----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
Quoting MAGIC VAC <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > Just kind of a dumb observation here. When I learned how to fly (back when > dirt was forming), statistically, you had a better chance of living, if you > were in a single engine airplane, and the engine quit, than if you were in a > light twin, and one engine died on you. Still the case today. Case in point: Our friends, at neighboring Alexandria Field, left Bader field, Atlantic City after a nice weekend this Spring in their lovely vintage Travel Air. They were last seen spinning into the Atlantic Ocean following an engine failure and an attempted go-around on the subsequent emergency landing. RIP. >Two reasons: first, pilot incompetence. Let's be kinder here...maybe say 'human factors.' The reality of single-engine operation in an under-powered assymetrical twin (i.e., Twin Comanche, Apache, Seneca, Travel Air, Baron, 310 etc.) is that it's right at the limits of human abilities to keep things in order. On the other hand, I was flying in a friend's Partenavia, only 180HP per side, and he took advantage of a moment of outside attention to bring one back to idle. Took me a bit to start to figure out something was wrong, and rather than stomping on its not-insignificant rudder, he had me just bank a bit. And along we went, barely holding our altitude but holding it none the less. And no vices. So go figure. It is possible to design for it. Durn thing was 'cabin class' and built like a Ferrari, too. >Second, instead of trying to land the thing, too many pilots > tried to get to a landing spot that was too far away, and either the service > ceiling was too low for the terrain, or they would misjudge the landing and > didn't have the power to go around (I think this is the incomopetence thing > too) Well, yes. As our friends in the Travel Air. Maybe better to run off the end than to attempt a single engine take-off (which is what a go-around is, now isn't it?). But who am I to criticize? I have zero interest in a multi rating, so it will never be my problem. Okay, well, maybe a Skymaster like my buddy Skip. Hey if it's good enough for an ex-SAC guy who flies a Nakajima Kate and an SNJ for kicks, then it ought to be good enough for me. > Anyway, my instructor always told me to stick my head out the window > (figuratively) and look for a spot to land right below me. Of course it > didn't help that I was in a Piper Colt, and it had a far worse glide slope > than a Coupe. My CFI always used to kill the power and say "Where are you going to land." I'd say "that field over there." "Great," he'd reply. "But what about that &[EMAIL PROTECTED] airport right under us?" Ooops. Greg ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program. ========================================================================== ==== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/
<<attachment: winmail.dat>>
