The only engine failure I've ever landed-off (the rest I restarted successfully) was on finals, so my general preference for glide approaches paid off that day!
I've done one or two forced or precautionary landings, from which a few thoughts:-
- If height and circumstances allow, always fly some kind of circuit, as tight as you are comfortable around the landing point.
- If uncertain of wind, or there isn't much, always land uphill.
- If you are practiced in them, always fly a constant aspect approach onto a forced landing. If you aren't, you should be, but after the engine stops is no time to familiarise yourself - stick to what you are used to.
- Descend angle will NOT be the same as you are used to with the prop idling (which is why I'd advocate the constant aspect approach, since it's much easier to adjust).
- a whitish greenish field next to a chalk quarry is NOT as I thought at the time a skimmed chalk surface, it is partly treated sewage that has been spread on the field, and no fun to land on - nor to get the aircraft nose stuck in when you hit the 4ft high pile at the far end of the field.
- Look for swirls in tramlines in the field, they may be your best indication of pylons or telegraph poles, and thus lines.
- Once you've picked a point, don't fly in a way that loses sight of it, you can lose reference very quickly.
- When practicing, always climb out field-to-field so that you've always got an option until over 1000agl and can relax a bit.
G