2010 04 hitting the mark precision landings

Vintage Instructor THE

BY Steve Krog, CFI

Hitting the mark: precision landings

T

he days are getting longer, outside temps are creeping well above freezing, the snow is finally melting (for those of us in the northern climates), and the hangar doors at the local airport are beginning to open.

Another new flying season is here!

As the new season arrives and rekindles our love of flight, it also brings with it responsibility. Not only do we need to get our airplanes thoroughly prepped, but we also need to get ourselves prepped if we and our fellow pilots are to safely enjoy flying adventures during 2010.

When ready to dust off the cobwebs and improve your flying skills, in preparation for a fun and safe flying season, give some thought to the different airports to which you intend to fly. Then plan for them by practicing simulated landings at either your airport or a nearby airport.

If I’ve had an extended winterweather layoff, one of the exercises I like to do to get myself “tuned up” for safe flight is to practice what I call “precision landings.” No, they have nothing to do with instrument flight rules (IFR) related flying; it’s all about flying the airplane precisely while shooting for a landing on a specific spot.

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, after a flying layoff my first flight will consist of getting reacquainted with the airplane; medium and steep turns done with an emphasis on coordination and exact altitude control, followed by

26 APRIL 2010

slow flight and a few power-off and power-on stalls, then a minute of Dutch rolls, and then returning to the traffic pattern for some work on precision landings.

There are many aspects to precision landings. The more things that can be done right and with precision while in the traffic pattern, the fewer things that need correction or can go wrong on short final.

Answer these questions of yourself as you read along. Upon entry into the traffic pattern are you at the exact traffic pattern altitude every time? Or is plus or minus 200 feet “good enough”? An additional 200 feet of altitude at midpoint downwind is barely noticeable until turning final. Then the 2,500foot runway on which you intend to land begins to look like the retired aircraft carrier Midway.

When turning downwind, are you also flying the same horizontal distance or separation from the landing runway each time? This leg should track parallel to the landing runway with about 1/2- to 1-mile horizontal separation, depending upon size and speed of the aircraft you are flying. A J-3 Cub is quite comfortable with a 1/2-mile separation, but a Beech 18 is something quite different in speed, weight, and handling, so it does require a wider pattern.

In my opinion, a good landing begins at the downwind midpoint.

As a flight instructor spending a lot of time in the traffic pattern, I

can usually predetermine the quality of a student’s landing by where they’re at when at midpoint on downwind. Inaccuracies in altitude, speed control, and horizontal separation from the runway will usually make for a sloppy approach and landing.

Once established on the downwind leg and with the prelanding checklist completed, it’s time for the next step in a “precision” landing.

When abeam the numbers, reduce power and begin the descent. Trim is added, approach speed/nose attitude established, and when approximately 45 degrees off the approach end of the runway, initiate a shallow to medium bank turn to base leg.

Note: It’s amazing to me, when giving biennial flight reviews, how many pilots are unfamiliar with the phrase “abeam the numbers.”

They must all have taken the day off from flight school when it was defined. You are “abeam the numbers” when your left shoulder is horizontally aligned with the runway numbers (for left-hand traffic).

Once established on base leg, there are three things to perform to continue toward a precision landing. Think ahead of the airplane by: • Checking for traffic that may be making a straight-in approach (at a nontowered airport).

• Thinking about and checking your altitude—does it look or feel like you are too high or too low?

A general rule of thumb under reasonably normal conditions is: If

you are 500 feet above ground level (AGL) at midpoint of the base leg, you’re where you want to be.

• Planning and making the descending turn from base to final.

(See the article in the February 2010 issue of Vintage Airplane.)

No two flying days are ever the same. Temperature, surface winds, and density altitude will differ, causing you to make minor adjustments to achieve consistent precision landings.

After making three or four landings and getting the feel of your airplane, it’s time to challenge yourself to improve your proficiency, which will in turn make you a better and safer pilot. Some of you reading this article might be saying, “But gas is $5 per gallon, and I know I can get my airplane on the ground.

