Testing your glide. Are people doing this?

When I was a student, if we were practicing engine outs in the pattern,
we simply called it a "short approach." There was no details about
whether or not it was for engine out simulation or otherwise. And I had
one instructor that actually liked to do them quite a bit - after all,
unlike on a runway, if you practice an engine out over fields, you can't
REALLY be sure whether you would have made it...

And admittedly, while I have practiced a few engine outs (in fact I did
one in cruise this past Wed. - but not at an airport), reading this
thread makes me realize that I probably don't practice my manuevers
nearly enough... And not just engine outs, but stalls, steep turns,
etc...

I second the motion to thank Montblack!


BTW: I'm sorry I didn't reply to your last message on our Newspaper
Memories thread... I was out of town (installing stacker controls,
actually) and when I came back, it got archived off by my news server,
which definitely doesn't keep messages long enough!

"Jay Honeck" wrote in
news:4Wtmb.25865$HS4.93467@attbi_s01:

Folks should go out and practice this a bunch. Early in the morning
high above the airport, they should simulate a glide onto the runway,
to get a feel for the descent rate, speed, angle, etc. etc.

Now that we monitor Unicom at all hours, I can tell you that it is VERY
rare to hear someone practicing any "engine out" procedures over our
airport. Even though we have a very active bunch of flight instructors,
we almost never hear anyone announce this extremely important routine.

Now, perhaps they are taking students to a smaller, less busy airport
nearby -- but I doubt it. I think it's just one of those things that
new pilots do with their instructors over rural areas, and then rarely
practice again. And they almost never do it over an airport.

I know I haven't done the "engine out" routine for a looong time -- but
I plan to at our next opportunity. Thanks for the reminder, Montblack!