It was going to be interesting going back to the J160 after flying the Tecnam. A much higher wing loading and different characteristics at slow speeds will take some re-adjustment. Thankfully, from the minute I got in, I felt right at home. I decided to do some quick circuits. As the grass runway is out of action due to rain, I had no choice but to take a right crosswind on Runway 23.
For the first two landings, I opted for take-off (half-flap) setting. This worked ok, but right at the very end of the hold-off it got a little wishy-washy. On the last one, I just went flapless with a tiny bit of extra speed. Most of the speed washed off during the hold-off, and the touchdown speed was a little bit higher, but the extra control gave me much more confidence to positively deal with the crosswind right to the point of touchdown.
I'm so glad to have the Jabiru back as an option for hire. It's great to be 'on the books' at two different airports so I have a choice. I enjoy flying the Tecnam, and will continue to fly it from time to time, but it is much easier to organise flights when the field is only ten minutes drive away.
I have started the theory study for my cross-country endorsement. I'm really looking forward to exploring out beyond the local area.
