How to make a good approach and landing with the V35B?

[Simicro]

Hi all,

I scanned the 6 pages of this forum and apparently, except an Instrument Approach Procedure thread, there has been no discussion yet on making a good approach and landing with the Bo.

I also read the BPPP Instructor Standards Manual (American Bonanza Society) which link has been given by a mate on this forum. However I am a bit confused because it's for several Beechcraft aircrafts.

I am currently transitioning from the A2A C172 to the Bonanza.

On the C172, I can now do a stable and nice approach and landing. Once everything is set (power, trim, pitch...) I can let the plane fly by itself to the runway.

On the Bonanza, it is quite different. I can land but not nicely. During the approach I constantly "fight" the plane with stick, trim, power... which obviously is not good.

I would be much interested to get some advices and "no-brainer" tips that would work in most cases, for a "normal" approach and landing, with clear weather.

[Paughco]

I recommend that you look at the approach/landing speeds in the Shift+2 panel, then fly up to about 3,500 feet or so and practice slowing the airplane down to those speeds. If I'm interpreting the manual correctly, you can lower 10 degree flaps and/or the gear anywhere in the green arc on the ASI. First thing I tried was 10 deg flaps, then lowered the gear. I pulled the power back and trimmed the airplane for hands off flight at 90 mph, then again at 80 mph. I lowered full flaps once the airspeed was in the white arc. I fooled around with this slow speed stuff for about a half hour. Then I tried a landing approach at my home field, Arlington (KAWO). A few laps around the pattern and I had it down. Now she's a pussycat.

All this practice came in very hand last Sunday when we were doing that around-the-mountain approach into Atlanta, Idaho (55S)!

Seeya
ATB

[Simicro]

Thanks Paughco, I will try that!

[DHenriques_]

There is really nothing unusual or special about landing a Bonanza that differs all that much from landing other aircraft of the same category.
Each plane will of course have it's small differences but the basic landing concepts apply equally to one and all.
Basically speaking, if you read the manual carefully and apply basic landing concepts that apply to any complex single engine low wing GA aircraft you should have no trouble at all landing the Bonanza.
Dudley Henriques

[Simicro]

Hi Dudley,

Thank you. It's going better. I think what I was doing wrong is that I did not plan and anticipate enough the landing.
With more anticipation and a long final, I feel more comfortable, especially for slowing down the aircraft.

[Lufthansa 380]

Just go up to altitude and prictice slow flight (memorize the picture you see, the amount of trim you need and the general feel) - once you master slow flight you'll master your landings.

[Simicro]

Hello Lufthansa 380,

Thanks for that straight to the point and valuable tip, I will train accordingly!

[JerseySeven]

I hope this is not hijacking as it seems related.

With approach mode active, does the Bonanza autopilot follow the glidescope or just the localizer? I was on an ILS approach and it followed the localizer beautifully, but was not descending on centered glidescope. I turned off altitude mode but it still would not descend. I tried arming the autopilot altitude to zero feet and my altitude still stayed constant at 3500 as if I still had altitude hold engaged. I had to disengage the autopilot completely to descend - but it was a wild approach as there was a gusting crosswind.

Any help from those of you more experience with the autopilot in the V35B would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: Tried a few approaches at different airports with more stable weather. Yes it does capture the glidescope nicely. I'm not sure why it did not in my maiden flight. But then, I was still learning the differences in the Bonanza avionics. That first flight, though, Active Sky was giving me a very turbulent ride the whole time in the air.

Best regards,
J

[Dogsbody55]

One thing I've noticed in the Bonanza is that lowering the gear causes the nose to drop quite a lot, so you need to wind in a lot of nose up trim at lower speeds. I typically approach at 85 to 90KIAS, with the trim at about 7 degrees nose up, begin the flair at 80KIAS still with a little power on, then cut the power once settled just above the runway and hold off as long as possible.

This nose down trim change is much greater than any trim change in the Comanche caused by lowering the gear. However, with the gear up, I think the trim changes required in the Bonanza are a lot less than all of the other A2A GA fleet. In that respect, it's a lot more like the Spitfire, which seems to require very little trim changes during flight, regardless of changes of speed. This accords with all that I've read of the Spitfire and leaves me in no doubt that A2A always get the flight dynamics right.


Cheers,
Mike