Turning back after takeoff
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Two things struck me from watching the videos of the simulated turnbacks
1 - the speed the DI spun at at 45/60 degrees - the trade off between the high rate of descent and tearing round the teardrop turn was clear
2 - the requirement to be able to fly accurately and confidently
1 - the speed the DI spun at at 45/60 degrees - the trade off between the high rate of descent and tearing round the teardrop turn was clear
2 - the requirement to be able to fly accurately and confidently
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I did a turn back from 400 feet on crosswind once in my 150. I made it onto the field, but not the runway. No damage - but lucky lucky lucky.
Last summer a friend with 23,000 flying hours tried it from 300 feet in a amature built. He died a few days later from his injuries. His alternative was the lake ahead (into which he had splashed before), but splash is still better than dying!
Last summer a friend with 23,000 flying hours tried it from 300 feet in a amature built. He died a few days later from his injuries. His alternative was the lake ahead (into which he had splashed before), but splash is still better than dying!
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There a re two options for the main RWY at my airfeild, HILL and VINEYARDS Things with wire and loads of posts think hundreds of fences spaced 2 meters apart and a meter high.
EFATO here is very uncomfortable, i have in my head the two places i would try and put it down but none of them is appealing. I am equally too scared of turning back. I like to climb to 1000ft before switching off the pum :-)
On the end of one of the short runways however is a hospital, very handy!
EFATO here is very uncomfortable, i have in my head the two places i would try and put it down but none of them is appealing. I am equally too scared of turning back. I like to climb to 1000ft before switching off the pum :-)
On the end of one of the short runways however is a hospital, very handy!
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I've never HAD to do it, but I have practiced it a few times when I'm certain I'm the only one in the circuit.
Two things impressed me:
1. C152, during initial PPL training, Golden Turn exercise with my instructor. With an engine failure above 800 feet and a USAF runway underneath, we were able to make it back onto the runway without too much problem. I don't remember the wind conditions but I don't think it was more than about 10kts. We were making steep turns and not hanging about in the exercise.
2. Wind, climb rate, and runway length are HUGE factors. To whit, practiced the Golden Turn in a 95 hp Super Cub on a 2,000 ft runway with a decent headwind. I climbed at such a steep angle that, had I to turn back, there was no way I was going to make the runway - I was going to overshoot and end up in the field on the arrival end. I had climbed, routinely, to such an altitude because of both the aircraft's performance and the headwind, that the altitude and headwind became liabilities and there was no way I was going to be able to descend quickly enough to put it back on the runway without significant maneuvering.
My learning point from all this - it's a very complex question, the answer to which can vary enormously from day to day, location to location, and aircraft to aircraft.
Two things impressed me:
1. C152, during initial PPL training, Golden Turn exercise with my instructor. With an engine failure above 800 feet and a USAF runway underneath, we were able to make it back onto the runway without too much problem. I don't remember the wind conditions but I don't think it was more than about 10kts. We were making steep turns and not hanging about in the exercise.
2. Wind, climb rate, and runway length are HUGE factors. To whit, practiced the Golden Turn in a 95 hp Super Cub on a 2,000 ft runway with a decent headwind. I climbed at such a steep angle that, had I to turn back, there was no way I was going to make the runway - I was going to overshoot and end up in the field on the arrival end. I had climbed, routinely, to such an altitude because of both the aircraft's performance and the headwind, that the altitude and headwind became liabilities and there was no way I was going to be able to descend quickly enough to put it back on the runway without significant maneuvering.
My learning point from all this - it's a very complex question, the answer to which can vary enormously from day to day, location to location, and aircraft to aircraft.
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Why go back? Because, if the circumstances allow it, it offers a known good landing surface, aircraft savvy people, and possibly some emergency services; not to mention a lack of power lines and other such obstructions. Personally I wouldn't be worrying about the runway, any bit of clear space would do.
However, for whatever my opinion is worth, as I said earlier I don't really advocate turning back. The 'Golden Rule' is golden for a reason - that's not to say there aren't exceptions, but in flying I'm a big proponent of the KISS principle.
However, for whatever my opinion is worth, as I said earlier I don't really advocate turning back. The 'Golden Rule' is golden for a reason - that's not to say there aren't exceptions, but in flying I'm a big proponent of the KISS principle.
