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On Nov 29, 2004, at 7:37 PM, dennis spiegel wrote: > Hello All , I had some fun practicing the power off approaches while > in the pattern.I must say all of you should do it.At pattern altitude > prior to mid field downwind.Pull the power to idle- set up, and see > how much altitude you lose and how close you need to be to make the > field without appling any power.take all precautions not to shock > cool and /or kill the fan up front.It's a wake up call let me tell > ya.SINKS pretty good especially when you gracefully turn base then > final. TRY IT. adjust the trim accordingly.The next thing I tried was > a take off with just trim (and power) that works too pretty neat .Then > I set up to land with just trim and power settings if you nail it with > the trim it works out fine hardly need to flare.Just some things to > do to add to your skill level.How many of you adjust pitch with your > feet-- I DO.It's easy and drives your copilot nuts .No danger here > either.Only done in the air in cruise.It's like yaw adjustments with > those pedals in almost every other plane but most coupes.My last > plane was a Cessna 140 tail dragger.used the feet all the time.Anyone > else have some fun stuff to do ?? Dennis 99564 in ILL Hi Dennis, I'm impressed! How about learning a set of visual "cues"? (Of course try this over time, only as you are confident in every outcome) 1. Capture in your brain the "normal" dimensional appearance of common things (a 2-lane road, a car, a tree) at 1000' AGL (or your pattern altitude). Pick common things that tend to be the same size. I put tiny "indexed" tape strips low on my windscreen (at a height too low to interfere with normal visual scanning, but that you can duck your head and "gauge" from). Learn to judge when you are at your "standard" height AGL without reference to an altimeter (that can be off three hours, three hundred miles and considerable barometric pressure difference from takeoff). 2. It sounds like you have already worked out what you have to do to make the runway if the fire goes out at pattern altitude somewhere on downwind. As you have noted, this exercise quickly cures any inclination to fly wide extended patterns anytime traffic doesn't force you to. 3. Experiment with an emergency pattern. One "tight" (close to the runway) on downwind (where a gentle "U-turn puts you on final with some "reserve" altitude) generally yields a more stabilized approach (and a wider margin of safety) than wider patterns where completion of the turn from base to final is almost at touchdown. Traffic (and tower?) permitting, these are all variables at your option to arrange in your favor. 4. Note (1) how far out (or in) the runway is from your wing tip on downwind at your chosen "standard" height, (2) where on the runway (per the part of your wing that is best reference) you chop power to idle, and where on it you touch down following a stabilized base and final. Learn to duplicate such an approach with reasonable accuracy and you will have a skill level capable of that feat just about anywhere...quite rare these days. Just keep it current! Regards, WRB -- ========================================================================== ==== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/
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