Originally Posted by
AnglianAV8R
Have to agree. My experience of PFLs, albeit in a piston engine aircraft, is of picking the field and executing a safe approach with the fear that when the instructor says "that's a goodun" and opens up the throttle....The engine splutters and dies. Result would be one aircraft sans undercart in a field, or worse, for no good reason.
It might be better for everyone's flying if a bit of gliding was part of basic training. Every landing is a "forced" landing whether into the airfield or a farmer's field. I'm talking real gliders and not piston engined aircraft with long wings. Try 30 winch launches in 3 days on 3 minute circuits. It worked for Sully - commit to landing "out", pick the landing site (preferably a field, not the Hudson) and fly a circuit/approach looking out of the canopy and judging speed and height by the mark one eyeball. A lot safer than the PFLs described above.