150 Trike hours and still scared of turbulance

[Caledonner]

Ek is baie jaloers elke keer as ek Gert se website (DVE) besoek en sien hoe hy die Weskaap verken en sy pragtige foto's met ons deel en ek laat my nie vertel al hierdie vlugte is in mooi stil weer soos waarin ek vlieg !! Om n lang storie kort te knip,- beskryf asb. vir my wanneer omstandighede JOU bang maak ; of wanneer jy weet dit is nie nodig om nou al op jou senuwees te raak. Ek sien nie op die oomblik kans om verder as 40 km van my hanger af te vlieg vir ingeval die weer sou versleg . Is rowwe thermal turbulensie 11:00 tot 14:00 gevaarlik ? Kan skielike sterk wind waarin ek onverwags beland my Trike omdop? Onder watter omstandighede moet ek nie probeer terugvlieg huistoe ,maar land waar ek kan en nederig huistoe bel ! In kort : waar is die limits ??? As ek aan Mike Blythe se wereldwye trips dink,- onder watter omstandighede sou hulle land en nie verder vlieg ?

[Africa]

just remember that it's ok to be scared. If you do not feel comfortable then do not do it. You are a lower time pilot so time is all you need and slowly you will become more and more capible of handling turbulant weather. i would also recomend that you get a great instructor Like Larry Eschner at bapsfontein, or Craig Cuzzons in Natal, there are many that are good these are just some guys that I know well and have them fly with you in the middle of the day and go and do touch and go's and fly a long cross country. This will build your confidence and skill. But I always tell students and other pilots that ask, you fly for fun and if you are not having fun then what are you doing in the air?? Its alot better being on the ground wishing that you were in the air than being in the air wishing you were on the ground. Just my 10 cents. jamie

[Conrad]

Tell the guys at your field to go for breakfast runs, and go with them. One feels a bit more confident when you fly with others. The day you are not scared, then there is something wrong.
Some of us just dont admit to it.
Good luck.

[Ou Man]

Caledonner,
Weet presies hoe jy voel. Jy lees van Gert en sy ekspedisies. Ek SIEN hom baie maal as hy oor my veld vlieg. Baie gevalle sit ek op die grond en wag vir "beter weer".Intussen geniet hulle die vlieg.
Ek self sit so by 100 uur. Probleem is dat ek alleen oppereer vanaf 'n privaat baan, hier in die Wes Kaap. Dus moet ek maar op my eie probeer uitvind of die weer daarbo lekker gaan wees of nie. Nou die anderdag weer so 'n skrik gekry op 100 voet, net na opstyg, dat ek daar en dan besluit het dat vlieg is uit en onmiddelik weer gaan sit het. Moes later uitvind dat die terbulensie net op grond oppervlakte was en dat die lug perfek was van 500 voet en bo.
Almal met wie ek praat is dit eens dat 'n Trike baie erge terbulensie kan vat. Meer as wat jy kan hanteer. Ek dink net dit is waar die probleem inkom. Ek glo op hierdie stadium dat ek nie weet waar my eie drumpel is nie. Ek aanvaar dat die enigste manier wat ek gaan uitvind is om stadig maar seker my vaardigheid uit te bou.
Wat ek ook meer en meer aanvaar is dat sekere ouens is wat vinniger en makliker oor hierdie probleem kom. Ek.......ek is een van die wat dit stadiger reg kry. Aanvanklik sleg gevoel daaroor. Nie meer nie. Soos Africa sê, ek doen dit vir my plesier. As iets my pla, dan sit ek op die kant tot ek beter voel. Pas net op dat daar al meer en meer goed begin opduik wat jou pla, sonder dat jy iets daaraan probeer doen.
Lang storie om by jou vraag uit te kom. Ek glo nie daar is iemand wat jou kan vertel presies waar die lyn is vanwaar jy moet gaan sit of op die grond bly nie.Die lyn skuif gedurig. Ek het 28 jaar gelede vir my 'n splinter nuwe MAC CDL in Durban loop koop en my self leer vlieg. (hier in die Kaap nogal). Terbulensie, stampe en gate in die lug het my nie eintlik gapla nie.(ongelukkig , of miskien gelukkig moes ek die vliery na 'n jaar los) Ek word ys koud as ek nou daaraan terug dink. My lyn het defnitief met die jare aansienlik geskuif. Dit na die banger/konserwatiewe kant toe.
Strekte en geniet dit.

