Landing difficulties in a Cessna 172N
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TLDR landing hard, but this plane felt... Off. Wasn't sure if it was just new trainiers mishaps or the thermals where really aggressive or what
For reference, this was at an airport with an altitude of 200, freshly resurfaced RW36, with a dentist altitude of 1800 ft. Around 3 pm local time with temps at 85 farenheit, 30.09 for pressures, and winds running around variable to 320 degrees at 7 knots. Temps and pressures being about 60 degrees farenheit and 30.01 for a pressure. The plane was a 1977-1980 Cessna 172N which looked a bit on the medium to slightly neglected side and could have possibly been serviced a little better but still acceptable from an automotive mechanics side of things, save for a bald spot on the co pilots wheel that was not thread barren. I myself am starting out as a pilot, but only running about 3 flights with each bring about 30 minutes to an hour each, and today was the first time for landings and operating in the midday to afternoon.
The actual problem seemed to arise when on finalfor the circuit. Though it's easy to chalk it up to 'beginners mishaps,' it was alarming enough that as a military veteran, avid adventure motorcyclist, and paramedic; that it had spooked me and had sent me into shakes and anxiety for the rest of the flight.
Turning from Base to final, we would start a slight bit high. From our position at 1.5 miles away from 36, we where about 800-900ft high (with runway altitude being approx 200 feet) and the PAPI would show full white for each approach onto final. While workig with transition from 2nd notch flaps to full flaps, we where working approx 70kias to 60, sometimes even 55 given my tendacy to slow our descent on accident.
1 mile out and now about 600 ft in altimeter, the plane seemed to start violently fluttering, constantly being pushed in every direction and while yawing and pitching all the while. At times, it felt that the plane had issues and had to be handled more akin to sumo wrestling rather than using the gentle and soft hands akin to riding a horse. Never where we stable in our approach, as their was never a way to direct smoothly....only roughly each time.
Coming toland and working ourselves into the glide pathb with some slight variation between 2 and 3 whites on the papi, it was commonplace for the plane to be fishtailing as we where 200 feet AGL. Only once getting to ground effect did we get any sense of normalcy, with us needing to angle to the left in order to continue straight at about the 11 oclock angling. However, new to this, the aircraft was common to lurch and rotate, feeling to tilt before settling onto all three castors... Which, felt like their was no authority over when using solely the rudder at landing speed. This happened many times over where the landing was harsh; never a bounce, never porpoising but always a good bit of instability with never the aim you truly commanded. I did happen to catch that this plane had elevator trim that aimed to the right, but it did little to alleviate this and could have contributed to fighting the controls while taking off from a touch and go.
Compared from a newer 1998 Cessna 172S, this aircraft felt night and day. No constant fighting, no constant pressure, nothing. Fairly easy times. I'm primarily looking for advice and for second opinions on if this is the normal, or if it's abnormal the way it was. If more data is needed, please do reach out. The flight instructor was calm and a accomodating, but a bit 'buddy buddy relaxed,' which, I wasn't exactly certain if this could have been an issue either.