We were busy at the flight school. Some of our flight students kept us busier than others. One of them in particular. Let's call her Janette. Without fail, she came to the flight school dressed like a night fighter. After signing the relevant pre-flight paper work she went into the lavatory to change from her kidney showing mini dress and 6-inch-high heels into more suitable attire. This was usually a skirt that covered her undies at least, and flat pointy shoes.
She came to us from a different flight school, due to a frustrated instructor asking, if we can just teach her to land. He was at the end of his tether. Everything else was really going well, but she just wouldn't flare when coming in to land. As you can imagine this was not good.
So, we went up in one of the clapped-out Cessna 172s, asking tower for five circuits, if he can accommodate. Take-off and climb were competent. Crosswind and turn onto Downwind: no problem. Level off, base leg, all the checks done correctly and timeously: all good. No ballooning when selecting flaps. So far: what a pleasure!
She held the descent speed beautifully. This was one of the most important steps for a good landing.
Too fast and the aircraft can't settle on the runway. The aircraft might float in ground effect instead. The pilot might end up landing too deep, which can result in a runway overrun.
Too fast and the aircraft could bounce on landing which brings a whole new set of problems. If not recovered from correctly by adding full power in the C172 and climbing away from the ground, the next bounce or series of bounces can be worse, until the propeller hits the ground first instead of the main gear. This happens often enough in aviation that there is an actual name for it: porpoise. Just like the mammals in the water, the aircraft jumps into the air nose high and lands on the surface nose down. Repeatedly. Might be lekker in the ocean, not so lekker in a C172.
Too slow and the aircraft can hit the ground really hard when it finally runs out of energy and lift. Either way: sticking to the correct airspeed on final approach is essential. Janette was mastering this speed requirement like a true champion.
As briefed, I pointed out the hangars on our right-hand side and reminded her to keep them in her peripheral vision to prompt a readiness for the slow and gentle pull on the control column to initiate a levelling off from the descent. She acknowledged being aware of the hangars and their height, and then proceeded to fly in the exact same descent attitude ignoring my calls to pull on the stick, pull now, until the very end. She let go when I called: "I have control."
Eish. Okay this was going to be more challenging than I thought. I kept control of the aircraft, in order to remind her of plan B that we briefed. Plan B entailed trimming a bit nose up on final approach so that forward force on the control column was needed to sustain the descent profile. My thinking was that when it was time to level the aircraft out, all the student had to do, was to ease their active pushing on the control column and let the aircraft flare itself. This way the first contact with the ground could be all three wheels, or preferably the main gear.
I checked the push force on Finals, and was satisfied of the effort Janette had to put into pushing down the stick. At hangar height the reminder came and was acknowledged. Again, Janette almost flew us into the ground nose first. She never stopped pushing. She really was quite strong for such a skinny lady!
Good instructors pride themselves on the fact that they can make the student do things correctly by talking and briefing. If you have to touch the controls, you are failing the student in a way. Here I had had to intervene twice in 10 minutes. Eish.
So now I let her fly the circuit and was thinking feverishly. This time on final approach I would ask her to trim the elevator trim nose up two half turns. This way, the aircraft would definitely flare, if she wanted to, or not!
The problem was, obviously, when exactly to get her to do the trimming action. I had never tried such a thing before...
Due to the fact that Lanseria had a 2900m long runway, I decided that we had soooo much time to land, we could start the trimming once we were safely over the numbers. She held the descent speed beautifully and I checked this time that she only had two gentle fingers on the control wheel instead of her whole hand.
Cleared to land. Janette kept descending and over the numbers dutifully trimmed the nose up twice. to both our surprise and pleasure, the little Cessna landed beautifully, settling on the tarmac just so.
I selected flaps up and she added power so that we could do this again. Same result on the next landing. a gentle kissing of the earth of the main wheels followed by the nose gear. This is the best feeling for an instructor. When the student gets it. I asked for three more Touch & Go's from tower. The added circuits were for Janette to automate her new skills and to make sure there was consistency. Three more silky smooth landings ensued with broad smiles on both crew's dials.
She landed well from then on and ended up flying a 737 somewhere up in Africa. She never took my advice on how to dress more appropriately, though. Good for her.
Kruger 2025 Day 15 Jan 20 Skukuza to Malelane Gate
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