[Big-D]

Nothing wrong than being a "Patch-flyer" boet. I have 250 hours and still don't like turbs - In all honesty I have not flown futher than 50km from my airfield in the last year and that's fine - Most days I will fly within a 15km radius of the windsock - I know a retired instuctor with 6000+ hours who also only flies around the patch these days, we have nothing to prove - It's fun, and that's what flying is about - Doing something you ENJOY! Other guys enjoy the long trips and I admire them, it just ain't me

D

[Stephan van Tonder]

Yup - turbulance and cross winds is something where every person defines his own limits. Trikes are good at handling turbulance and it's more annoying than dangerous. As some of the other guys here have intoned - get airborne in turbulent/crosswind weather with a good instructor and work through it. That's the only way to get comfortable. On your own all you going to do is scare yourself more.
It's good to go on fly-outs with more experienced pilots and you'll soon learn where they are comfortable and you'll learn to realx a bit. But yes most of all - we do this for fun and if you find those no fun - then don't do it.

[Bacchus]

Good question that. I do some long distance trips. Sometimes with Gert. BUT if i must say i LIKE turbulance i am lying. I HATE it.
Never been comfortable with it. Sometimes when you fly in a bunch like we often do, guys will land and then somebody will say the turbulence was bad, then it was totally ok for me. Other times its the other way around. Then i was the one being uncomfortable. Anyway, i think its a matter of personal "taste" or "comfort" and people experience it diffrently. I doubt however if you will ever get someone who will say they like it!

[Cali]

I agree with the other guys.

The last instructor that I had (I have had a few, but that is another story) is a Hang Glider pilot and instructor first and a Trike pilot and instructor second.
The first time I complained about the turbulence, he said HUH? what turbulence???? He made sure after that day, that I flew in turbulent weather every time he saw me. On my solo cross-country, we flew away for the weekend and on the Sunday he waited and waited for ever before we took off. We ended up flying in weather that scared the cr@p out off me ( in a good way ). After the 2hr flight my hands were numb and my jocks were well chewed.

But I always had him visual and there were emergency landing opportunities everywhere. He explained to me how they (Hang glider pilots) use the lift and what created it. When you know what to expect it is not so bad at all. It is amazing to feel the lift that different features on the ground creates. That day was more than what I would fly in, but since then I have flown in conditions (safely and stress free) that I would not have dreamed of before. If it scares you avoid it, but push your own limits, and try to understand it. Like I said, if it becomes predictable it is not so bad after all.

Ou Man... I feel your pain I fly on my own from a private strip to. I would love to have a hanger buddy to fly with or to get some advice from. Someone else may see or hear something on your plane that you miss during your pre-flights, or something that you don't realize may be wrong.

So a fly-in to my hanger this weekend or any other one... I will supply all the meat and drinks

[Smiley]

Ek is baie jaloers elke keer as ek Gert se website (DVE) besoek en sien hoe hy die Weskaap verken en sy pragtige foto's met ons deel en ek laat my nie vertel al hierdie vlugte is in mooi stil weer soos waarin ek vlieg !! Om n lang storie kort te knip,- beskryf asb. vir my wanneer omstandighede JOU bang maak ; of wanneer jy weet dit is nie nodig om nou al op jou senuwees te raak. Ek sien nie op die oomblik kans om verder as 40 km van my hanger af te vlieg vir ingeval die weer sou versleg . Is rowwe thermal turbulensie 11:00 tot 14:00 gevaarlik ? Kan skielike sterk wind waarin ek onverwags beland my Trike omdop? Onder watter omstandighede moet ek nie probeer terugvlieg huistoe ,maar land waar ek kan en nederig huistoe bel ! In kort : waar is die limits ??? As ek aan Mike Blythe se wereldwye trips dink,- onder watter omstandighede sou hulle land en nie verder vlieg ?

Hello daar!!

Hier is my 2 cent

Vir n begin, n trike kan in baie erge weer vlieg en jy sal Ok wees, maar die idee is om nie daar te begin.