Why spend the extra money?”

Let me explain via this example. Your airplane burns 10 gallons per hour and one extra hour in the traffic pattern will cost $50. At the moment $50 seems like a good chunk of change just to fly the pattern. But now put yourself in the airplane flying to your first pancake breakfast of the season. It’s a bit breezy, the destination runway is short, and there will be a lot of traffic in the pattern. Would you have rather spent $50 perfecting your landings back at home? Or are you prepared to make a spectacular, crowd-entertaining, tirescreeching, metal-scraping arrival at the breakfast? Your beautifully restored vintage airplane worth a thousand times more than one hour’s worth of fuel is being photographed and e-mailed to all corners of the world! Put it in perspective, a $50 upfront investment may save you $50,000 in repair bills.

One of the exercises I like to perform to improve my skills is to practice reduced power approaches.

Years ago when all the airports were grass and one could land in most any direction, full power-off approaches were quite common. Today, we have “improved” airports

with designated hard-surface runways, established traffic patterns, etc., so rather than performing complete power-off approaches, we use reduced-power approaches “for safety.” Here’s where you can safely challenge yourself, improve your skills, and have a lot of fun.

To b e t t e r d e f i n e a r e d u c e d power approach for the purpose of practicing landings, reduce power abeam the numbers and continue reducing as required throughout the approach and landing. Here’s the challenge: You can reduce power in this exercise, but you cannot add power. Now obviously if you need to add power because you’ll wind up short of the runway, then add it. But do your best to hone your skills so you don’t have to add power—unless required for safety. If you have flaps, they may be added but not retracted when practicing—again, unless required for safety. This doesn’t mean you should fly a 7-mile 747 final. Fly a normal pattern.

Pick a spot on the runway on which you intend to touch down.

For example’s sake, use the numbers. Now look beyond the numbers—approximately the distance equal to two runway lights or two runway centerline stripes—and note that point. With this distance in mind, practice three or four reduced-power approaches and see if you can comfortably and safely get your airplane down in that distance.

Speed and altitude judgment are critical in order to touch down within the runway parameters you’ve established. At 70 knots you are traveling 118 feet per second, and at 60 knots, 101 feet per second. If your approach speed is supposed to be 60 knots and you are at 70 or greater, and if it takes five seconds to dissipate the excess speed, you will have floated at least 500 feet down the runway, well beyond your desired point of touchdown. There is no hard and fast rule that applies, but generally for every 10 extra knots you carry

on final approach, you will use at least 500 feet of additional runway.

Practicing three or four reducedpower spot landings at the conclusion of each pleasure flight will significantly improve one’s landing skills. Now go out and do the same when you have a light crosswind. Also, if your runway length permits, pick different spots or touchdown points down the runway. Then practice the reducedpower approach with the goal of touching down on the spot you’ve selected. This exercise will pay handsome rewards if flying to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

Many vintage airplane owners like to fly their airplanes to Oshkosh (OSH) for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. If you’ve not done it before, it can be a bit “nerve rattling,” but it’s a fun and worthwhile experience, provided you’ve prepared for it. One practice employed by the air traffic controllers at Oshkosh is to direct you to land long and not touch down until on or after the large colored dot painted on the runway.

That’s no problem, you might say to yourself; the runway in use is 8,000 feet long. What’s there to worry about?

Now visualize yourself in the OSH flight pattern. Keeping your head on a swivel, you see at least 15 airplanes in trail either ahead or parallel to you, all heading for either 36L or 36R. If there are 15 airplanes ahead of you, there are probably that many behind you that you cannot see. This certainly isn’t like landing at the old home airstrip! You’ve been directed to land long on or beyond the orange circle on 36L. Even though your palms are sweating, aren’t you glad you practiced midfield spot landings prior to arriving at OSH? Your landing was safe and uneventful, and your photo won’t be flashed worldwide for all to see! Now you can relax and enjoy the fly-in, knowing that you’re a better pilot thanks to your taking the time to enhance your flying skills.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27