline; at least 621CT does.

Doug