Handling bad situations in the 260se

[kwmoore]

Glen's hair-raising experience prompts me to ask the following question: has your 260se/230se/wren ever saved your bacon in a situation where a normal plane might have fried it?

For example, in a 260se, the unfortunate Bellanca pilot--presuming there were no other problems with the aircraft--could have just brought in 15-16" of mp and he would have been flying level at 55 KIAS, ready for another touchdown try 500 feet further down the runway.

An engine-out emergency landing? Escape from tight confines in the mountains? A demanding arrival on a mountain strip? High density altitude departure or climb?

My own experience, while not quite hair-raising, was at the 2001 Sedona fly-in. Returning to Sedona from the group brunch at Scottsdale, there was a gusty right-quartering crosswind for runway 21. I caught the expected updraft off the mesa on final to 21, then was but a few inches from what I thought would be a lucky smooth touchdown when I was blown 5-10 feet back into the air by a gust, with 40-45 KIAS showing on the ASI. No problem, I just brought back in power and flew level for a moment at 55-60. I likely could have made another try at a touchdown but was feeling a bit disconcerted by the experience and decided on full power and a go-around. The second try was uneventful.

Would have been much more demanding in a stock 182, especially with the 6500+ feet density altitude and I was sure grateful to be flying the 260se. :p

[n2099x]

I personally believe there would have been no problems in Willits last sunday if the same pilot were flying a 260se.

Glen

[dean]

N21396 is now with Todd and Jo, leaving me to mourn (though I am on location in London so that's not to shabby).

In thinking about what I'll miss the most, this thread hits home. N21396 was the safest airplane I had flown, and this was especially true at 50agl or less. Whether I was enduring sudden gusts on short final into Telluride, or a smooth day at sea level in Santa Monica. I honest believe Todd's combination of airframe, canard, and engine makes for incredible security. I actually cannot imagine a situation where a pilot who was willing to execute a go around could really blow it in a 260SE. When I put the power to the firewall, even with full flaps and airspeed in the 40's, the plane went up like an elevator with almost no threat of a stall. And as Kevin said, with 99% of the runways out there you could very easily land and take-off and land again in one pass.

You don't know what you got 'til it's gone they say. All of you who still have a 260se or are thinking about buying one... you have a bacon saver the likes of which will not be equalled in single-engine (or multi if you ask me) pistons.

Need to turn sharply as that moron pulls out onto the runway at an uncontrolled strip as your in the flare? No problem. Horrible x-wind? No problem. Balloning your landing? Many ways to fix.

And BTW -- I think "going-around" in a 260se was mrore fun than landing. I just loved that express elevator moment when the power first went in...

[kwmoore]

Not a "bad situation," but interesting nonetheless.

Arriving at San Luis Obispo on an Angel Flight yesterday evening, winds were 16 gusting to 25, quartering slightly from the right. Flaps 20, 55-57 KIAS, I observed a GPS groundspeed of less than 40 kt! I kept 13-14" mp into the flare and just motored along, settling gradually. A wind gust took us up 7-8 feet: no problem, just keep on keeping on, about 45 KIAS now, raising the nose slightly. After a total of 8-10 seconds in the flare, we touched down really softly. Power off and flaps up immediately, there wasn't much need for the brakes. I said to the passenger, "Sorry that took so long," and he replied, "That was great." :cool:

No way could I have done that in a stock Cessna or other conventional plane.

Needless to say, on departure, I was off in only about 200 feet! By the time I had checked all the instruments after advancing the throttle, 812KT was already above 40 KIAS and wouldn't stay on the ground!