Insights

Use common sense

People resist change, particularly when a previous belief - right or wrong - is held with total confidence. When I learned to fly, my confidence was directly related to that displayed by my instructor. When another instructor, pilot, or publication disagreed with what I had been taught, my initial reaction was denial. How could I be wrong? That attitude was a big mistake.

In retrospect, some training procedures conflicted with practicality. What I learned made sense, but it was refuted by experienced pilots. Also, the complexity of some ground school material often ignored the importance of simple procedures that are mandatory in a properly managed airplane.

Flight instructors can easily fall into this trap. If most of their flight experience has been acquired in a training environment, their intent, logic, and self-confidence may be genuine, but they may be espousing incorrect techniques. Landing-gear retraction after takeoff is one example that you should understand, even if you are flying a fixed-gear airplane at this time. One of three techniques is normally taught for landing-gear retraction: when a landing on the runway is no longer possible; when the vertical speed indicator shows a positive rate of climb; or when a positive climb is evident while looking outside the cockpit.

To evaluate the first technique, add your airplane's no-wind takeoff and landing distances to and from 50 feet agl. A Cessna 182RG at maximum gross weight requires about 2,800 feet; a Cessna 210, 3,600 feet. These figures are conservative because they are based on short-field performance and do not consider your engine-failure reaction time. Above 50 feet, the landing distance increases dramatically. At 100 feet agl, I estimate an additional 2,500 feet for each airplane.

If you land on the runway with the gear down after engine failure, other factors will increase landing distance: skidding, improper tire inflation, tire slippage on the wheel rim, brake ineffectiveness due to wing lift, and high brake temperatures - a common occurrence when a pilot drags the brakes to control excessive taxi speed. If none of these factors applies, you should still realize that light-airplane brakes are far from ideal when a high-speed, maximum-effort stop is required.

The greatest hazard is a runway excursion - departing the end or side of the runway - because of a blown tire, wheelbarrowing, or an incorrect estimate of landing distance. Subsequent structural damage could jam the cabin door shut, and if a fuel tank leak and fire occur, your airplane may become your coffin. Aircraft structural integrity becomes a myth when an aircraft collides with objects on the ground or in the air.

The second technique requires a positive-rate confirmation before gear retraction. This is an instrument-flying requirement for low-visibility takeoffs; it is not a visual flying requirement. The vertical speed indicator is used for climb confirmation.

The third technique is correct for visual flying. At liftoff, keep your eyes outside the cockpit in order to maintain the existing pitch attitude so that the airplane will rapidly accelerate to V_Y, the best rate of climb speed. When you recognize a positive climb - it's obvious that you're climbing - retract the gear. When it is almost retracted - just before the usual clunk sound - establish the airplane's V_Y pitch attitude. Now, glance at the airspeed indicator. Amazing! It will be very close to V_Y - the quickest way to reach the altitude that gives you a suitable forced-landing option.

If the engine does quit immediately after or during gear retraction - an extremely rare occurrence - consider this: You determined that the airplane was airworthy during the preflight inspection, the pretakeoff checks were satisfactory, and all engine parameters were normal after takeoff power was applied. You have just been hijacked by your airplane.

Leave the gear up, put the airplane back on the runway, and slide to a stop. Only a few hundred feet are required for a belly landing. Now, open the cabin door and walk off unscathed with your passengers.

In other words, the airplane slapped you in the face, so you must slap her back. Your safety and that of your passengers is your first priority, not the airplane.

Ralph Butcher, a retired United Airlines captain, is the chief flight instructor at a California flight school. He has been flying for 43 years and has 25,000 flight hours in fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Visit his Web site.