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#1
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Commercial precision landings
I'm taking my 2nd stab at my commercial checkride in a couple days.
Last week, I got through the Oral exam fine. We first flew my instructor's Bonanza for the complex pattern work. Didn't do too bad on the soft-field stuff, but I sailed right past my short-field mark by about 300 feet. We then tried a short approach. Not even the 180 deg accuracy landing. Just make the runway. Well, after several laps of dropping the gear abeam the numbers, I did it again & came up well short of the runway. Pink slip. I've gone up with my instructor to work on both accuracy landings, but can't seem to hit them consistently. Any advice? Any examiners care to tell how much "fudge" factor they may allow if I'm a little short or long? If I am, can I request another try at it? I haven't even had the chance to demonstrate the airwork in my Cherokee yet (which I think will go much better). I'm hoping the DE will let me do that stuff first & save the complex for last. But, since the complex is what I failed the first time, I don't know if we have to complete that first. My CFI says I fly just fine, and I'm starting to feel more comfortable in the Bo (only 7 hours so far). I've got 160+ in the Cherokee & 450 total. I'm just psyching myself out over 2 little landings. Ugh. |
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Commercial precision landings
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#3
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Commercial precision landings
wrote My CFI says I fly just fine, and I'm starting to feel more comfortable in the Bo (only 7 hours so far). I've got 160+ in the Cherokee & 450 total. I'm just psyching myself out over 2 little landings. Ugh. I don't know what everyone else thinks, but that does not seem like very much time to transition into a Bo, to me. Perhaps your instructor rushed you to the test, a little bit. Nothing like practice. Good practice, that is. g -- Jim in NC |
#4
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Commercial precision landings
Lands are all about controlling speed, the right speed. 1.3
Vs(x) for the weight you're actually flying. You didn't say what model Bonanza, but an A36 can be 800 pounds under certificated GW, or 25% under. You must reduce your approach speed by the proper amount or you will float forever. Beech does publish excellent TO and Landing graphs with speed adjustments. You can fly a few knots, not more than 5, faster which will give you a steeper descent and then you can use the extra speed to slow down to get a better glide. If you are using best glide speed there is nothing you can do to improve your approach without adding power. You are likely flying too fast and too wide on downwind. You are also probably watching your gauges and airspeed as you configure the Bonanza for the approach, do it by sound and feel and watch the runway for relative motion (drift and glide path) and you should do fine. Remember, you will get a landing gear failure and it may come in the pattern with a simulated engine failure. Make sure you know the procedure and have checked during the pre-flight that the gear handle can be un-stowed [sometimes the spar cover is installed over the handle]. But also remember that it take 50 turns to get the gear down and you only have so much time. If he gives you a simulated engine failure and then the gear fails, exercise your judgment, tell him that in a real case you'd land gear up rather than risk a crash while trying to crank the gear. Then add power and go-around, crank the gear on downwind to show him you know how. Sometimes an examiner will give you a task to see if you have fixated on the checkride and not the safety of the flight. -- James H. Macklin ATP,CFI,A&P wrote in message oups.com... | I'm taking my 2nd stab at my commercial checkride in a couple days. | Last week, I got through the Oral exam fine. We first flew my | instructor's Bonanza for the complex pattern work. Didn't do too bad on | the soft-field stuff, but I sailed right past my short-field mark by | about 300 feet. We then tried a short approach. Not even the 180 deg | accuracy landing. Just make the runway. Well, after several laps of | dropping the gear abeam the numbers, I did it again & came up well | short of the runway. | Pink slip. | I've gone up with my instructor to work on both accuracy landings, but | can't seem to hit them consistently. Any advice? Any examiners care to | tell how much "fudge" factor they may allow if I'm a little short or | long? If I am, can I request another try at it? | I haven't even had the chance to demonstrate the airwork in my Cherokee | yet (which I think will go much better). I'm hoping the DE will let me | do that stuff first & save the complex for last. But, since the complex | is what I failed the first time, I don't know if we have to complete | that first. | My CFI says I fly just fine, and I'm starting to feel more comfortable | in the Bo (only 7 hours so far). I've got 160+ in the Cherokee & 450 | total. I'm just psyching myself out over 2 little landings. | Ugh. | |
#5
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Commercial precision landings
Jim Macklin wrote:
