I missed the New Years fireworks by focusing in on Ski Mountains, airports, and hotels without using a proper scan. Just like in the cockpit. Will have to do better next time.
My 2 cts. There are a LOT of nervous pilots out there. Just because they are pilots does not mean they are comfortable in the air. The only way to know this is to having known the pilot and the way he flys.
Personally I think every powered pilot should get at least 10 hrs of glider training. This way when the engine quits they dont freeze in place. We’re not talking about helicopters here guys.
Yesterday I was watching a You tube video and it was an instructor discussing emergency procedures using an IPad in a Cirrus. He went through a bunch of procedures using the I Pad if VFR to land at an airport. Continuing with his presentation, he said if its IFR and the engine quits just pull the chute. Now logic would dictate situational awareness should be first order of business discussed.
1 What am I flying over? City, Forest, water, mountains,farmland, prairies, nearest airport, road?
2 What is the Altitude and how far can I reasonably glide?
3 Day or night?
4 Bases of overcast?
Those are all things you know before the engine stops and you theoretically have certain things in your mind that you will do. For example if over land you wont do a ditching procedure.
The only time I would pull a chute would be the same reason Id jump from the plane with a parachute strapped to my back.
Only when I have no other option as in flying over sharp mountains like certain portion of the Alps. At night over inhospitable terrain which includes water or if there is IMC below 1500’ over inhospitable terrain.
I went to a 210 Systems course by CPA. One of the attendees was an Aviatrix. She had an engine failure and put it down on its gear onto a country road flanked by trees either side without any damage to the plane. Respect whether man or women. She was a pilot.
So I think that guy in the video should not leave it that easy, “just pull the chute” because someone will take the esay way out and just remember, “all I have to do is pull the chute”, without thinking of anything else.
Sorry, Gene – but if you look at the statistics, it becomes completely clear: Even over landable terrain the chute pull is the better option, because it is very likely,nobody will get hurt. And that’s the most important thing, nothing else. If i was over an airport, I’d glide it down, because i know i can do it. Away from an airport the chute is always the better option. And: if you come down on a flat surface, meadow, field – there’s a big chance the airplane will fly again.
BTW: the Cirrus is not a great glider. 9.6:1 – and even that is optimistic. With my 4-blade prop it’s probably only 7:1.
Yes, glider training is great. Works fine in the Warrior too :-)
tomjnx wrote:
I guess if you “sh* yourself” then the first thing would be to get over that and regain some ability to act. How do you train that?
At the club where I took ab initio training (in a Yak-52, no less), a girl who already had her PPL landed gear up, breaking the prop. The boss immediately (not even in 5 minutes, but really immediately) moved her into another plane and forced her to fly a few circuits. Everyone was surprised, but he definitely knew what he was doing. A nasty bastard but an immensely experienced fighter pilot and wing commander he was.
That’s the best strategy. While doing my PPL i once got into a scary situation that could have ended my flying carreer right at the start. I spent the next couple of days flying all the time and successfully fought the fear. Had i not done that – i am not sure i would have flown again. It is critical that you work on these things immediately.
Yes the Red Baron, Eric Hartman, even Chuck Yeager had issues with their first flights. Come to think of it so did I. 
Forgot the smile.
Flyer59 wrote:
Flyer59 02-Jan-16 21:16 #62
Sorry, Gene – but if you look at the statistics, it becomes completely clear: Even over landable terrain the chute pull is the better option, because it is very likely,nobody will get hurt.
I cant buy that. Most GA airplanes (singles) have a 62Kt stall speed because the slower the better so an off airport landing especially in a field is almost normal. Afterall most airplanes used airfields as airports 50 yrs ago in the states. Only with the introduction of the tricycle gear was it better to land on pavement. Look at how many grass fields you have in Europe which are used as airports 4-1 maybe 5-1 or more.
If what you say is correct then all gliders should have parachutes and use them when they cant get back to the sailport. I would venture to say most sailplane pilots have at least one off sailport landing. Especially ones in competition.
There is a time and place for everything. So I dont belittle the guys who have chutes Im just not certain every chute pull event was necessary.
Perhaps guys with chutes take chances that they are not up for either by skill or poor judgement knowing in the back of their mind that there is an out with the chute.
Of course there are those who where just plain unlucky and lucky for them they had a chute.
By the way I think the Chute revitalized GA. More people are willing to get into the plane knowing their lives are not dependent on the pilot staying alive.
It’s a simple statistic, that’s all. No pilot of a Cirrus who pulled the chute within the system’s envelope died, almost none of them got hurt – and some who tried to land on a field died.
Without the chute you will land at 70 kts mininum, with the chute you come down with a vertical speed of 17 kts. Guess what carries a greater risk!
How many more times will this be posted over and over and over? I get out of bed in the morning and I see yet more of these same posts. I am going to start deleting the repetitive stuff.
It’s not relevant to PFLs anyway.
Normally we allow a certain amount of digression because it makes for a more interesting discussion but nowadays so much gets derailed into the Cirrus chute territory.
For example on the Socata group any Cirrus discussion is simply banned instantly – because it always seems to go the same way. Do we want that here? I don’t think so.
Can you @Flyer59 spend more time on COPA and a bit less here, please?
Good Morning, Peter! I hope you are well. No problem to delete anything you don’t like. I thoght i had never mentioned the 17 knots vertical speed. My bad!
I like both forums a lot, COPA and euroGA!
PS: i promise not to write about the Cirrus anymore, don’t worry.
