First Maule

[Kirk]

There is no prohibition against slipping with flaps, so it is legal and in the Maule, seems reasonable. Cessnas had some sort of handling problem there, so that is where the don't slip with flaps frame of mind comes from.

That being said, I don't resort to slipping with flaps very often. It makes for a lot of buffetting of the airframe, flaps and wings; takes a LOT of pressure on the rudder and doesn't result in a much steeper approach. It's a fairly small rudder trying to overcome a very large vertical stabilizer.

With my M5-235C, I get better result by slowing up considerably. It feels strange at first as the speed bleeds off and you keep going higher than your desired glide path, but then once you get to 1.2 Vso and below, it really starts coming down. Just be ready to arrest that high sink rate by dropping the nose to regain speed and probably adding a shot of power.

Play with the low speed regime a bit at altitude and get the feel of it, then work progressively lower.

<just>
Kirk

[marymac]

Here is my 2 cents... Read "The Compleat Taildragger Pilot" to help you form a picture of what is really happening as you move through the air and attempt to reconnect with the ground gracefully. Really work to understand the concepts. Establish a very steady airspeed (60) before you turn base if you have to and KEEP IT. Be very patient and avoid driving the airplane into the ground. Keep it straight and your feet ALIVE all the way down final. Keep the yoke all the way back after touchdown. If you have the opportunity, practice on grass as it is very forgiving of sideways drift. A little "plop" is ok as long as you keep it under control. Aileron into the wind does wonders Greasing it happens, but certainly do not count on it. Oh yes, and HAVE FUN!

All this is very fresh in my mind.. I am not the best pilot, but I do have the luxury of having the best teacher.
(Thank you Jeremy)

[YELLOWMAULE]

Mary does have one distinct advantage over us and that is she's got it fresh in her mind! It gets me to thinking I really could use a little instructor time beyond the BFR if only that it permits a fresh perspective, getting out of the routine so to speak.
Slips; I use them a lot. Of course, the M-4's have a certain advantage. More rudder authority and smaller vertical stabilizer. There is no difficulty with blanketing the tail like the Cessnas. (If it doesn't kill you, it'll scare the Hell out of you! ) I find that with real narrow strips, the slip works well to maintain a good forward view of things. The nose high, slow approach is another tool but I find that if there's a possibility of gusts, I lean towards the slip.
Scouting this weekend, we pioneered a couple of strips on gravel bars and river deltas. We would have to land over 8-12' cottonwoods and roll out in 400-500'. Taking off, we would have more room but to maintain an eye on the "strip" I found it easier to slip it in.
Basically, they are all tools for us to use. There is no one way to do it. We're lucky in that these A/C allow for so many options.