This past week on Thursday was the day. I'd arrived with my wife Teresa in Las Vegas Wednesday to take in some sites and then head to Boulder City to meet Doug. We met over dinner that night and Doug invited member Richard Dach (LBPilot82) and his wife to join us and they did. It was decided we'd go out in the morning with no particular goal except to look at the brownness from 1000 or so feet and at some point, land in the desert.
The flight was great. My wife Teresa, Doug and I took off and did a loop over Hoover Dam then up to Valley of Fire State Park and back around the Vegas area to Boulder City Airport. It was spectacular. After a short break we then took off to the dry lake bed Doug uses for training. Very much different landing in the vastness of the dry lake with NOTHING to give visual clues as to your height. Much like flying over a vast body of still water, 10 feet could seem like a 1000.Doug demonstrated a landing and then it was my turn.
Lets just say I thought Doug wanted a wheel landing, which he prefers, but I couldn't find the wheel land button on that morning. He was waiting for me to do a three point, which I prefer in a strange place in a airplane I've never landed before. I’d only had three flights in my own 170A in the last 4 months and I hadn’t landed a B model in a year and a half though that probably had less to do with it than anything else. But the larger flaps do change the landing sequence and technique a bit.
After a few attempts, well, lets just leave it at I couldn't find that auto wheel landing button. It was just no where to be found in that ’56 panel he has in his ‘52. I might have thought Doug had it removed if it weren’t for the few he demonstrated.
But I did land in the desert. Had about 30 landings actually and we only made three rounds of the pattern so you can tell what kind of day I was having.
After a discussion it was realized I should do a three point landing regardless of excellent wheel landing coaching Doug was giving. And so that is what I did and finally a landing that was far from perfect. Touched down with a bit to much tail wheel contact first. Maybe better suited for a short beach landing rather than a dry lake. Did I mention the upside down yokes? (Give me time I'll think of a few dozen other excuses.
)Returning from the dry lake I believe I redeemed myself on the asphalt back at Boulder City Airport. Wind socks at either end of the runway were showing crosswinds from both sides. Despite the swirling winds I managed a pretty respectable three point considering the sticky throttle. The stick throttle, now there is another story for another time.
The pressure was off. I think Doug was finally thinking I might know how to land a 170, at least on asphalt. Maybe he was glad that it was the last landing?
What fun.
Thanks Doug.
May there always be and Angel flying with you.
