This is the August 13, 2010, issue of 'AOPA ePilot Flight Training Edition'
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 | FT News | INSIDE AOPA | TRAINING PRODUCTS | FINAL EXAM | |||
TRAINING TIPsOnly an option
It means that in most cases it’s not mandatory to plop the aircraft onto the ground if you just aren’t ready. If a landing approach has gone well and you are in a position to land, do so. But if not, there are alternatives.
The most obvious alternative is to go around. To fully accept the idea that landing is only an option, a pilot must be well-practiced and comfortable with go-around (balked landing) procedures. “Go-arounds are telltale about technique and reactions. When a landing goes awry, punch it up and get out of there. Don’t bungle the maneuver by raising the flaps all at once, or uttering irate commentary on the radio, or hauling back on the yoke in alarm. Hit that throttle, close the carb heat. A nose-down swipe at the trim and some instinctive forward yoke will prevent excessive pitch-up as the engine comes alive,” Dan Namowitz wrote in the June 2009 AOPA Pilot feature “ Technique: Instinctive response.”
Another alternative, if smaller pre-landing adjustments are needed, is to delay touchdown, runway length permitting. Add a touch of power and level off in ground effect (see the Jan. 31, 2003, “ Training Tip: Playing the float.”) Then complete your roundout and flare. Many landing difficulties reside in a pilot’s flare. Thomas A. Horne identified its elements in the September 2003 AOPA Pilot article “ Touchdown!”: “This stage begins just a few feet—say, 10 feet or so—from the runway. Using aft stick pressure, further reduce the descent rate. Then progressively increase the aft stick pressure. This bleeds off airspeed, increases angle of attack to stalling values, and keeps the airplane's nose well off the runway. In the flare, many instructors tell their students to try to ‘prevent’ the airplane from landing—to hold it off the runway—to achieve the desired result.”
At a towered airport, you must make and transmit any decision to abandon a landing early so that ATC can manage the traffic flow. Above all, don’t become discouraged if landings seem temporarily unconquerable. It’s a rite of passage. Smooth sailing lies ahead. YOUR PARTNER IN TRAININGSafety is an integral part of the flight training process. It’s why we cover so many of the subjects we do in training. The AOPA Air Safety Foundation has numerous resources to make you a safer student and pilot. To get at the raw safety data, try the Air Safety Foundation’s accident database, a resource that ties in the government database with general aviation search capability. To help interpret the data, the foundation publishes the Nall Report , which describes the various categories of accidents and where the trends are. Knowing where others have erred can be a great learning process.
Did you know that student pilots who join AOPA are three times more likely to complete their flight training? Membership includes unlimited access to aviation information by phone (800/USA-AOPA, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time) or from AOPA Flight Training Online or AOPA Online. If you're not already a member, join today and get the pilot's edge. Login information is available online. FLIGHT TRAINING NEWSAFIT launches 14-day private trainingAccelerated Flight and Instrument Training (AFIT) said this week it has launched a 14-day course leading to a private pilot certificate. The course is being held in Concord, Calif., and Boulder, Colo. AFIT has long specialized in short and intensive instrument training, but with this course the company is trying to get people from no flight time to private pilot in only two weeks. The cost of the course is $595 per day. Dowling College flight program future in questionDowling College announced last week it was halting its flight operations major and canceling all flight training, only to overturn the decision a few days later. According to school officials quoted in Long Island Business News , the decision was intended to allow more focus on the school’s nonflying aviation majors. But after announcing the move, school officials backtracked on the decision, and said only that they were trying to outsource the training. At this point the flight program’s future remains somewhat uncertain. Helicopter career seminar set for late OctoberHeli Success is hosting a helicopter job fair and career seminar on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 in Las Vegas. The fair will feature a number of different companies who are looking for helicopter pilots on site, as well as two days worth of seminars intended for those in helicopter career schools or helicopter flight instructors. Topics include networking, what it’s like to work in various parts of the industry, career survival, resume preparation, and more. The cost starts at $150. Get an insight with IFR charts online courseSo you’ve decided to go the next step and get your instrument rating. Congratulations! On your journey to become a safe, capable IFR pilot, you need a solid understanding of how to use and fly with instrument charts. And the AOPA Air Safety Foundation’s IFR Insights: Charts online course provides just that. With many practical tips on how to use the charts, from departure procedures to instrument approaches, this course will get you up to speed with NACO and Jeppesen products. So don’t wait, take the course. Inside AOPANavigate the airport safely with runway flash cardsIf you are preparing for your first cross country flight to an unfamiliar airport, make sure to review the Air Safety Foundation’s Runway Safety Flash Cards before takeoff. Formatted to be printed and folded—the front displays an airport sign or pavement marking, while the back provides a description and the required pilot action—these cards are also incredibly useful when you’re cramming for the checkride! The cards are supported by a grant from the FAA Office of Runway Safety. Download your free set. Fuel safety Web poll with your opinionDo you rely on memory to switch fuel tanks? Or do you deploy some other device to remind you? The Air Safety Foundation wants to know! Share your thoughts and see how others voted. | Got news? Contact ePilot. Having difficulty using this service? Visit the ePilot Frequently Asked Questions now at AOPA Online or write to [email protected]. |
When you began learning to land your training aircraft, someone may have offered the observation that landing “is only an option.” What did that mean?
Flying with cardiovascular disease
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