SkyHighFallguy
i have seen in the past a 14 stone instructor with a 16 stone student fill the tanks in a Cessna 150 and go fly circuits i.e. over the MTOW of the aircraft.
But yes there is a valid point there maybe especially schools could make variable VREF speed charts for different weights? Buit frankly unlike the airlines which can and do have a large difference on VREF for different situations/weight the spread is unlikely to be more than 5 KTS in a club aircraft
Im heavy!!! stick with the published VREF Im light knock 5 off
But really is that the way to get a student to make nice landings ? NO
I have seen too many low time pilots and higher time pilots especially transitioning onto a very different and unfamiliar type who transition onto the mental I am not really in control of this aircraft lets make a fingers crossed arrival mode and hope it all turns out OK. But they are not really in control
Business jets and we have the luxury of a voice countdown until you get 10 feet which is useful in very poor visibility and at night.
Some light aircraft have a RA which if set at 10 feet will give a ping.
But really its having situational awareness in all axis and that comes with experience and familiarity There is NO magic pill! Some naturally have more situational awareness or a visual brain and take too it quickly others don't and take longer.
I started into this thread talking about taking up skiing at a late stage in life! scared no ability and I probably fell 30 times the first day but got to the stage of skiing blacks. I am still not a good skier but if I ski at my own rate passable yet I watch world champions doing multiple loops on a snow board and landing on the board. their situational awareness , skill and confidence must be amazing.
Until a pilot can understand energy management (something which sadly is NOT taught ) not just from the engine! effect of controls and their interaction and be able to read winds gusts and the moving air they operate in then they will never be able to combine the lot into smooth fluent movements which adjust for every change instinctively.
The guy who sits there at VREF fully configured 4 miles out is being told a message that they are not really fully in control of that aircraft as they don't have the confidence to change what the aircraft is doing at will as there is a certain nervousness and lack of familiarity which makes them do this in the same way as I approached turns much too slowly skiing because there was nothing fluid natural or instinctive in my skiing. This means that all their landings will be on a wing and a prayer until things change
Pace