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Old 28th Jan 2019, 22:10
  #54 (permalink)  
keni010
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Brentwood Essex
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I can't see any mention in the posts of a "1,000 foot area" .... that being an aiming point for the already selected field and relative to it. I'm surprised there is no mention of it. On my GFT back in 1976 I'd taken off from runway 24 at Southend Airport and was told by the CFI examiner to climb to 2,000 feet and straight ahead. We continued to climb and at around 1800 feet he pulled the throttle and said "engine failure". I put the nose down immediately and trimmed for an 85 knot glide ... we'd been taught to fly a circuit or partial circuit for the chosen field but since there was no indication of wind direction and having stated that I would use the runway heading for the wind direction as a result I quickly realised that all of that theory for forced landings had to be abandoned. I did the normal checks .. fuel .. carb heat .. etc. and gave the mock Mayday call giving height, position and our problem.
I pointed out the field I'd chosen and then the 1000 foot area for it. I hadn't sufficient height to carry out what had been taught in the classroom ... i.e. the circuit or partial one for the field which would have involved four 90 deg turns from where I was... and what would be the point I asked myself? At the end of the day all that was required was to be over the area I'd chosen and which was relative to the field I'd also chosen, at 1000 feet. It's that simple in my opinion.
This is my major point here. Sometimes it can or could be a good thing to think outside of the box which we were once told to be in. I intended to go on to be an instructor to get the hours for a commercial licence but didn't do so .. I had a well paid freelance job working in various countries in Europe but had I done so I'd have taught student pilots that theory is often good and should be followed .. but on occasion the pilot needs to think for himself given the circumstances which exist.

All that was required from where we were was to glide a route with long and slow turns so as to be at 1000 feet at the already chosen and declared point ... from then on, and at that point, on the base leg for the field, the turn to final approach for the field at 700 feet was easily achieved. Once on the final approach to the field and two stages of flap had been selected and when the examiner had satisfied himself that we could safely land in the field, he put full power back and we climbed away, releasing the flaps in two stages. The GFT then continued ... 60 degree steep turns to the left and right etc.
The 1000 foot area 'idea' is a good one I believe as once you are there having related it to your intended field, you have cracked it. How you get to that 1000 foot area is irrelevant in my opinion. Just make sure you're there on time! ... Is it taught anymore?

Last edited by keni010; 28th Jan 2019 at 22:31.
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