PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Touch and goes during solo flight (student pilot in USA)
Old 8th Jan 2011, 09:50
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Pilot DAR
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Age: 63
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An inexperienced pilot should not be prompted to attempt things while solo, which have not neen trained dual first, and been accomplished with some demonstrated skill.

That said, runway length decision making is rather important as a skill too. If a runway is so short that in a given type, a touch and go is inadvisable, it is probably a poor choice as a training or initial solo runway anyway.

Prior to solo, a student pilot's skills should be sufficient that they can manage the reconfiguring task (aircraft design requirements include provisions to minimize errors in doing this). The student should also have the skill required to safely handle accidently coming airborne with full flaps extended. This is safely managed by a compotent pilot in all certified aircraft types commonly used for training. It's really nothing different from going around from a recovered bounch, and that's being trained... right?

Students should be being trained to make good go-no go decisions on the runway, touch and goes are a part of that training, and should be practiced on runways of suitable dimension. The odd time a pilot must recognize a runway which may be unsuitable for a "go" in any situation in that type. That should prompt an altered plan for landing, and that runway is not a solo training runway anyway....
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