Originally Posted by
Pilot DAR
Generally speaking, you're gliding, to make it "over the hedge" to a suitable forced landing area. If the area is flat enough that you could fly in ground effect, you could probably land safely on it there! There is a minor effect of added lift in ground effect, which it momentary if you're gliding. You should be experiencing it during the flare of most landings, so you know what it's like - and it really won't get you anywhere further power off.
Like I said, never tried it, but was taught it many years ago when I got my license.... Hoping it would safe the undercarriage from going into that ditch short of the runway.
Originally Posted by
Pilot DAR
Aside from a possible engine failure during departure, or approach, why were the flaps extended? Unless the flight manual for your airplane says otherwise, leave the flaps alone as you enter a glide, and extend them only when landing is assured. I would be fascinated to read a power plane flight manual which directs otherwise.
An over riding theme here should be that "best glide" and stretching the glide, and going as far as you can per altitude lost, should not be your primary focus in an engine failure, unless it's simply to make it to the coast, or over the mountains. Arriving to 1/4 mile on final into a tight spot at "best glide speed" is going to demand the most of your skills in power off landing judgement, and the consequences of getting it wrong could be terrible. Better to make a good job into a closer spot if it's available, and have to bleed off speed as you near the landing zone. A judgement error doing that is much less serious.
Of course, there will be occasions where the glide must be optimized to make it to anywhere you could land, so yes, fly at "best glide speed" then. With this in mind, it would be useful to practice power off landings from high final approach at that speed. Demands on skill and precision in the flare will increase doing this!
Oh, I agree so much about this, it was merely on the statement of retracting already extended flaps, which could be a misjudgement to extend in the first place. But ofcourse you wouldn't aim for a maximum glide distance if looking for a field, except as you say, have to get clear of very bad terrain, forests, mountains etc.
But sure, rather run out of runway than landing short of it.... better hit something slowly, than fast...