Previously on What would you do…
Jus…@Tiger.Highway1.com.au (Justin Long) questioned his instructor’s
reaction to his decision to abort takeoff when no airspeed observed.
To which, k…@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Ed Krol) replied:
EK>If you managed to stop, you by definition did the right thing.
EK>i guess the bottom line is if you took off what would you have
EK>done then.
I agree with you and Ed. It was your decision as PIC, and with sufficient
runway remaining to stop, there is no more risk in aborting than
continuing. In fact, too few pilots are prepared for the possibility of an
abort (either takeoff or landing) and run into trouble.
As to what to do if the decision was to go, I’d say that this is an
excellent reason to practice with a covered (working) airspeed indicator,
preferably with an instructor who is familiar with the airplane.
I can tell you that if you put me in a Cessna 152 or 172 (airplanes I’ve
spent most of my instruction time in) I can tell you how fast we are going
simply by looking at the angle of the nose WRT the horizon, and the power
setting. Likewise, I can tell you what power setting/flap setting will
result in what speed. Given no airspeed indication, I could takeoff and
land just as well as if I had the instrument.
Not trying to blow my own horn here. This is not a difficult skill. My
students are amazed at how easy it is for THEM to do with very little
practice. If that bug gets you in mid-flight, or heaven forbid, the pitot
collects ice, you will still be able to fly the machine with a high degree
of confidence and safety.
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| #### #### John Freas, ATP/CFII-ME | Ft.Lauderdale FL (KFLL)
| # # === === === === === === === === === === === ==
| ####### #### john.fr…@mgmtsys.com | Lear 23: N415LJ
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* WR [NR] * UNREGISTERED EVALUATION COPY
>>>>> On Sun, 21 May 1995 20:47:00 -0500, john.fr…@mgmtsys.com (John Freas) said:
John> Not trying to blow my own horn here. This is not a difficult skill. My
John> students are amazed at how easy it is for THEM to do with very little
John> practice.
Right on. Years ago when I was checking out in a 172 for night flight
the instructor killed all the interior lights on final. There was no
problem guessing what the airspeed was and it was good practice for
when your alternator quits and you can’t/don’t want to mess with a
flashlight. Admittedly we were going into San Jose Muni (wasn’t Intl
back then).
Here’s a radical thought: no instrument is *critical* to day VFR.
Therefore the decision to abort a takeoff should be made based mainly
on how safe the abort can be done, rather than how important the
instrument is.
—
Ralph Finch 916-653-8268:voice 916-653-6077:fax
rfi…@dop.water.ca.gov / finger for PGP public key
"Nada burra la chamaca." A.G.
Any opinions expressed are my own; they do not represent my employer
Ralph Finch <rfi…@water.ca.gov> wrote:
>Here’s a radical thought: no instrument is *critical* to day VFR.
yup. During flight training towards a private pilot’s licence, we
always emphasize the big emergencies: complete engine failure, etc.
What I like to do, after a student is solo, is practice some "little"
emergencies. Do some pattern work, with a sticky. First time, cover
up the VSI. No big deal. Next, the altimeter. Then, the tachometer.
Then, the ASI.
We all know the aircraft will fly just fine in day vfr without any of
the above; the question is, can the pilot?
If an asi failure is noticed early enough on the takeoff run, esp
with a long runway, if the pilot is not confident of their ability
to fly a no-asi pattern, well, power off and cook the brakes.
Some more of my fav "little" emergencies: pop my door open after
takeoff, and ask the student what he is going to do. The correct
answer, of course, is to simply ignore it, join the pattern and land.
An open door is noisy, but causes little drag. Don’t need much power
to make a lot of noise. 1/10th of a horsepower is _really_ loud.
Another one: give the student 1800 rpm, see what they do. Hint: if
best distance glide speed is immediately established, a landing at an
airport can be achieved. Obviously, playing with the carb heat, mixture,
primer and mags is a Really Good Idea in this situation.
Another one: ask that the forced approach be completed to touchdown, to
an appropriate surface, of course. Too many people think that the PFL
is over at 500 AGL, when in fact they’re only halfway there.
The transition from no-flap best glide speed configuration to a full
flap soft field approach configuration is a tricky one for a low-time
pilot. And without power, the flare requires precise timing to avoid
a hard landing.
Keep training for those emergencies. One of these days, it could
happen to you.
–
#include <std.disclaimer>
I missed the original post, but my two cents include the following statement:
"A real pilot should never abort a takeoff" with the slightest doubt she wouldn’t throttle up in the first place!
mrav…@doc.Tymnet.COM (Mich Ravera) wrote:
>I missed the original post, but my two cents include the following statement:
>"A real pilot should never abort a takeoff" with the slightest doubt she wouldn’t throttle up in the first place!
they tell me not to blow into the pitot tube so I guess I am going
to have to add the high speed taxi to me preflight checklist to check
the Airspeed. Or perhaps I need to get a complete pitot static testing
unit so I can test the Altimeter, ROC, and Airspeed all together.
The point is, make the check that are reasonable, and have
contigencies for the rest.
Brian
bc…@micron.net