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Old February 24th 09, 07:35 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Herbert Paulis
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Posts: 2
Default Sad day for Mxsmanic


"Mxsmanic" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
Mike Ash writes:

The bit in the article where he talks about a simmer being asked to land
a passenger plane after the pilots have been debilitated is pretty
funny. Absolutely no mention whatsoever of the difficulty or
improbability of actually pulling off such a feat. It is simply assumed
that it could be done.


It can easily be done.

[snip further brabble]


For what it is worth, I have taken a go in an A320 simulator (I have a
PPL/IFR license for 8 years now) some time ago. Expensive pleasure but well
worth the experience. I have indeed tried to hand land it w/o autopilot
because I wanted to experience the difference in controls (I usually fly a
172 Rocket).

It actually took me three tries to get the damn thing to the ground safely.
The problem was neither tracking the glide slope nor fiddling around with
the speed control, these were pretty simple actually. But I could not so
easily get the flaring scheme out of my head which made me land the bird on
its nose wheel twice as I flared well too late. You have to flare the
******* at an altitude where I do not yet spend a single thought on flaring
in my Cessna.

But, and that's the actual point, while I was busy keeping the bird on track
the FI who was acompanying the situation did actually push a whole lot of
switches which seemingly were necessary also to land safely. And once I got
her to the ground safely I was actually surprised how difficult it was to
keep her on the RWY during the landing run. Can someone with no or FS
experience only do it safely? From the experience I doubt it ...

Just my 2 cents.

Herbert