attempt to force a small (eg nosewheel) aircraft to land
(eg at an excessive airspeed) you may end up running
down the runway on the nosewheel (wheelbarrowing)
or more likely, you will start to bounce/porpoise. The
reason for this goes back to the lift equation - if speed
is excessive, your AOA (and thus your nose) will be
too low.
What to do? Well, one thing you can do is go low
flying. For the rest of your career, you will be lectured
that low flying is sinful, and you should not do it. So
you might as well get some low flying in pre-solo,
when someone else is PIC
Set up an approach, but have no intention (or
psychological pressure) to land. Even though
COPA claims it's an airshow, have fun (remember,
you're not PIC - the instructor is).
Have your instructor call out altitude as you fly
low over the runway. This is an important
skill to develop. Do this a few times until you
get bored.
Next time around, set up for your low pass over
the runway, paying attention to your airspeed -
try to get it down to a normal approach speed.
It helps if the runway is really long. Right now,
where you touch down is not important. Work
on that later.
Anyways, set up for a low pass down the runway
at your normal approach speed. If you can get
it down to a foot or so, and can keep it there,
have your instructor pull all the power off, and
try to stop the aircraft from landing.
Yes, you DON'T land the aircraft. You try to
stop it from landing! You do this by pulling
gradually farther and farther back on the
yoke or stick, gradually increasing the angle
of attack as required to try to maintain lift
as speed decreases.
Of course, will power off, at some point
you simply won't be able to develop enough
lift to keep the airplane in the air, and it
will settle down nicely, on the mains first
in a nosewheel aircraft, and 3-point in a
tailwheel aircraft.
I should mention that every landing in
a nosewheel aircraft should be MAINS FIRST.
NEVER, EVER touch down on the nosewheel
first, and I strongly frown upon landing on
all 3 tires in a nosewheel aircraft, even though
that is a very common style.
Keep some daylight between the nosewheel
tire and the runway when you initially touch
down. It doesn't need to be much - a sixteenth
of an inch will do. As you slow down, the yoke
or stick comes all the way back, and all the
way over into any crosswind.
Main thing is to HAVE FUN! I cannot emphasize
this enough:
Have confidence in your ability to eventually
master landing an aircraft. A lot of people a
lot stupider than you have.
