PFLs on the WWW!!
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Essex, UK
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PFLs on the WWW!!
Well not quite, but here's a very well researched and very informative site. Its written for glider pilots, but we can all learn from it.
A while back people were saying that there's no need to go below 500ft when doing a PFL. If the field is big enough, that's all that matters.
This might make you take a closer look
Click here
A while back people were saying that there's no need to go below 500ft when doing a PFL. If the field is big enough, that's all that matters.
This might make you take a closer look
Click here
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 2,410
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I was one of the people who said that for PFLs there is no need to go lower than 500ft and still stand by that.
When doing a Practice FL the vital actions will have had to have taken place well above 500ft. The last bit is only going to be the landing, if you have got it wrong it will be blatantly obvious by the time you get down to 500ft.
That is wrong as in speed/distance/set-up but also in field choice distance/direction/clear approach/obstacles and crops.
If the FL is for real it usually pays to stick with your first field. A lot of people come to harm when making a last minute change and make turns at low heights and subsequently stall/spin it in.
Better to fly into something less desireable than having a stall/spin accident which are almost invariably fatal.
If you manage to FL into a decent field and the aeroplane can be recovered with no or limited damage that is great. However the immediate focus when you end up in a FL situation has to be on survival rather than preservation of the aircraft.
Hedging bets is not the most successful formula for achieving the survival bit.
FD
When doing a Practice FL the vital actions will have had to have taken place well above 500ft. The last bit is only going to be the landing, if you have got it wrong it will be blatantly obvious by the time you get down to 500ft.
That is wrong as in speed/distance/set-up but also in field choice distance/direction/clear approach/obstacles and crops.
If the FL is for real it usually pays to stick with your first field. A lot of people come to harm when making a last minute change and make turns at low heights and subsequently stall/spin it in.
Better to fly into something less desireable than having a stall/spin accident which are almost invariably fatal.
If you manage to FL into a decent field and the aeroplane can be recovered with no or limited damage that is great. However the immediate focus when you end up in a FL situation has to be on survival rather than preservation of the aircraft.
Hedging bets is not the most successful formula for achieving the survival bit.
FD