If he gives you a simulated engine failure and then the gear fails, exercise your judgment, tell him that in a real case you'd land gear up rather than risk a crash while trying to crank the gear. I don't know about you, Jim, but if I was working a real engine failure, I'm not sure I'd have the presense of mind to even notice if the gear down light came on or not :-) |
#6
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Commercial precision landings
Been there, you notice. You may ignore it, but you should
notice. "Roy Smith" wrote in message ... | Jim Macklin wrote: | If he gives you a simulated engine failure and then the gear fails, | exercise your judgment, tell him that in a real case you'd land gear | up rather than risk a crash while trying to crank the gear. | | I don't know about you, Jim, but if I was working a real engine | failure, I'm not sure I'd have the presense of mind to even notice if | the gear down light came on or not :-) |
#7
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Commercial precision landings
In article 4B6Fg.4479$SZ3.926@dukeread04,
"Jim Macklin" wrote: Lands are all about controlling speed, the right speed. 1.3 Vs(x) for the weight you're actually flying. Remember that Vsx gear down is about 15-20 mph slower than Vsx gear up. Look it up in the charts. You didn't say what model Bonanza, but an A36 can be 800 pounds under certificated GW, or 25% under. You must reduce your approach speed by the proper amount or you will float forever. Beech does publish excellent TO and Landing graphs with speed adjustments. Landing weight = w2 Max gross weight =w1 Stall speed landing weight, landing config = Vs1 Stall speed at max gross weight, landing config = Vs [sqrt (w2/w1)*Vs] = Vs1 You can fly a few knots, not more than 5, faster which will give you a steeper descent and then you can use the extra speed to slow down to get a better glide. If you are using best glide speed there is nothing you can do to improve your approach without adding power. You are likely flying too fast and too wide on downwind. You are also probably watching your gauges and airspeed as you configure the Bonanza for the approach, do it by sound and feel and watch the runway for relative motion (drift and glide path) and you should do fine. Remember, you will get a landing gear failure and it may come in the pattern with a simulated engine failure. Make sure you know the procedure and have checked during the pre-flight that the gear handle can be un-stowed [sometimes the spar cover is installed over the handle]. But also remember that it take 50 turns to get the gear down and you only have so much time. If he gives you a simulated engine failure and then the gear fails, exercise your judgment, tell him that in a real case you'd land gear up rather than risk a crash while trying to crank the gear. Then add power and go-around, crank the gear on downwind to show him you know how. Sometimes an examiner will give you a task to see if you have fixated on the checkride and not the safety of the flight. Jim, is there any speed that is best to fly when cranking the gear down by hand? |
#8
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Commercial precision landings
Roy Smith wrote:
I don't know about you, Jim, but if I was working a real engine failure, I'm not sure I'd have the presense of mind to even notice if the gear down light came on or not :-) Oh, you'll see it. You just won't care. G -- Mortimer Schnerd, RN mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com |
#9
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Commercial precision landings
As others have mentioned, speed control and a tight pattern. I'd rather be
high and tight, guaranteed to make the runway and allowing a slip as an option, low and wide doesn't leave you that option. Explaining your reasoning, as long as it's safe and correct, shows commercial knowledge. My commercial ride was the last ride that I was able to take with our local DE. He's a real parrot on checkrides and a great teacher. When we were about 5ft agl on the 180 degree power off spot landing, he asked if we'd make the designated touchdown spot. I responded confidently that we would because if we were short the ride would be over. Then he asked what options I had to extend the glide "just in case"... Prop I said, pull the prop and reduce the disc drag. "Ever done it?" he asks. "Nope" by that time his hand was already on the prop control and it was coming back. We floated an extra distance, I can't remember how far, but he laughed and said "See how that works? But think before you do it, you need oil pressure in a single" And with that our ride ended on a fun and informative note. Jim |
#10
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Commercial precision landings
JM makes a good point.
A go-around or an engine out approach are great times for a DE to pull the gear circuit breaker while you're occupied with other things. One thing that our DE, and I as well, try to drive into every commercial and or complex student is to keep your hand next to the gear handle until you get the "gear up" or "gear down" indications. It will serve as a physical reminder to turn your eyes back to the indicators before your hand is returned to service. Some will say to leave it on the handle, but those who've broken their gear handles off when hitting turbulence will tell you to just put your hand "near" the handle. Jim B |
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