It was all going so well; the takeoff, the instrument work, the
steep turn, the power on stall. All completely passable. Before I’ve really had
time to recover my breath, Bob pulls back the power.
I set up for the forced approach. I’ve got a reasonable field
picked; long with the option of a diagonal landing if it comes to that. I’m
using the 360 technique and orbiting down to try and make it.
It starts to go a little scrappy but I’m determined to keep flying
it until the bitter end. As it turns out I don’t quite make it. I come in a
little high.
We overshoot. Bob takes control so that I can give him my undivided
attention while we discuss what went wrong. In my head I know that I made my
turn a little too tight from a little too high and no amount of slipping was going
to bring it back. I also know that I thought I was at 30 degrees of flap when
in reality I was still at 20 (JES has kind of a stiff flap setting from 20-30,
it’s easy to miss).
I fully expect Bob to run through those mistakes with me.
Instead his first sentence freezes me in my seat.
“I didn’t see any engine warming”
I have nothing to say.
I’m mortified that I’ve overlooked something so basic, something so potentially dangerous.
I’m mortified that I’ve overlooked something so basic, something so potentially dangerous.
“I kept an eye on the engine temperature, it was okish but it kind
of stuttered on the overshoot.” He adds.
I’m gutted.
That’s an amateur mistake. Rookie error.
And yet in all of this, I know why he let me do it. The shock
factor alone of thinking of what could have happened is enough that I’ll never
let that happen again.
Bullet dodged. It was a cooler than usual day. Any cooler and; well
I don’t like to think about what might have happened.
Sure enough on the next attempt,Bob has to gently chide me for over
enthusiastic engine warming.
“Once every 500ft or so is fine.” He reassures me.
Ah, yes... It's been a long time since I've done one of those... I've been examined on these 3 times now, all by the same great guy I used to know. (1 for rec, 1 for PPL. 1 for flight-review for currency. I hope he's having fun now giving check-rides to St. Peter "up there".)
ReplyDeleteOn the actual exam, you'll want to make it nice and clear on the pre-flight brief who is responsible for what.
My personal preference is that an engine warm-up is not something you do on a real forced approach. (If the engine really quit, you're probably at full throttle to minimize vacuum loss from the engine pumping.) After it's been established that the engine is really a goner, I pronounce its death and give the examiner control of the engine, with the caveat that if he wants to warm it, give me a little notice for pitch. (It also takes my right hand off the throttle and avoids the subconscious desire to push it back in.) That is likely more realistic and relieves you of the responsibility of doing the engine warm-up. One less thing that they can fail you for. ;-)
Simon
Hmm , dunno what I think of that as a technique. I need to check the new flight test standards but I'm fairly convinced that it is a failure item if you don't do the engine warming.
DeleteGotta love instructors. They have a way of driving home salient points that you never forget. My trick with engine warms is that I do them at the top of the hour, i.e. when the big hand on the altimeter hits the top I engine warm. Makes it easy to remember.
ReplyDeleteyeah that moment sent my blood cold.
DeleteI'll try that , thank you