Landing - contacting from rapid sink

[Ed Cesnalis]

I have been landing CTSWs since 2006, always from challenging fields. 

I remain a 30degree guy doing full stall landings. Today I did a very rare go-around and landing on next attempt with winds snapping from quartzing headwind to quartering tailwind.  Same from either runway.

Landing was uneventful.  I was comfortable performing it but quite concerned, here's why.  I did my 2nd attempt with only 15 and with a longer final at a higher speed and more shallow approach.  It was obvious the big challenge to overcome was rapid sink.  It wasn't about configuration it was about shear and getting downwinded in all phases of the landing including the final phase.

The choice is to either contact from rapid sink or land elsewhere. I don't go full aft with my stick because I need it neutral so I have something there to arrest sink / soften contact.  There is no slope to descend along.  I have to land from 12' above the runway instead of 3'.  Today was extremely scary visually like it could damage the mains but with perfect timing and good luck the contact is soft.

Our very light aircraft do well when the runway environment is turbulent.  It can be uncomfortable, even though it works reliably to soften on contact on thesse days I don' t have a 100% confidence.  I'm always impressed and a little surprised when it actually works.

[Ed Cesnalis]

There are half a dozen other light sports here.  They don't seem to fly on turbulent days like yesterday.  My CTSW seems to do better in winds as well it seems much faster than these others.

[FlyingMonkey]

I'm with you on 30° flaps.  "full stall landing" is relative in my experience.  Sometimes I'm pretty nose high and landing slower, sometimes I'm a few knows faster and just hold the nosewheel a few inches above the pavement.  I think it's mainly related to wind conditions -- I land slower and closer to a true full stall if wind is calm than if there are significant winds, in which case I'm less into the full stall.

I know you probably still disagree, but I like 15° flaps when the winds are high.  Except on grass or short fields, I always land at 30° flaps in those conditions.  I see no need to ever land at 0° flaps and it seems to be harder and really fast to me.

I agree the CT series is one of the highest-performing LSA out there.

[Ed Cesnalis]

I guess the extra distance that has me claiming routine full stall landings isn't just that I get the stick full aft its that I raise the nose enough so that when it settles it settles balanced on the mains and the nose wheel remains up for a bit .  Almost all CT landings I see by others are flatter close to 3 point landings.

I had a few months where my flaps were stuck at -12.  I have a lot of landings there.  Its hard to call them landings but one thing I can call them is easy.  You hardly have to do anything just fly it on and tax it off.  This experience helped me understand whey everyone likes to land without landing flaps.  30 degrees is harder but I'm not sure that's a negative

Have you had landings from rapid sink?  When conditions won't permit you to approach all the way to 3 feet smoothly, when you have to drop it in and save it at the bottom?