Sky Arrow Landing

[FastEddieB]

What a gorgeous day in N GA and E TN! My transponder was due for its biennial check, and the shop I used last time, Horizon Avionics, is at KTYS in Knoxville.

 

I had planned on working out some sort of bracket for my iPhone4, but did not get around to it. Its in an Otterbox case, and that let me just wedge it between the glareshield and the windshield. Downsides are that it's at about a 20º angle and it's shooting through the windshield, not exceptionally clean right now.

 

Anyway, returning home:

 

 

As I said, the camera's at a bit of an angle, so I'm not banked right throughout.

 

I've mentioned that I like high final approaches, but will often begin my roundout short of the runway, for minimal flare. This is a good example of that. I know it looks risky, but in over 6,000 hours I've only kicked up gravel once - its all in knowing what my friend Trip calls one's "energy state".

[Jim]

I've mentioned that I like high final approaches, but will often begin my roundout short of the runway, for minimal flare. This is a good example of that. I know it looks risky, but in over 6,000 hours I've only kicked up gravel once - its all in knowing what my friend Trip calls one's "energy state".

 

LOL

 

On my pp checkride short field landing, the examiner told me he wanted me to touch down between the numbers and the first stripe. I told him we would be rounding out in the oat field to do that. He said I'd have to do whatever it takes. I passed the checkride.

[N89WD]

What a pretty setting for an airstrip!

[FastEddieB]

What a pretty setting for an airstrip!

 

Yep! We live in a pretty little slice of heaven...

 

...though I hear Wyoming has a few "pretty settings" of its own!

[N89WD]

I won't disagree with ya Ed. I love NW Wyoming!

[207WF]

Not to be tpp picky, FastEddy, but what is the purpose of your drag-it-in-low approach when you have so much extra runway. What if you lost the engine short final? WF

[FastEddieB]

Not to be too picky, FastEddy, but what is the purpose of your drag-it-in-low approach when you have so much extra runway. What if you lost the engine short final? WF

 

I HATE "drag-it-in-low approach(es). It may not be obvious, but I had the power all the way off and was gliding for most of the final. I think if you watch it again, there's no change in sound with the runway made - the runway was made throughout. With the camera at an angle, its hard to see but I'm pretty sure I slipped a bit to get the plane where I wanted it.

 

Anyway, I do these for practice. I think its important to be able to land a plane at a certain point on the runway, and its something I've gotten pretty consistent with.

 

Until one has a firm grip on how far their plane will go in the flare, I would use an aim point farther down the runway. And I would not do it this way on a gusty day, or if the terrain short of the runway was inhospitable - we had a Cirrus crash at Mountain Air that hit a downdraft just short of the runway. Good news is it only damaged the plane and the pilot's ego. In contrast there was a Columbia that came in high and hot at the same airport, then bounced and swerved, and this was the result, with three fatalities:

 

 

I see too many pilots who are happy to land "somewhere in the first half of the runway", usually having no clear idea of where their touchdown point will be. And approaching and landing fast. Practicing landing on a certain point in a full stall is a good thing to do, and a valuable skill to nurture.