On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 22:40:33 -0700, "Jay Beckman"
wrote:

"vincent p. norris" wrote in message
.. .
I typically pull the throttle all the way back to idle about 1/4 mile
out, Cessna 172.

I suggest that you should not be on final 1/4 mile out. Fly the
pattern so you can make the runway from any point on downwind, base,
or final, if the engine quits.

vince norris

Doesn't 500' AGL at 1/4 mile equal a 3 degree glideslope?
(6076 / 4) / 500 = 3.038

Methinks you forgot to apply the appropriate trigonometric function.
What you should have done is: glideslope angle = arctan(rise/run). In
this case that would be: glideslope angle = arctan(500/1500) = 18.4
degrees. Pretty steep. ;-)

Working it the other way, for a 3 degree glideslope, at 500 ft you'd
still be 1.57 nm from the end of the runway. Unless you're flying a
glider, you need power to hold a 3 degree glideslope.

You don't think you'd hit pavement from 1/4 mile out at 500' AGL?

Do you consider 1/4 mile out turning base to final a "bomber pattern."

What I enjoy doing is flying downwind about 3/4 mile offset from the
runway and if "cleared to land" during the downwind, I go to idle
abeam the numbers and fly a circular arc to touchdown. No flaps
(don't have any) in an Extra 300L. Drops like a rock. Holding 90 kts
to the flare retains plenty of energy for the flare. I'd probably do
it differently in a 172. ;-)

Klein