Stalls & Lazy 8's

 I stopped at the local Wawa for gas. Premium was just under $3/gal, what's up with the fluctuating gas prices. It seems every week brings a 10 - 20¢ change.

The air was a bit cool for Tampa, starting in the mid 40˚s it would be 81˚ by the afternoon. Skies were clear and winds were light. A beautiful day to fly.

My objective was to do some high work, including some power off (landing) stalls and a few Lazy 8's.

• Objective: Stall the airplane, without power, in the landing configuration, then recover with a minimum loss of altitude. 

The important part of this exercise is to recognize the symptoms of the stall. As the speed decreases, the controls get mushy. The sound changes, it gets quieter and you can hear the wind noise. No stall warning claxon, Sally usually gives a final warning with a flutter in the stick just before the nose falls straight away. She stalls at right about 34Kts. Recovery is almost instantaneous by releasing back pressure and adding power.

• Objective: With constant change in control pressure due to changing combinations of climbing and descending turns at varying speeds, experience the full performance range of the airplane while flying a lazy eight pattern. 

The importance of this maneuver is Smooth Coordination. The idea is to draw a Ꝏ in the air with the nose of the airplane. It's recommended that you slow to maneuvering speed (Va) which for Sally is 88Kts. Arrive at a maximum bank angle of 30˚ at a 90˚ reference point constantly changing pitch and bank angle to arrive at the 180˚ reference point momentarily level at the same altitude as when you started. Come back the other way to finish the 8.  Piece of cake, go try it.

Video notes: Stalls and Lazy 8s

*This video was really helpful to use as a debriefing tool for myself. We all get rusty if we neglect to practice.

*Got a nice compliment from the Commander at the end of the video.