Practice Engine-Out Landings

The other night, when we were working the pattern as an excuse to watch the
sunset from 1000 AGL, it dawned on me that I hadn't practiced any emergency
procedures since my last biennial. I like to do these things once in a
while, in an effort to remain sharp, and now seemed like a good time.

With the kids in the back, and Mary to my right, I asked if anyone wanted to
see a practice "engine-out" emergency landing -- to which my bored kids
shouted "Sure!"

So, I reached over and chopped the throttle, and announced my intentions on
Unicom. The winds were calm and the pattern was empty, so we immediately
started downhill, and I made the required immediate turn toward the
airport...

I was on mid-field downwind for Rwy 07, but it soon became apparent that our
Cherokee 235 was living up to it's reputation for being a "gliding anvil" --
we weren't *ever* going to make it all the way around. With Runway 12
falling beneath me, I announced our intention of switching runways, and
started an immediate turn onto final for Rwy 12...

Now high, I had to put a smidge of a slip, and drop that third notch of
flaps -- but not too soon! Had to make sure I had the runway made, and
then dumped that third notch....

With the runway coming up at remarkable speed, I flared and put her down
just past the numbers -- arriving like the proverbial load of sand. It was
a perfect "3-point landing" -- except you don't *ever* want to land that
nose-heavy 6-cylinder on the nosewheel!

The kids exclaimed "that was worse than Mom's landing!" (which earned them
both "the Mom Look", instantly sun-burning the sides of both of their
faces), and I was glad that Mr. Piper had built some fudge-factor into that
landing gear... Gotta remember to pull harder next time, for sure...

Of course, it turned out that a group of the usual airport bums were
watching, and had to drop by the hangar to congratulate me on my landing
prowess. (They would hear NOTHING of my lame "power off landing" excuses,
naturally... :-)

Great fun, good practice, and it sure reinforced the reason we land our
Pathfinder with a smidge of power at touchdown...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I just did a bunch of these with my recent BFR on the Arrow - like a
brick. The only positive thing you can say about these glide
characteristics is that it makes it easy to avoid wake turbulence by
staying well above a normal glidepath.

I just did a bunch of these with my recent BFR on the Arrow - like a
brick. The only positive thing you can say about these glide
characteristics is that it makes it easy to avoid wake turbulence by
staying well above a normal glidepath.

The really amazing thing is that many other planes have *worse* glide
characteristics than our Cherokees.

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.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:xJTye.138628$xm3.92446@attbi_s21...
I just did a bunch of these with my recent BFR on the Arrow - like a
brick. The only positive thing you can say about these glide
characteristics is that it makes it easy to avoid wake turbulence by
staying well above a normal glidepath.

The really amazing thing is that many other planes have *worse* glide
characteristics than our Cherokees.

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.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"


Actually thats backward. Faster planes generally have much better glide
ratios than slower ones. A 747 has a much better glide ration than your
Cherokee and it also has 10X the wingloading. Glide ratio is a drag
problem. You start with a certain amount of potential energy and it is
consumed by drag.

Mike
MU-2

Piper builds the big indians nose heavy and skimps on elevator
authority.... Fat Albert is the same way... Flying solo with full fuel,
a forward limit CG condition in an Apache, either power or speed is
needed to flare it at all... But load the back seats and/or the baggage
compartment enough so the CG is somewhere to the South and he is a
different critter... Then the nose comes up enthusiastically and a
light touch is needed; compared to the usual 'grab yoke with both
hands, hollar yeehaaawww, and pull'... That fat piper wing will lift
like a homesick angel, but you gotta be able to get the nose up...

Try an experiment today... Use the POH to determine how load the CG to
near the rear limit and go fly (solo)... Bring it over the numbers with
the usual smidgen of power until the wheels are ~6 inches up, then cut
the power and simply refuse to let it sink - just keep raising the nose
as your butt tells you it's sinking... You will be amused at how high
the nose is pointed into the sky before the wing finally gives up
flying...

denny

Next time, for a more challenging approach, try the engine out spiral to
land from several thousand feet over the field, attempting to set yourself
up at one of the key positions at the proper altitude for a "near as
possible" normal final approach to landing. Also knowing exactly the proper
amount of nose up trim to dial in to achieve your best glide speed should
help you with your flare to landing. That best L/D speed should leave you
with ample control authority to flair.

Another maneuver that is fun is the commercial maneuver of a 180 degree
power off landing initiated abeam the numbers and landing not short, but
within 200 feet of your landing spot. With practice these can become
extremely fun and accurate. Speed control and position "tweaking" are the
keys.

One trick to use, if needed, when you find yourself just a little short but
still in a safe position, is to pull the prop into high pitch, low rpm.
This will decrease your drag and extend your glide just a tad.

Of course remember to cool your engine before chopping the power to prevent
or minimize shock cooling.

Have fun!!

Jim

Jay, friends don't let friends get in widow makers like the two you
mentioned...

denny

Glide ratio is a drag
problem. You start with a certain amount of potential energy and it is
consumed by drag.

No, it's a lift problem (also). A rocket has very little drag, and the
glide ratio of a brick.

Jose
--
You may not get what you pay for, but you sure as hell pay for what you get.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Of course remember to cool your engine before chopping the power to
prevent
or minimize shock cooling.

Hey -- let's start a new endless thread!

Can you shock-cool an engine in summer?

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

In a glide lift=weight and the production of that lift causes some amount
of induced drag. Again faster airplanes are going to have less total drag,
both induced and parasitic than slower airplanes. I don't have numbers
handy but a Bonanza or Mooney (or Baron) is going to glide better than an
Arrow.

Mike
MU-2


"Jose" wrote in message
. ..
Glide ratio is a drag problem. You start with a certain amount of
potential energy and it is consumed by drag.

No, it's a lift problem (also). A rocket has very little drag, and the
glide ratio of a brick.

Jose
--
You may not get what you pay for, but you sure as hell pay for what you
get.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.