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RE: Europa-List: Avoiding ground loops

Subject: RE: Europa-List: Avoiding ground loops
From: Karl Heindl <kheindl@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2012 23:56:59

Hi David=2C
>From what you are saying=2C you had the stick at full aft?  With a tailwind
 this would have lifted your tail. Had you pushed the stick full forward yo
u might have prevented the mishap.
Karl


> From: davidjoyce@doctors.org.uk
> Subject: Europa-List: Avoiding ground loops
> To: europa-list@matronics.com
> Date: Sat=2C 16 Jun 2012 22:46:03 +0100
> 
uk>
> 
> Have been doing a bit of thinking about how I could 
> possibly have done a ground loop at my advanced age=2C and 
> having inadvertently shared my loop with you while 
> sleepily assuming I was replying to Tim personally=2C I 
> thought I might share my conclusions with you. It seems to 
> me that like meeting a large bird nose/beak on or 
> ditching=2C ground looping is something you don't get 
> taught=2C but something where a bit of prior nought would 
> definitely be an asset! So here's my thoughts:
>         Having turned 90 degrees left off the 09 runway=2C 
>  I was taxying at a brisk pace up the 36 runway with a 
> brisk (said on landing to be 10kts=2C but on measuring 
> immediately after the loop 10=2C gusting 18kts) coming from 
> R rear quarter. After a momentary look at an instrument=2C I 
> found myself swinging right. Full left rudder didn't stop 
> the swing=2C and my reflex was to brake=2C as this generally 
> of course helps turning manoeuvres in a mono. The turn 
> continued and the plane went gently forwards and left with 
> the ground touching the left wingtip and the prop. The 
> stick was hard back all the time=2C because this is also 
> ingrained in mono pilots to increase the authority of the 
> tail wheel.
>            With the amazing wisdom of hindsight=2C I 
> strongly suspect that had I not braked the plane would not 
> have gone A over T onto its prop=2C although it might have 
> still touched the left wingtip. Slowing down and cutting 
> the throttle also of course reduced airflow over the tail 
> plane reducing the tail down forces=2C and removed the left 
> turning effect of prop wash acting on the port side of the 
> fin. So if I ever find myself threatened with a difficult 
> to control tendency to turn sharply into wind=2C I hope I 
> shall remember to accelerate rather than brake. An 
> excursion on to the grass would have been a minor matter 
> compared with a set of new blades + engine check. Glad to 
> hear anyone else's experience or thoughts.  Regards=2C David 
> Joyce! G-XSDJ
> 
> PS Now when confronted with a large bird looking as though 
> it is coming through the screen I reckon the smart move is 
> to pull up=2C as birds are likely to dive in a panic 
> situation as their only means of rapidly gaining speed to 
> avoid a threat=2C but when it first happened I hesitated a 
> bit before turning right=2C wondering whether the bird knew 
> the rules of the air! Ditching thoughts in due course.
> 
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