Flight Training - October 2014 - 31

PLAN FOR POWER OFF. First, just because
it's planned to be a power-off approach,
we don't slavishly adhere to the power-off
doctrine. If power is advisable to maintain
safety margins, it's used. However, while
setting up the approach we aim to be high
enough that making the runway isn't a
question. The only question is getting the
airplane down on the spot we've selected,
presumably within the first 500 to 700
feet of the runway. If we do that, we can
easily turn off at the 1,500-foot mark (in
most airplanes) with minimal braking.
There are several methods of maintaining glideslope during a power-off
approach. The first is the placement of
base leg, which may be the most important factor. Turn too late and you'll have
no choice but to add power. When adding
power, do it as early in the approach as
possible. Base is the perfect place.
When the turn is made toward the
runway, fixate on the threshold or the

numbers and make that the point at which
the glideslope visually hits the runway.
Your float will carry you 500 feet or so
past that point during flare. If the numbers
move toward you (or down the windshield), you're high. If they move away (or
up), you're low. You want them moving
toward you. You can steepen the glideslope
by increasing flaps, or by slipping. The
flaps make gross adjustments. The slip
(assuming they are allowed, when flaps are
down) makes fine adjustments.
Power-off approaches require more
finesse in terms of basic flying skills.
Energy management and conservation are
the keys. Every time you let the nose move
enough to take airspeed off the number established in the pilot's operating
handbook, you lose altitude unnecessarily.
Every time you let the ball slide off center,
you lose more valuable altitude. Glide efficiency is determined by efficient control
of the airplane.

ENGINES ALMOST NEVER QUIT. Many
reading the foregoing are saying, "This
is all fine and dandy, but modern engines
almost never quit." Thank goodness that's
true. But, the operative word in that statement is "almost." How many times do they
have to quit for it to be a serious problem?
Once is plenty. I have had four failures
over a long lifetime of aviating, and two
of those-in two different airplanes-
occurred within 18 hours of each other.
We have to prepare for what fate might
have in store for us. Part of that preparation is power-off landings (whenever
possible and practical) and getting good
at some basic, old-school type of flying.
When the propeller stops propelling,
those are the only skills that count.
Budd Davisson is an aviation writer/photographer
and magazine editor. A CFI since 1967, he teaches
about 30 hours a month in his Pitts S-2A. Visit his
website (www.airbum.com).

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Flight Training - October 2014

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