Originally Posted by AerocatS2A
What's wrong with puting your heels on the floor and then IF an abort is required, pop them up onto the brakes? The auto-brakes if fitted and armed can initiate the braking, then you can continue with manual braking.
Very easy to say -- not so very easy to do. Been there and done that -- and I've got the dollars off coupon for a return visit if I choose to returen (no thanks). Attempting to apply brakes while "popping" your feet up higher on the pedal will very likely get your shins a rather abrupt introduction to the bottom of the instrument panel. You want to talk about #$^$ pain? Try that on for size -- believe me, you'll only need once to make you a believer. (Been there too, unfortunately) Plus the fact that every extra second you take, the airplane moves farther down the runway! And if you have a crosswind or asymmetrical thrust for which you need rudder correction, you don't want to choose between going straight and going slower - and you probably don't even want to compromise. As wide as some runways are -- they're not very wide at 100+ knots!
I have always practiced, and I have always taught the students I've had, prior to takeoff you adjust your seat and adjust the rudder pedals (where you can) so that you can get full rudder pedal travel AND get full, maximum brake AT THE SAME TIME. Not many really understand what "full maximum brake application" really means until they've had to use it. It has to be at least what it takes to set the parking brakes and sufice it to say that if your butt is still in the seat, you don't have enough brakes! The best way to do it is to get the best mechanical advantage you can on the brake pedal -- that means your foot has to be well up on the pedal -- no heels on the floor.
Sorry, but if you wanted to be that lazy, you should have taken up another line of work. Of course, this also requires that every single rudder pedal input you make, MUST be done with your heel - not your entire foot. Shoot, you learned to steer with your feet and fly with either hand, you should be able to make rudder pedal input corrections with your heel!
The bottom line is this. IF, a very big word, if, ... but IF you ever need to reject a heavy airplane, or one that is operating right at the limits that day, and you have to do it right at the decision point, believe me, you don't want your heels on the floor! You'll have all the time in the world, after the bird is comfortably in the air and you're cleaned up, to readjust your seat for comfort. Don't forget to put that seat, and the rudder pedals, back in those same pre-takeoff positions prior to landing.
Fancy, time saving conveniences, like autopilots and autobrakes are a wonderful tool and should be used whenever and where-ever appropriate. But if you decide to let the airplane fly you instead of the other way around, just please let me know before hand so that I can get off.
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AirRabbit