What reminds you to put the gear down?

[butchgilbert]

My personal reminder, or memory tick, is the airspeed going through 120mph, this should key something regardless of your position or configuration to put the gear down and complete "a" checklist, written or memorized. IMHO.

[rbridges]

what are the flap and gear speeds in the newer mooneys?  I have to drop gear to slow enough for flap speed.  

[mooneygirl]

The Ovation gear speed is 140 kts.  My screaming usually reminds Mitch

[aviatoreb]

Quote: mooneygirl

The Ovation gear speed is 140 kts.  My screaming usually reminds Mitch

[jnisley]

For me, I like to have most of my pre-landing checklist done before starting my approach (instrument or visual) such as weather, frequencies,  fuel, seat & belt adjustments, landing lights etc.

 

Once I enter traffic pattern or final approach fix I want it narrowed down to four things.

Boost pump

Undercarriage (gear)

Mixture

Prop

 

I try to continually remind myself that things will go BUMP (and grind) if I fail to lower my gear:(

[FloridaMan]

I had an IPC today. I forgot to pull the gear up when I went missed. The instructor kept saying, "are you forgetting anything?" I looked at my switches, my flaps, couldn't figure it out. After about five minutes, he pointed at the gear. Oops. I couldn't believe it and I see how people forget to drop them now. 

I am constantly playing with my johnson while in the pattern. The instructor said it concerned him that I grabbed it when I crossed the numbers to do the fingernail check -- possibly concerned that I would accidentally pull the gear up. I believe the previous owner is the one who told me to always grab the handle to make sure it's set when on final. 

[scottfromiowa]

Short final vs. across the numbers...I can understand his attention being peaked.

[danb35]

Quote: Antares

I am constantly playing with my johnson while in the pattern.

[1964-M20E]

GUMPS, BUMPS what ever works.  I figure that in my plane and most Mooney’s the gear is the most important.  Everything else will work itself out but the gear wont.  I was flying into SAV on a 350 heading a while back dodging thunderstorms on an instrument plan and there was heavy precipitation moving SE to SAV and ATC switched me from runway 19 to 10.  I was coming in hot to try and beat the rain and as I turn final I’m backing off on the throttle and slowing the plane down get it to gear speed and drop the gear.  Now I’m lined up on short final the north half of the airport cannot be seen and it is starting to rain on me.  All I can think of is getting on the ground and to the FBO before the sky opens up on the FBO.  When I am about 50 feet off the deck the thought about gear crosses my mind I add little power hold it off and double check that I have the gear down and locked several times.  The gear is down and locked and I continue my landing.  It is real easy to get out of your normal sequence with either traffic, ATC flying in the soup a passenger what ever.  I guess one last mental is the gear down check on short final got me worried.  I was busy during the approach and forgot that I had put the gear down.  Normally I do a gear check on downwind, base and final but I find myself doing it more often than that most of the time.

[rbridges]

Quote: danb35

TMI, TMI...

[DaV8or]

Quote: Antares

I had an IPC today. I forgot to pull the gear up when I went missed. The instructor kept saying, "are you forgetting anything?" I looked at my switches, my flaps, couldn't figure it out. After about five minutes, he pointed at the gear. Oops. I couldn't believe it and I see how people forget to drop them now.

[FloridaMan]

Quote: DaV8or

Thing is, there isn't a warning horn to put the gear up. If you're super busy, it's easy to forget. I've done it and I suspect lots of other pilots have too. Usually, the really poor climb performance reminds you... eventually.

[jetdriven]

For me its that scraping sound and that feeling you get when yo shoud touch the wheels on the runway but keep sinking.   Thats is what insurance is for, though.

[1964-M20E]

Quote: jetdriven

For me its that scraping sound and that feeling you get when yo shoud touch the wheels on the runway but keep sinking.   Thats is what insurance is for, though.

[jetdriven]

but it reminds me to put the gear handle down, and pull the MLG circuit breaker before leaving the aircraft.

[Epiphyte]

I've done it. It's the crappiest thing to walk away from, not to mention, one of the most embarrassing! Happened during a power off, 180deg precision approach, with a very qualified and long time instructor. This was after 3 or 4 touch and goes and at a neighboring airport.

The pattern was busy and we were chatting to a guy taking off. In our defense, gear horn was not working properly, not that it matters because folks gear up all the time with horns blaring.

Two things: you can pass judgement if you want, and whine about insurance rates, but when it happens to you, you're going to be shocked as hell. I was..........never thought I would do such a thing, and used to scoff at those who did.

Second, keep two checklists, one for yourself and one for your passenger. They should do two things for you...look for traffic and remind you to check the gear. This has worked well for me: also, the best cure for gear up landing is a previous gear up landing, but it's pretty rough medicine to swallow!

(Actually, passenger should do 3 things, the third; have a kick ass time! )

[marks]

I commuted from an island to the mainland to work for many years and accumulated about 450 landings a year.  Recently I went over a total of 10,000 landings and haven't forgotten yet to put down the gear.  For 15 years I flew a Beech that was much higher off the ground that my J.  It seems that I'm always trying to slow down the J to gear extension speed so it's hard to see how someone could forget, but as the plane settles so much closer to the ground than my Beech I feel that I'm about to land gear up!!  I'm always looking from the windshield to the little indicator at the top of the panel.  The checklist is in my head, but first slow down - then slow down to landing speed with the gear down.