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Old 10th September 2003 | 20:40
  #18 (permalink)  
Circuit Basher

 
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 902
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From: Dorset
Apologies for dredging this one out of the archives, but had my own little practice of a part of the procedure last night:

Last night, when flying with a friend out of Kirknewton (1000m tarmac runway) in a C172 with virtually full tanks, as things were a bit quiet, I tried an interesting (to me, anyway!) experiment:

I tried to see if I could land with a 10kt tailwind!

May sound silly, but if one day I ever have an EFATO at a runway where there's little option for a straight ahead landing (such as off runway 21 at Perth, where there's about a hundred metres of very tall forest), I may have to consider the option of a turnback (the old and wise suggest that inexperienced PPLs / students may wish to get an adult to help them with this!!). This would logically involve coping with a tailwind landing.

Anyway, due to obstacles / high ground on the 06 approach (I'd departed on 24), I was around 200ft high / 75 kts over the threshold and had 40 deg flaps out. Only by really working at it would I have been able to get the wheels on the deck at the 800m point (200m left to run). My groundspeed at that stage was around 70-75 kts and my rudimentary recollection of the Highway Code indicated that my braking distance would exceed 200m, so I went around and landed in the 'proper' direction!! :-)

Landing roll for the 'correct' direction was around 300m without really trying (and only 20 deg flap).

I know this isn't very scientific, but thought I'd share this, knowing how often turnbacks are discussed.
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