Fear of Landing

JUNE 28, 2024

The Cabri G2 comprises a shrouded tail rotor, usually referred to as a “Fenestron” (a registered trade mark of Eurocopter) that was proven to provide excellent maneuverability in every flight condition, in every direction of flight up to 40 kt at least. They crashed into a field east of the runway, breaking the skids off.

Rudder 96

Rudder Tail Lift Knot 96

Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

The rudder is a movable flight control which is mounted on the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer on the back of the airplane. Some new student pilots think the rudder and vertical stabilizer are the same thing. The vertical stabilizer is a vertical fixed part of the plane’s empennage. Why is the rudder so important?

Rudder 52

Rudder Airplanes Pilot Stability 52

Photographic Logbook

SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

The chirping we heard was due to excess torque-related motion of the powerplant in the engine compartment. Ray later found that the nuts securing the remaining three mounts were insufficiently torqued by whomever mounted that engine before the Williamson Flying Club bought the airplane in 2021. It was undamaged, it just came apart.

Torque 52

Torque Airplanes Horizontal Stabilizer Clearance 52

Fear of Landing

APRIL 19, 2024

At approximately 30-40 feet agl, the spinning stopped and the helicopter appeared to stabilize for a brief moment before continuing a nose-low, forward descent into the grass north of Runway 28. The operator confirmed that the tail rotor had been installed the day before the accident. As it descended it spun around 2-3 times.

Torque 76

Torque Indicated Airspeed Tail Knot 76