Doen dit in stappe en met mede pilots.
1) Besluit hierdie Saterdag gaan jy n trip doen van 30km een kant toe saam met ander pilots.
2) Gewoonlik soontoe sal glad wees en terug sal dit dalk bietjie stamp met die thermals. Kyk na die ander trikes om jou se vlerke as dit turbulent is. Jy sal sien die vlerk beweeg skaars, dit is eintlik die karrietjie wat skud en jou laat dink jy word rond gegooi
3) Maak seker vir n begin jou vlug na die bestemming is so ver moontlik in die wind in. Wat lekker is, as jy terug vlieg met die thermals wat kan pla, gaan jy vinniger by die huis kom, dus die minste ongemak op daai manier.
4) Doen dit lekker vroeg sodat die thermals jou so min moontlik pla.
5) As jy terug by jou vliegveld is en dit stamp so bietjie onthou altyd "airspeed is geld in die bank", so trek daai bar bietjie in wanneer jy finals draai sodat jy bietjie beter deur die thermals kan sny en met meer beheer kan land.

Dis omtrent dit.

So begin jy confidence bou.

Volgende naweek as die weer goed lyk doen dieselfde maar nou vlieg jy 40km uit en dan 50 en 60... etc etc

Jy gaan gewoont raak aan die kondisies en jy sal sien om 12 uur in die dag te vlieg is eintlik nie n probleem solank as wat die weer redelik Ok is en die wind nie te stamperig.

n Wind wat redelik sterk waai maar konstant waai is geen probleem vir n trike. Al wat gebeur jy gaan vinniger of stadiger by jou bestemming uitkom

As ek 12h00 iewers heen wil vlieg doen ek dit maar ek vlieg gewoonlik redelik hoog sodat die thermals my so min moontlik pla.

Solank as wat jy nie in n doner storm in vlieg en baie sterk terbulente wind vlieg sal jou aerie jou veilig vat waar jy wil gaan.

Daar is n baie mooi wereld daar buite, bes gesien uit n microlight, geniet dit!!

[JFK]

I Also just made my 150hrs and use to be scared of MR T but had to land out because of unforseen problems and only left my dirt road behind with about 30 min of flying in those little sheep clouds and it hurt but now I am a bit more confident and not scared of returning late so yes it just takes practise like engine ot

It will get better

[kloot piloot]

Konsentreer om jou voor-arms, hande en maagspiere te laat ontspan.
Laat die controlbar toe om te beweeg, en te "rock" en te "roll", sonder om hom toe te laat dat hy weg hardloop.
MAAR ONTSPAN JOU ARMS EN HANDE.
Vlieg "slap chips" met jou hande.
'n Trike vlieg homself.

Maar as jy vasknyp, gaan dit voel of die trike jou baas is. ... en DAN skud hy jou.

Slap chips ... en geniet !

[Harlequin]

Caledonner.
Give me a call o82 375 double949.
I"ll share with you some of my experiences.
Regards.
Graham.

[Blue Max]

Hier wil ek ook n straaltjie piepie....Ek is nog n roker M LPilot., en het annerdag Nylstroom toe gevlieg vi my eerste brekkie en ek en my girl het pie pie terug gevlieg ...Lang storie .
Met my opleiding het hulle my alles geleer maar hulle het my nie blootstelling gegee om in Therminal Turbulance te vlieg nie...( gelukkig het hulle my so goed geleer dat ek dit nou vreesloos kan doen!! )
Daardie trip, plus alles wat ek nou hierbo gelees het, VERAL DIE VERWYSING DAT N THERMAL JOU VLERKE ONGELYK TREF (en jou dan na links of regs afdruk (of opdruk) is kosbare inligting om te weet.
Miskien kan studente daarby baat om ook n paar vlieglesse te kry gedurende warm dae..?? ??

[Tracer]

My 2cents.....

I was fortunate enough to have done most of my training in Turbulent weather.

What that did for me was, that I don't mind flying in windy or turbulent conditions. That doesn't mean that I like it though. Like mentioned before, if you don't relax you will find that you get tired, trying to fight the bar.

To this day, I still fly very often in windy and turbulent conditions.... when a lot of other pilots, won;t even take-off. It is good to be able to fly in all conditions, that way you will not be caught of guard...

[kloot piloot]

Tracer, we still had an appointment a day after AZP died. Hope it stands.

Caledonner, let us know if any of the tips were of assistance this past weekend ? Keep us posted.