Confession time.

One of the airwork items I got a less than stellar score on was my forced approach. I got a “2” which is basically a “girl, you just about squeaked a pass there”

During the debrief he chided me for a poor choice of field.

He was right. I told him as much.

What I didn’t tell him was that I wasn’t 100% convinced that I “landed” in the field I first picked out.

When he cut the power on me I trimmed for best glide and selected a likely looking field. I quickly described to LE where I intended to put it down. I wasn’t being deliberately vague but I had my hands full trying to do the million and one other things that are needed.

As I set up for my rate one turn, I realised that I had lost sight of my field.

CRAP, CRAP, CRAP!!!!!

I don’t have many options here. I really don’t wanna fail on my forced approach. Hell I don’t want to fail at all! I’ve just survived a power on stall and the worst should be behind me now.

What to do?

All the time I’m mulling this over, I’m still in my rate one turn and I’m doing all the extra stuff, like the restart and cause check and mock mayday call. I try to remember exactly how I described the field to LE. I see a field below me that could match the description, but I’m fairly certain wasn’t my original choice.

Ah sod it, what is the worst that can happen? I’m confident that I can make the field I’ve reacquired. 

If anything I’m too high. But that is manageable.

I make it, just.

Probably in the last third of the field but passable, I think. Secretly I’m a little pleased that I didn’t panic and try to dive to the runway; instead I set up a fairly aggressive slip and just about managed to pull it off.

But he’s right in his marking assessment. It was a bit of a gong show to be honest!