Confessions of an NZ PropellerHead: FINALLY - I THINK I AM STARTING TO GET IT...

Get what, you might ask - getting the hang of the Stearman is the answer......

Sunday 27th February

Absolutely stunning morning in the Tauranga area, no cloud to worry about and hardly a breath of wind. I had booked an hour with instructor Pete in the Stearman and arrived at Classic Flyers at 0930 to see the Stearman already outside the hangar and being given the "once-over" by Pete. He gave me a quick briefing; a few circuits then a bit of general flying was the plan.

So, after my preflight, we got in, the ground guy gave it "6 and 6" (that's six primer pumps and six blade turns of the prop for the first flight of the day), started up and we taxied out to the run-up area by the entry to Grass 25. We had to wait a while with the engine at about 1200rpm until the oil temperature came up to 40ºC (took about 5 minutes) and then did our run up checks (1500rpm, carb heat cycle and mag check), pre takeoff and were cleared to line up and take off into the circuit.

The first take off went fairly well, pretty much straight on the centre line and holding 65 knots nose attitude all the way to leveling off at 1000' on downwind. I set up for the approach acceptably and, with a bit of coaching from Pete got the plane down on the runway for the touch and go in a straight line and didn't deviate too much from that once on the ground. Throttle forward, cough, cough, went the engine!! Back on the throttle a tad then advance a little slower, much better, full throttle, keeping straight with rudder, stick back a touch and off she flies quite nicely.

The next climb out wasn't as good as the first speed control-wise and we were then called for a short approach early on downwind. So Pete took control and set it up for a short final where he handed back to me. Not as a good landing this, I thought, but no major dramas and off again for a third circuit.

By now the workload was beginning to tell a bit and I was somewhat all over the place on final, first too high, then a bit low but managed OK with a bit of coaxing. Pete asked for a departure along the beach to the East toward Maketu. The climb out was not good at all - drifting off the runway heading and needed a nudge from the back seat to get me right.

Once on the straight and level just seaward of the beach I was fine. We tracked along to Maketu (about 12 miles from the airport), I did a pretty nice medium turn over the small cliffs there and back along the beach again. (Pete took control for a short while on the way out so I could get a couple of photos). We were cleared to join final for 25 which was easy - along the beach until the right point to turn about 30º left onto the extended centre line and time to slow down after the turn. I held a good nose attitude pretty much all the way down, holding off about right ("A little more stick back" from the rear) and landed OK remembering to get the rudders working more as we slowed down (less speed = less rudder authority). Pete then dropped a big hint we should be vacating the runway by jabbing on the right rudder so I duly complied and taxied back to classic flyers.
Pete seemed quite pleased afterwards; I seem to be making progress. Next step is to think about getting a decent helmet so when I "graduate" to the rear cockpit I don't have to duck my head out of the slipstream to hear the tower. Cost of a suitable "lid"?: about an arm and a leg.......!

Finally, a few more photos: