Right, the last episode left you ‘Hanging around in mid air’ so we’d better get you down now before you run out of fuel!
A landing is inevitable anyway. The first thing that you need to know is if anyone else has called or is in the process of landing or has landed and is on the patch retrieving their aircraft. If all is clear call “LANDING CIRCUIT” and then start your descending landing circuit. As this is a follow-on from the previous take off and fly circuits article, the landing will be in the same direction because the wind ‘ain’t changed OK! Height is best lost on the last three legs of your circuit. The best glide angle according to the type of aircraft, the wind speed and the turbulence is maintained by good use of the throttle. In no-wind conditions the throttle will be lowered a little on each of the last three legs and using a little up elevator to maintain a correct attitude in the right turns. With stronger wind conditions, a reserve of power will be needed to avoid falling into the “Wind Shear” trap. That is when the wind being closer to the ground is slowed by friction. This shows up usually when on your approach in a strongish head wind, your airspeed suddenly drops by ten-mph or so when you are a few feet from the landing. If you were flying close to the stall then the result of this is very predictable… black bag and off home for an early tea! - There’ll be no smug look on yer face this time!
Now, having made your circuit a little wider and longer to allow yourself a little more thinking time, you have turned right on to “finals” and allowed yourself a nice long approach; you call clearly to your buddies “LANDING APPROACH”. What you should do now is to set up an approach that would be about 25/50m short of the thresh-hold and then adjust the glide path by the use of balancing the throttle control and the elevator control. By increasing the angle of attack slightly and increasing the power slightly, you can do two things; (1) slow down the aircraft by increasing the drag and (2) stretch the glide by varying the throttle. The limit to which you can do this will vary according to aircraft type and the prevailing conditions. An aircraft with a heavy wing loading will need much more power to maintain it safely and will probably have a tendency to tip stall when you least want it! Another point to remember is that when you have almost landed, not to close the throttle too quickly because that is what is keeping you airborne. Suddenly closing the throttle will result in a landing arrival more or less immediately! Whoops… retracts! This also raises a parallel point with glider flying; that is that some types of glider landing aids (usually flaps) will give you a similar effect when landing: Having deployed flaps, you suddenly realise that you are going to land short. What do you do? Why you put the flaps away of course! These flaps were creating a lot of lift as well as drag so the result is not what you initially expected and you land immediately… more retracts! So beware in both cases, careful and gradual use of the controls is always recommended! (When learning to fly gliders, Barry told me “The use of air brakes are not compulsory!”)(And I’ve learned since that neither are they compulsory if you have them fitted to a power plane! Use them as and when needed.)
By now you will be nearing the thresh-hold and you should call clearly “LANDING” and commence your final approach adjusting your descent as appropriate. It is at this point that you will see the value in having a slightly longer approach as opposed to hacking around the last corner and trying to deal with an excess of speed as well as an inaccurate approach line. Patience and calm is what is needed and if all is not right then always consider that the landing is not compulsory (until you run short of fuel that is!). Call “OVERSHOOT” advance the throttle slowly, climb back into circuit then start the procedure all over again. I say advance throttle slowly because this is the time, after an extended period at low throttle, when the engine is most likely to turn your power plane into a glider, i.e. by going quiet… and that the loudest ‘quiet’ that you’ll ever hear!
If all is OK and you make the ‘flair-out’ nice and gentle, you would have completed another successful flight… well almost, Check that the approach is clear and clearly call “ON THE PATCH” before retrieving your aircraft. (You are not going to taxi back toward all your best mates and put them in danger are you?) The last things to do are to return the frequency peg, (like I always do…) sit down and have a deserved cup of coffee.
Well that’s yer
basic landing with a few points emphasised. Here are a few points to think
about before and whilst engaged in your landing circuit:
1. You still need to know where all the other aircraft are in relation to
your aircraft even though you are on a descending circuit, because they could
be about to attempt a low pass without informing you. (But none of your flying
buddies would do that anyway would they?)
2. As part of your initial appraisal of the approach and landing, you would
have noticed any obstructions (Targets!) that may interfere with your approach
so that you can make adjustments. Trees for instance have a nasty habit of
developing legs at the most inconvenient moment, as do telegraph poles so
don’t fly near them.
3. A word on avoidance of obstacles: Depth perception cannot be relied on
so create an angular separation by flying over it and never nearer or further.
4. When in a head on situation with another aircraft, it is usual for the
most experienced pilot to take the avoiding action… therefore you both
die! Seriously, this situation is controlled by 50/50 experience/luck!!! (Actually,
if you all fly circuits, a head on situation should not occur!)
5. Oh! Lastly, and most of all, Don’t panic… enjoy the adrenaline!
