As we approached Stampede reservoir we began our descent by decreasing power for a 500'/min rate of descent. Looking out over the distant airport we caught a glimpse of a tow plane pulling a glider, climbing out from runway 19. Turning to the east, it and the glider disappeared.
We turned a few degrees to the SSE to enter a left pattern for runway 1 at a 45 degree angle. Searching, searching for the tow plane and glider. Knowing their normal climb pattern would bring them back towards us, we needed to know where they were. Finally, well before our arrival into the pattern we saw them above and just to the East of us, no consequence to our intended path.
We were almost over the airport when I decided to turn onto the downwind leg, but of course, to early. Mistake number 1. When my instructor was finished with our position report she noticed we were 200' feet below our pattern altitude, oops. Mistake number 2. At that point my inexperience really showed.
I shouldn't be so hard on myself, it was just an introductory flight for jiminy crickets; but I had visions that all my time on the flight simulator would enable me to land that bird with no problems on the first try. Oh, well. I guess I'll have to spend more time in the real thing to reach the kind of proficiency I've achieved on the simulator. Such a problem!
So as we turned onto base, still to low, my eyes fixated on the tree tops below, instead of the intended runway. It was hard not to, they seemed so close. But yet with my fear of descending further we ended up to high on final. Mistake number 3. How did that happen? I wasn't ahead of the airplane, that's for sure.
So with the command from my instructor to reduce the throttle all the way. We both had the controls. Well, I had my hands and feet on them, but she was in control. As we came withing 10' of the runway (it seemed) I hear, "pull back, pull back, more, more...". Touchdown! On the center line even.
"Brake now?" I said.
"No, not yet." She replied
But in that instant my feet must have been on the brakes a little bit, because there was a harmonic shudder from the landing gear. Mistake number 4.
"This isn't right," she said, "we must have flat or something! Nope not this side, how 'bout yours?"
"No, this one's fine" I observed.
"Huh, that's weird. I wonder what..." as we slowed to ground maneuvering speed, "Let's turn left here and come to a complete stop and see if we can figure out what happened. (pause) Truckee traffic ####Foxtrot clear of runway 1, Truckee."
Nothing seemed wrong so we taxied on to the hanger area. Upon inspection of the tires and gear nothing was wrong.
After we put the Cessna 172N away in its home, we debriefed. That's when I confided that I had my feet in the wrong place on the rudder pedals and applied the brakes, subconsciously, when I asked if I should; which set up the shudder. "My bad". Lesson learned, I hope.
Next time we go up is this Tuesday. I promise pictures. I promise to eliminate at least one of these mistakes. It would be killer if I could eliminate all of them, but not applying the bakes on touchdown would be sufficient.
Till then...
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