Diamond DA40 Flying Lessons-Common MIstakes

[@PH-GUS]

Just wanted to say: really nice video! Starting this week on the DA40, very useful tips! Thanks.

[@diamondstarpilot]

Best of luck!

[@kenmichaels1842]

Very nice…articulate & accurate. This helps me become a better DA40 driver, for sure

[@Tyler_Bailey]

You should come put on s seminar at Blue Line Aviation in Smithfield NC. Students fly the DA 40NG and DA 42. Your videos are super helpful

[@diamondstarpilot]

That would be cool!

[@ritik2028]

cant wait to train on this beauty

[@maximus13234]

Very good educational video, thank you for sharing this highly appreciated!

[@diamondstarpilot]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sknokaze]

Nah, my instructor lectured me a lot about that I should be touch down on 1000ft marker. But I gotta say DA40 floats easily during flaring. Damn hard to get that feeling about "butt stuff".

[@jorgeetrevino6790]

As always excellent tipis

[@kaasmeester5903]

As a student in a DA40D, I can relate to the pedal lag, and had the same experience (but less pronounced) during taxi when steering with the brakes... I guess it's one of those eye-hand things (or feet in this case) that got better quickly with practice. Though I had the advantage of not being used to another type of aircraft. I didn't notice the plane getting stuck in buffets when doing a stall by the numbers (keeping the same nose-up pitch), but that was with flaps up. Would that make a difference compared to the same exercise with flaps set to landing?

[@diamondstarpilot]

I have found that when I keep flaps up (power on stall), there is much less buffeting so, that may be part of it. Also, it also depends on the attitude you are holding. If you establish a steep enough pitch up initially, you shouldn't have a problem. My experience has been with pilots holding a fairly low nose up attitude.

[@nunyabidness3075]

I’m not so sure there is pedal lag in the DA 40. It’s been awhile since I was in one, but I think the problem is the rudder is normal. The stick OTOH is sensitive. In comparison to other planes, like the skyhawk where all the controls are mushy, this leads to a seeming imbalance you just have to learn. Mooneys have a similar issue with sensitive roll and very sensitive pitch. The roll ends up feeling perfect. The bottom line is that the Skyhawk, which was a great design for its time, is defined as the norm just because. Everything then gets described relative to it. The reality is it’s an obsolete design that ought no longer to be sold. It is not up to modern standards.

[@rolexpepsipilot]

A really great video, I've not trained on the DA40 but an aircraft I'd like to fly on.

[@ChrisWinnPortland]

Nice video. What about power on stall tips or a video in the DA40? I’m training in an NG and would love to see how you do it

[@diamondstarpilot]

Do you subscribe to my channel DiamondStar Pilot? The entire channel is devoted to flying the DA40.

[@ChrisWinnPortland]

I do 👍. Although I don’t recall seeing a power on stall video 🤔

[@ChrisWinnPortland]

Okay I see you did one on power ons when I was on vacation 😮 thanks for great videos

[@PaulGarthAviation]

1:52 - Could that be because of not enough right rudder on takeoff? I remember a left wing drop (mind you, in cruise) was resolved with a tap of right rudder.

[@diamondstarpilot]

Possibly. I think the other culprit may be controlling the stick with the left hand for the first time may have some bias to pull a bit to the left while pulling back. Whatever the cause, it happens consistently until they get a few repetitions.

[@AbhishekS-cx6dd]

Dont u rich the mixture as well with fuel pump on ??

[@diamondstarpilot]

My understanding is that there is very little impact on the fuel mixture when the auxiliary fuel pump is turned on. The mixture knob provides fuel metering despite the source of the fuel pressure (engine driven or electric fuel pump).

[@AbhishekS-cx6dd]

@@diamondstarpilot got it !! May be it's my flight school requirement to use for better side. BTW thanks for answering

[@josephlevin3546]

Was wondering if the plane is down for long periods waiting for parts. We seem to have that issue in south jersey

[@diamondstarpilot]

Generally not. Sometimes Diamond specific parts ordered from the factory can take a while. It pays to have a good relationship with a Diamond service center. They get priority on factory parts and therefore can get them faster than a random A&P.

[@PeterNGloor]

Full prop? I haven't found a prop lever yet in my Microsoft simulator on this model. Have always been wondering how the prop can be controlled if it is not by Fadec.

[@diamondstarpilot]

Some DA40s have a fixed pitch prop. Perhaps these are the models in MSFS.

[@bndahi8251]

the DA-40 in the sim is the NG model with the FADEC AE-300. this version is the XLT with the i0-360-M1A. its the traditional three lever setup

[@yellowtwig]

What about the mixture during the stall exercise?

[@diamondstarpilot]

I leave the mixture at the correct setting for the altitude. I don't see any need to force feed more fuel to the engine because your are doing a maneuver.

[@Flytrev]

🎉

[@captainmsfs7055]

Used too much of the runway on landing.

[@alk672]

Great video, but I must say I disagree. It is my strong belief that the most common mistake students who train in a DA40 make is training in a DA40. Why would you want to waste all that extra money when you could just get the same license in a cheaper plane... makes no sense.

[@diamondstarpilot]

At my flight school, the DA40 is not much more expensive than their PA28 or 172 aircraft. For the small bit of extra cash you get a G1000, a much newer aircraft, TAA time and (in my view) a superior handling aircraft. I am clearly a bit biased but, I think once you go DA40 you'll never go back.

[@alk672]

Exactly, it's difficult to go back, so if you have to go back - you're down a lot of money and now you need more time and money to go back. So what's the point? The only scenario where it makes sense I can think of is if you somehow know you'll be flying Diamonds once you've graduated, then MAYBE the added cost makes sense.

[@nunyabidness3075]

1. So at your interviews you can point out that for a little more money you used a plane that was twice as safe and a more consistent training environment. 2. Not all pilots are just there to get a ticket for a job. If you are learning to fly for the love of flying, then why not spend a little more money to enjoy your flight? The majority of students who rent Skyhawks and Archers never finish training, and thus do not become renters or buyers of aircraft. 3. If your school is using a Diamond for the twin rating. There’s likely more reasons, but the fact it’s nicer to fly in and you are half as likely to have an incident or fatal incident seems like justification enough.

[@alk672]

@@nunyabidness3075half as likely to have an incident or fatal incident? Where is that coming from?

[@nunyabidness3075]

@@alk672 Fatality and incidents per 100,000 hours studies. IIRC, the studies generally find the Skyhawk is the traditional winner by a small margin over the Archer and equivalents, until about 20 years ago when the DA40 and DA20 started destroying the rest of the competition. Since then, the US government and many other groups have mysteriously spent less funding on these studies, but they still get done. Now, the Diamond singles have been running in the range of .3 to .5 fatalities per 100,000 versus the Cessna doing 1 to 1.2. Over the last 15 years, Cirrus has vastly improved its numbers with additional training and a bit of changes to the wing and ailerons. Also, getting SR22’s into training fleets helps because training flights are traditionally safer than others. The crashworthiness and low speed handling of the 20 and 40 combined with modern and sensible safety improvements add up a lot.