"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:xJTye.138628$xm3.92446@attbi_s21...
The really amazing thing is that many other planes have *worse* glide
characteristics than our Cherokees.

Yup. In my Lake Renegade, if you are abeam the runway pavement, and if you
*turn immediately* to the runway (forget base and final), you can make the
pavement. Otherwise, you won't.

On top of that, the flare happens very quickly, because of the rapid rate of
descent. You can increase the airspeed to give you more time for the flare,
but that of course steepens your descent angle even more.

I've got a friend with a Swearingen SX-300, which is basically a rocket,
with stubby little wings. He says when you chop the throttle you are
landing NOW, coming down at something like 3000 fpm.

Another friend just finished building his Glasair III, and he says his
isn't much better. That's the price you pay for all that speed, I guess.

Heh. Speed. I wish.

Pete