Testing your glide. Are people doing this?

Whenever there is somebody holding on the apron, waiting for me to land when
I'm on downwind, I simulate an engine out. Generally these folk would have
plenty of time to takeoff ahead of me, but maybe they're students or just in
no real rush, but I hate to make them wait any longer than necessary. As
soon as I hear them call that they're going to wait for me to land, I pull
the power.

mike regish

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

mike regish wrote:

Whenever there is somebody holding on the apron, waiting for me to land when
I'm on downwind, I simulate an engine out. Generally these folk would have
plenty of time to takeoff ahead of me, but maybe they're students or just in
no real rush, but I hate to make them wait any longer than necessary. As
soon as I hear them call that they're going to wait for me to land, I pull
the power.

In my aircraft, this results in a faster approach. Is this the case with yours?

George Patterson
You can dress a hog in a tuxedo, but he still wants to roll in the mud.

Do you mean faster airspeed or faster pattern? Airspeed wise, from where I
usually do them on downwind, which is usually abeam the numbers (I know,
it's easy from there) I don't really need to trim to Vbg. I usually trim to
75 mph, which is my normal approach speed. There is no Vbg published for my
plane, but short wingers who have tested (or tried to) have figured Vbg is
somewhere between 75 and 85 mph. This seems about right to me. Since I'm
usually alone when I do these, I use the lower speed-75-so it works out to
about the same airspeed as a normal approach. Actually, when I'm alone after
burning off some fuel

As for time in the pattern, I usually end up losing a lot of altitude pretty
quickly in the turn folllowed by a pretty healthy slip all the way to the
ground, so my time in the pattern is greatly reduced. I will also, depending
on the wind, either land long so I can get right off the runway at the last
taxiway or, if there is enough wind that I don't have to lay on the brakes
too heavy, land short so I can get off the first taxiway.

mike regish

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote in message
...


mike regish wrote:

Whenever there is somebody holding on the apron, waiting for me to land
when
I'm on downwind, I simulate an engine out. Generally these folk would
have
plenty of time to takeoff ahead of me, but maybe they're students or
just in
no real rush, but I hate to make them wait any longer than necessary. As
soon as I hear them call that they're going to wait for me to land, I
pull
the power.

In my aircraft, this results in a faster approach. Is this the case with
yours?

George Patterson
You can dress a hog in a tuxedo, but he still wants to roll in the
mud.

Are people getting book numbers, in their planes,
when they go up and practice real world glides - from say 6k down to 3k?

Be careful up there! I fly at 2900 feet.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

Good thing to do after you have verified your glide (I found the book
numbers on my 172 quite close) is to go to your typical altitude and pick
out a landmark and appropriate distance away. Hold your arm out, put the
tip of your thumb on the horizon, and note where the landmark falls. With
some correction for wind, you now know that you can glide to anything within
that radius.

--
Roger Long

Good thing to do after you have verified your glide (I found the book
numbers on my 172 quite close) is to go to your typical altitude and pick
out a landmark and appropriate distance away. Hold your arm out, put the
tip of your thumb on the horizon, and note where the landmark falls. With
some correction for wind, you now know that you can glide to anything
within
that radius.

Well, Roger, on a flight to Pella, IA (yep, home of the window manufacturer)
today, I practiced some slow flight and turns around a point, for the first
time in ages.

Not only was it educational for myself and my two young passengers (my son
and his school buddy), but it was fun, too. We were able to do several
turns around a huge fire out in rural Iowa, which gave the kids something to
oooh and aaah about. Seeing a dozen fire trucks from the air is always a
good thing for a couple of 13 year old boys to yack about at school
tomorrow... ;-)

Thanks for the reminder that all of our flights shouldn't be
"droning-to-brunch" flights...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Montblack"

I wonder how much better (than the made up safety number 5:1) people will
see up at 6,000 ft AGL. Are people getting book numbers, in their planes,
when they go up and practice real world glides - from say 6k down to 3k?


"Real world" is with the engine out. Prop stopped or creating drag by
windmilling. (Little low? Just use a slightly more aggressive engine
warming.)Which makes me wonder: What if someone, trying this (and it
doesn't sound completely crazy), couldn't restart the engine? (And had a
less than perfect landing...) Is it just the same as a glider making an off
field landing accident?

le moo

Happy Dog wrote:

What if someone, trying this (and it
doesn't sound completely crazy), couldn't restart the engine? (And had a
less than perfect landing...) Is it just the same as a glider making an off
field landing accident?

No. It gets you a suspension for reckless operation of an aircraft. If you
survive.

Oh. By the way. To me, this does sound completely crazy. IMO, someone trying
this should get a revocation, not a suspension.

George Patterson
You can dress a hog in a tuxedo, but he still wants to roll in the mud.

In rec.aviation.owning Happy Dog wrote:
: "Real world" is with the engine out. Prop stopped or creating drag by
: windmilling.

... as was done on my 4th lesson for my PPL with my instructor.
Not only stopped the engine, but made me slow down to actually stop the
prop. Freaked me out, but he said it was to "prove the airplane doesn't
stop flying when the engine quits." Of course I knew that already, but it
was cool nonetheless. Very (ominously) quiet, too.

-Cory



--
************************************************** ***********************
* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************

... as was done on my 4th lesson for my PPL with my instructor.
Not only stopped the engine, but made me slow down to actually stop the
prop.

There is always controversy about how realistic to make emergency training.
I think the risk of doing this training outweighs the benefit.

Engine out and windmilling (low pitch if CS) - yes. Stopping the prop - no.

- Mark