So you think you have a low glide ratio!

COLIN LAMB wrote:
The January 2006 issue of AOPA Pilot has an article about a Pilatus PC-12
single engine turboprop. Beautiful airplane.

In the article is the following comment: "It's a great glider. ... the PC-12
has a 2.7-1 power off glide ratio at maximum gross weight - not bad at all
for a 9,920 pound airplane".

Just for reference, I calculated the glide ratio of the Schweizer 300C
helicopter I was flying and it is not far off from that, engine out. I
never could attain the calculated glide ratio with the helicopter, though.

I would never call anything with a 2.7-1 glide ratio as being great,
although it probably is better than the space shuttle.

Colin

Colin:

I've been thru the SIMCOM school on the PC12 and have about five
hundred hours in it. I'm guessing that should have read 12.7 to 1.
Because SIMCOM's program is designed for relatively low time pilots
with not a lot of exprience flying high performance birds, my sim
instructor was letting us shoot most of our approaches with the engine
shut down and the prop feathered. He was also a glider pilot and
understood energy management. By flying a bit fast and a dot and one
half high on the glide slope, (and holding on the landing gear until
DH), it was possible to make dead stick approaches. Non precision
approaches were a bit harder with no engine. Because the sim is
non-motion we also did akro in it, that is loops and rolls. All that
in sunny fla. in the dead of winter. Billy Hill, Zulu

Colin:

The article in AOPA talks about SIMCOM which is the only certified
PC-12 sim school in the US. Their program is designed for relatively
low time pilots transitioning into bigger and faster aircraft. When I
was there I had the good luck to have a sim instructor who was also a
glider pilot, so after getting the basics out of the way, we did most
of our approaches with the engine shut down and the prop feathered.
The glide ratio is about 12 to 1 and if you fly the approach at about
130 kts., stay about a dot and one half high on the glide slope and
hold off on the landing gear until DH, you can make a very nice dead
stick ILS. Non-precision approaches are a bit more difficult. Because
the sim is non motion, we did loops and rolls with it. All this in
sunny fla. in the dead of winter!
The PC-12 is one great aircraft! It runs with a KingAir 200 and will
land almost as short as a Cessna Caravan (which anything but a nice
aircraft.) I've got about 500 hours in one and miss flying it. The
company I was working for, a part 135 operator here in NM went out of
business.
Billy Hill, Zulu

I spent amost a week in sunny Fla. at PC-12 ground school which
included a goodly number of hours in the simulator which, as the
article in AOPA mentions is non-motion. The school is an extensive one
and is designed for low time pilots with little or no exprience in high
performance turbo props. My sim instructor was a glider pilot so we
spent most of the time shooting insturment approaches with the engine
shut down and the prop feathered. If you start the approach with a
little extra energy and stay about a dot and one half high on the glide
slope and then hold on the landing gear until DH, an engine out
approach is no problem. Non-precision approaches are a bit harder.
Because the sim is non-motion, we did loops and rolls with it.
I've got about 500 hours in the PC-12; it will run with a KingAir 200
and land almost as short as a Cessna Caravan. If the part 135 company
here in NM had not gone out of business, I would still be flying one.

Billy Hill, Zulu

Yes, the PC-12 has a 12 to 1 glide ratio and with the prop feathered
glides quite nicely. At least the simulator does. I spent a week in
sunny Fla. last winter going thru SIMCOM PC-12 school which is designed
for low time pilots with little or no turbo prop time. My sim
instructor was a glider pilot and so we spend most of our time shooting
insturment approaches with the engine shut off. One need only carry a
bit of extra airspeed, fly the glide slope a dot and one half high and
save the landing gear until reaching DH. Non-precision approaches are a
bit more difficult. You can also both loop and roll the sim. The
part135 company I was flying for here in NM went TU or I would still be
flying the Platapus. It will run with a KingAir 200 and land almost as
short as a Cessna Caravan and of course was made by folks who know
gliders.

Billy Hill, Zulu

The PC-12 does have a 12 to 1 glide ratio. I spent a week in sunny
Fla. during Dec. '04 going thru SIMCOM's PC-12 school. It's designed
for relatively low time pilots with little or no turbo time. My sim
instructor was a glider pilot who had me doing engine off instrument
approaches. You just carry a bit more airspeed, fly the glide slope a
dot and one half high and save the gear until reaching DH and its a
cake walk. Non-precision approaches are more difficult. The sim,
which is non motion can also be looped and rolled.
The Platapus will run with a KingAir 200 and land almost as short as a
Cessna Caravan, and if the Part 135 company I was working for had not
gone T.U. I would still be flying one.

Billy Hill, Zulu

The Boeing 707-300 is 19.5:1

I think my emergency parachute with 3.5:1 has a good glide ratio.

3/1 is not much better than a brick.

I think that the 3.5:1 of my emergency parachute is good!
Jim

I would guess that the glide ratio would be about 8 to 1?