What are we actually teaching, when we break it down, in a PFL?
We are teaching taking the aircraft from the cruise to a glide descent. We should have already taught this in exercercise 8.1. The PFL will require some descending gliding turns. See exercise 9
The choice of field - this is basically an airmanship issue. The more airmanship skills the student has before first solo the better in my opinion.
Finally we are teaching some checks - they same ones the student should be doing when we teach glide in the circuit. We want to first ascertain why the engine has stopped in the hope we can restart it. If we cant achieve the aforementioned then we need to secure the engine and prepare for forced landing - ie fuel off/master off/unlatch doors etc.
I can't see why any of that is bad stuff for a student to have learnt prior to first solo.
As I said earlier I tell my students if you have to divert in the process of carrying out solo circuits do it under a pan. My airfield is radar equipped and so is the airfield they will go to. The will get all they help they need from ATC to get from one to the other.
Last edited by timzsta; 22nd Aug 2007 at 20:23.