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

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.

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.

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

denny

In article xJTye.138628$xm3.92446@attbi_s21,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

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.


I have landed a friend's SX-300 from the overhead also. Glide is about
100 kt, but you have complete control over the plane -- it does roll out
for awhile, though.

--
Remove _'s from email address to talk to me.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:xJTye.138628$xm3.92446@attbi_s21...
The really amazing thing is that many other planes have *worse* glide
characteristics than our Cherokees.

Yup. In my Lake Renegade, if you are abeam the runway pavement, and if you
*turn immediately* to the runway (forget base and final), you can make the
pavement. Otherwise, you won't.

On top of that, the flare happens very quickly, because of the rapid rate of
descent. You can increase the airspeed to give you more time for the flare,
but that of course steepens your descent angle even more.

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.

Heh. Speed. I wish.

Pete

In article .com,
"Paul kgyy" wrote:

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 do it all the time in my Johnson Rocket -- overhead approach at
cruise; break over the numbers, slow to gear/flap speed (100 mph) in the
turn (it will be at the correct speed at the 180 point); continue
turning and land at the 360 point, on the numbers. I have done this with
a T-34 and a Zlin 242 -- all to 3-point attitude "squeakers". When
dirty, these planes have about a 3:1 glide ratio.

The 360 overhead allows you to monitor standard traffic and keeps you in
tight, so you can control your glide.

--
Remove _'s from email address to talk to me.