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The most reliable way to do a forced landing? High Key / Low Key

huv wrote:

I agree that the altimeter should not be used for training final approaches, neither normal approaches nor emergency ones.

…because under the stress of an emergency, your angular estimate of the height above the field will have the same accuracy as one or both of the altimeters ?

As to the height, 1000ft AGL abeam the numbers downwind is naturally just as good as 2000ft AGL above the numbers.

I would still – and in particular without the option of a go around – have the preference to get a visual right in the landing direction before going down there. Just personal choice.

...
EDM_, Germany

Peter wrote:

You also have S turns. Very effective and any type can do them safely.

I would not necessarily trust myself to fly several turns properly, in a situation when the natural instinct is slow down and thus for myself consider this an increase of the risk of a stall (which happens too often in engine trouble situations). Flying a pattern profile is done moreoften, no/limited increase of risk)

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EDM_, Germany

when once on final would be a min. flaps approch be the 1st option – to have the “more flaps” option as a “tool to adjust” ?

fly2000
To put it more clearly, you can do the square pattern from ANY altitude. You just divide your remaining altitude above your choosen landing site by four and use that result for counting down the feet for each square side . Basically that highkey/lowkey business was meant to be some exercise for engine out emergency landings when you look for some suitable area to touch down when the front goes silent. So in such a situation you find a field somewhere at best glide speed and note your altitude when you are just above it. If you arrive at 1000 ft altitude there and the ground is appr. 200 ft you have 800 ft to loose. That makes 200 ft for each side of the square pattern. Now when you do that pattern at 200 ft steps you will be close enough for an acceptable final and landing. It does not matter what aircraft you fly , what speed or configuration, you just estimate your height over the emergency landing field and use one quart of that for each side of the pattern to arrive at roughly a situation for a reasonable landing. You certainly adjust the final by cutting corners or full flaps/slipping to reach the place hopefully. So no landing gear or flaps for most of the pattern as you want to keep braking effects to the last part of the circuit as required. I believe that strategy to be safer to use in an emergency than any other ways or acrobatics first time from intuitions that may be a bit too far from the target finally for a good outcome. As I wrote some time ago, we did engine idle landings from pattern altitude for PPL from day ONE , no IFR three degree airliner nuisance with partial flaps and lots of power for dragging up to the runway finally. The flight school´s argument was, if you can do it that way – sort of simulated emergency landing with engine out – onto a short runway, then you can do it any day onto a long runway, engine or not. Vic
vic
EDME

As an aside, ForeFlight has a great glide range tool. Essentially, you define the glide ratio of your airplane and it then draws a line around your glide range. Importantly, it takes terrain elevation and winds into account!

Long ago I flew with Rufus Heald who taught me dead engine landing the RAF way. If memory stands, he said that I have to look at my touch down point at an angle of 45 degrees. As the altitude is reduces there is a need to move closer to the touch down point.
When we flew it at Exeter airport, I closed the throttle at 2000’ at the beginning of the down wind leg and kept the 45 degrees all the way down and this also dictates the turning point to base and final.

Ben wrote:

and kept the 45 degrees all the way down and this also dictates the turning point to base and final.

That may work on a low-wing aircraft, it won’t on a Cessna (or other high wing).

172driver wrote:

As an aside, ForeFlight has a great glide range tool. Essentially, you define the glide ratio of your airplane and it then draws a line around your glide range. Importantly, it takes terrain elevation and winds into account!

I believe they copied that idea from SkyDemon…
YPJT, United Arab Emirates

That idea is actually very very old. And the range circle is largely bogus given that the tablet has no idea of the actual wind. At best, it will pull in the GFS forecast before you take off, assuming there is a working internet connection (not many tablet users have a SIM card in their tablet, etc…). Also the range is terrain elevation dependent so it may be a complex shape.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

That idea is actually very very old. And the range circle is largely bogus given that the tablet has no idea of the actual wind. At best, it will pull in the GFS forecast before you take off, assuming there is a working internet connection (not many tablet users have a SIM card in their tablet, etc…). Also the range is terrain elevation dependent so it may be a complex shape.

So? GFS isn’t going to be too far wrong….better than nothing…. and yes, terrain is tanken into account…as does FF…

YPJT, United Arab Emirates
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