View Poll Results: At what height do you go-around from a PFL ?
500 ft or above
22
32.35%
Under 500 feet agl
16
23.53%
Under 250 ft agl
18
26.47%
Under 100 ft agl
12
17.65%
Voters: 68. This poll is closed
Pfls #2
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,414
Likes: 2
From: Europe
QDM and FFF thank you for your responses.
What I said in my posting was that you have to get it right in the bit above 500ft. If you have not set yourself up correctly by that you have little opportunity to make any significant changes and painted yourself in a corner.
And that goes for all approaches; normal; flapless; glide etc.
Dont you agree?
Yes, we all fiddle a bit with the power setting on the approach but only to fine tune.
If you have to do more than that you are not flying a stabilised approach.
Of course in extreme situations (turbulence, windshear) it requires more than a change in engine note.
I would not want to claim to be better than anyone but may be a bit more experienced in energy management in powerless flight. When you have an engine failure you can not add further energy by feeding in the power; however you can take away energy by adding flap and sideslipping providing you started high enough.
I think that if you review your own approaches carefully you may well find that you actually make less power adjustments than you think. And if you are making a lot of power adjustments you may want to practice in setting your machine up above 500 ft and see where you end up if you would not touch the power lever. (of course with an instructor first if need be)
For PFLs the following rules apply:
1. Choose the field early (and stick with it unless something dire evolves as you get close) a lot of accidents happen as people have a last minute change of heart.
2. Set yourself up early with the machine trimmed out for the best glide speed. For all turns during a PFL or landing out when gliding I will call out the speed.
3. Fly the machine everything else is non essential.
I still contend that if you have not sorted yourself out by 500ft you are at odds not to make it a successful action.
During my gliding training many moons ago the following yardsticks applied:
1. below 700 m do not overfly areas where landing out is going to be a problem (woodlands, water etc)
2. below 500 m fly to an area that has prospective fields
3. at 300 m choose your field and scan the area for obstacles etc.
4. at 150 m fly an abbreviated circuit.
Now gliders have a smaller ROD and better glide than any powered aircraft. If the emphasis is to choose early and set yourself up early in those dont you think it is wise to do the same when the odds are against you in a powered aircraft?
In my view the bit below 500ft is the easy bit. No choices to make just get on with it.
MHO of course
FD
What I said in my posting was that you have to get it right in the bit above 500ft. If you have not set yourself up correctly by that you have little opportunity to make any significant changes and painted yourself in a corner.
And that goes for all approaches; normal; flapless; glide etc.
Dont you agree?
Yes, we all fiddle a bit with the power setting on the approach but only to fine tune.
If you have to do more than that you are not flying a stabilised approach.
Of course in extreme situations (turbulence, windshear) it requires more than a change in engine note.
I would not want to claim to be better than anyone but may be a bit more experienced in energy management in powerless flight. When you have an engine failure you can not add further energy by feeding in the power; however you can take away energy by adding flap and sideslipping providing you started high enough.
I think that if you review your own approaches carefully you may well find that you actually make less power adjustments than you think. And if you are making a lot of power adjustments you may want to practice in setting your machine up above 500 ft and see where you end up if you would not touch the power lever. (of course with an instructor first if need be)
For PFLs the following rules apply:
1. Choose the field early (and stick with it unless something dire evolves as you get close) a lot of accidents happen as people have a last minute change of heart.
2. Set yourself up early with the machine trimmed out for the best glide speed. For all turns during a PFL or landing out when gliding I will call out the speed.
3. Fly the machine everything else is non essential.
I still contend that if you have not sorted yourself out by 500ft you are at odds not to make it a successful action.
During my gliding training many moons ago the following yardsticks applied:
1. below 700 m do not overfly areas where landing out is going to be a problem (woodlands, water etc)
2. below 500 m fly to an area that has prospective fields
3. at 300 m choose your field and scan the area for obstacles etc.
4. at 150 m fly an abbreviated circuit.
Now gliders have a smaller ROD and better glide than any powered aircraft. If the emphasis is to choose early and set yourself up early in those dont you think it is wise to do the same when the odds are against you in a powered aircraft?
In my view the bit below 500ft is the easy bit. No choices to make just get on with it.
MHO of course
FD
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: west yorkshire
I recall an early PFL in a Chipmunk when at 50ft being told to overshoot the engine although being warmed up did not respond the farmers face was a picture as he watched from his tractor,as we were about to touch the engine came on line and away we went. I these day usually go down to 100ft with students as at 500ft they have not usually thought about the wind and can end up short.As most people have said you cannot beat practice then more practice.
