nworth
11-12-2007, 08:30 PM
I've been doing a lot of "utility" flying lately. Actually using my plane for transport and business. I file and twist knobs. Interesting in it's own way, and definitely practical, but it certainly does not make use of the unique attributes of our planes.
So, to shake the dust off, I grabbed my CFII and said, "go ahead, give me the torture test."
Well, after a session of weird holds and failed this and that, he said, "Ok, here's the deal. You're flying along at 3000, with 500 overcast below and your engine just stops. Luckily there's an airport nearby within gliding range. Lower your foggles and don't raise them until we are 500 foot AGL. Oh, and try not to kill me...."
I've practiced engine outs before but under VMC conditions, not simulated IMC. This was different as I wouldn't be allowed to see until I was just 500 feet high.
However, I went through the maneuver, pulled power, pitched to 70, reached for the Garmin 430 and twisted full right on the big knob, then full left on the little one, punched in the nearest, then hit OBS and selected the runway heading. That gave me a reference for the maneuver.
I flew to the center dot, then started a spiral down, hoping I would exit the high key at a good altitude. As it happened, it was at 600 foot. I took my best guess as to a reasonable distance from the runway and paralleled the OBS line on the Garmin. A hundred foot later, I flipped up the foggles.
I was a little close and maybe a little high but better high then low, right?
I made the sharp turn, careful to stay coordinated and at 65 kts. Lined up on the runway and now I realized I was too high (for a 260se!).
So, I dropped full flaps, pitched up to slow to 45 and started helicoptering down. Though my CFII had flown with me many times, he hadn't ever really seen this maneuver.
The plane came down nearly vertically. Fifty feet from the ground I was at midfield on the 3000 ft runway and I dropped the nose slightly and brought flaps back to 20.
I started the round out just below 50, lifted the nose just before touchdown and landed softly. I needed to add power to taxi off the runway. My CFII was saying, "Oh my god, oh my god, I didn't think you were going to make it."
Fact is, there is no way I would have been able to do this in any other plane. Now, ideally, in a perfect world and if I was a better pilot I would have judged the whole thing just right and crossed the threshold on the way to a picture postcard landing.
But, remember, I was blind until 500 feet above the deck. I'm not that good, at least not repeatably. Thankfully, with this plane, I don't need to be.
What a great experience!
So, to shake the dust off, I grabbed my CFII and said, "go ahead, give me the torture test."
Well, after a session of weird holds and failed this and that, he said, "Ok, here's the deal. You're flying along at 3000, with 500 overcast below and your engine just stops. Luckily there's an airport nearby within gliding range. Lower your foggles and don't raise them until we are 500 foot AGL. Oh, and try not to kill me...."
I've practiced engine outs before but under VMC conditions, not simulated IMC. This was different as I wouldn't be allowed to see until I was just 500 feet high.
However, I went through the maneuver, pulled power, pitched to 70, reached for the Garmin 430 and twisted full right on the big knob, then full left on the little one, punched in the nearest, then hit OBS and selected the runway heading. That gave me a reference for the maneuver.
I flew to the center dot, then started a spiral down, hoping I would exit the high key at a good altitude. As it happened, it was at 600 foot. I took my best guess as to a reasonable distance from the runway and paralleled the OBS line on the Garmin. A hundred foot later, I flipped up the foggles.
I was a little close and maybe a little high but better high then low, right?
I made the sharp turn, careful to stay coordinated and at 65 kts. Lined up on the runway and now I realized I was too high (for a 260se!).
So, I dropped full flaps, pitched up to slow to 45 and started helicoptering down. Though my CFII had flown with me many times, he hadn't ever really seen this maneuver.
The plane came down nearly vertically. Fifty feet from the ground I was at midfield on the 3000 ft runway and I dropped the nose slightly and brought flaps back to 20.
I started the round out just below 50, lifted the nose just before touchdown and landed softly. I needed to add power to taxi off the runway. My CFII was saying, "Oh my god, oh my god, I didn't think you were going to make it."
Fact is, there is no way I would have been able to do this in any other plane. Now, ideally, in a perfect world and if I was a better pilot I would have judged the whole thing just right and crossed the threshold on the way to a picture postcard landing.
But, remember, I was blind until 500 feet above the deck. I'm not that good, at least not repeatably. Thankfully, with this plane, I don't need to be.
What a great experience!