gatt wrote in
news:T-Sdnb-eo8vLtIzVnZ2dnUVZ_tWtnZ2d@integraonline:

Buttman wrote:
On Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:05:06 +0200, Stefan sayeth:

Brian schrieb:

Your right in that many aircraft it is possible. But the problem is
it isn't possible for many pilots when the engine quits. It is not
a maneuver that is routinly practiced.
Now this problem could be solved.

You're suggesting instructors practice engine failures with their
students on takeoff? Oh boy, better hope Dudly doesn't see this...

One way to practice this would be to establish a "runway altitude" at,
say, 1000ft AGL, get the airplane into takeoff configuration on
heading at that altitude over a road or something, simulate a failure
at a specified altitude--say, 1,500 feet--and see what altitude you're
at when you get back to your reciprocal heading. If it's above your
starting altitude, you made it.

Wind, density altitude and aircraft weight are significant variables.

Of course, a proficient pilot will have considered all these variables
as well as the terrain downrange before takeoff, so they already know
what they will do if the engine quits at a specific altitude. On
probably as many checkrides and flight reviews as not, the instructor
has asked me what I will do if I lose power on takeoff so I already
know
where there transmission lines are, about how far it is to the lake,
etc.

-c


More importantly, perhaps, is the fact that if you make nice gentle
turns in an average lightplane, you simply won't make it. You have to
make the turn at a very high angle of bank to have even a hope of making
it in time. If you make it at say, 30 deg of bank at about 65 you're
going to lose the guts of 800 feet just manuevering to line up with the
runway if you fly the airplane accurately. You're going to be very low
at the end of this manuever to say the least. The best way to do it is
with a steep bank. Very steep. This will, of course, mean a high sink
rate, but the time required to make the turn will be cut drastically and
you'll be closer to the centerline when you've come about, so less time
and alt wasted trying to get lined up. To do this you must be absolutely
completely comfortable doing a steep power off turn at a reltively low
airspeed when you do it. Not imagining you can do it based on experience
doing steep turns with the power on, you have to be able to
simultaneously offload the wing at a rate that won't get the nose too
low as to get an excessive alt loss and make this drastic turn at the
same time without stalling. All this while your brain has become akin to
that of a lizard looking a rather big snake. IOW, you have to have
practiced this and other aerobatic manuevers so that they are second
nature. It can be done and it can be done in almost any airplane, but it
requires a lot of practice, experience, careful planning and a lot of
luck. Better to go straight ahead if you can.


Bertie