I've got a private pilot license and learned on a Scheibe Falke SF25. For the last year however I've only been flying a C42 Ultralight.
I find flying the UL way easier for one particular reason: it has flaps where the Falke has just airbrakes.
I don't know how many hundred landings on the Falke I have done, still I have never felt comfortable. The reason is the airbrake. For some reason it scares me. With the UL I set the speed, lower the flaps and if I'm too far away I can add a little power. The flaps lower the stall speed and make the plane slower.
The airbrakes also make the plane slower, however they increase the stall speed. I see how (especially flight instructors) pull the air brake to the maximum and then do their approach. If I'm too far away with the Falke, I have to retract the air brakes. This affects the plane very directly, especially compared to adding a little power on the UL.
My questions are:
- How to correctly land a plane with airbrakes? Full out or just a bit? Do you leave them in one position or do you vary during approach?
- How much do they really affect stall speed?