landing area at all times in order to land suctude than normal.
OT SO LONG AGO MY DRIFTER Turning onto final into a head wind will training aircraft was badly damaged cessfully. If you turn away from the landing reduce your gliding distance. An unexpected due to an engine failure when flown area and have your back to it, you may drift sink could cause you to fall short. Excess altiby a solo, inexperienced pilot. The engine was too far away causing you to fall short. Never forget to fly the aircraft. If there is tude should be lost only when there is no a Rotax 582 with only 190 hours. The reason plenty of time and altitude, carry out any doubt of making the landing area. Flaps or it stopped is not as important as what the pilot checks required. If there is not, don't waste sideslipping are the best methods of losing did or failed to do about it. height. Engines can and do stop for any number of time and concentration on useless checks or Do not try to stretch the glide. If you are reasons. It is what the pilot does that makes restarting the engine. Concentrate only on flying the aircraft and landing safely. holding the best glide speed for the aircraft all the difference between a successful landweight and the wind component, the gliding ing and a disaster. Approach distance can't be increased. So what are these rules? If doing three legs of the circuit, always turn By holding up the nose further, you will only Always fly as if the engine is going to stop in base leg and final approach with more altigo down steeper. You may reduce the rate of the next second so that you keep within gliddescent, but the angle of ing distance of clear terdescent will be worse. It rain and a safe landing is better to fly it onto the area. Observe the terrain ground, short of the below you and form a landing area than to stall mental picture of what onto the ground, further you see and the danger short of the landing area areas: fence lines, power trying to stretch the glide. lines, sheds and so on An ultraliqht enqine failure need not lead to an accident Landing Plan of action - provided some basic rules are followed. You have done everything Have a plan of what you right so far, but there is would do if your engine still room for disaster. stopped right now. Try On flying over the to have more than one threshold of the landing option available for ...... area, lower the nose and landing, and try to use increase the speed a little the largest area available. Pr over what you would norAlways know where mally use in the same conthe wind is coming from ditions with the engine and at what speed. Wind working. A heavy sink or a direction and speed are stall at this point breaks very important for your aircraft, and sometimes judging your gliding disbones. tance. You will glide furA bit of speed in your ther with a tail wind favour can help to prevent than with a head wind. this happening. Know the best glide The landing is not over speed and stall speed for until the aircraft comes to the aircraft that you are a full stop. What you do on flying. the ground is as important If your engine has as what you did in the air. stopped, don't just I took someone for an punch the stick forward it a while back and I asked - the altitude lost at this i mm: -wnat is tue most important thing you difference between making it and not making should be doing up here right now?" He it. Establish best glide speed as soon as possiIf your engine has thought a while, then replied, "Having fun' ble. This will give you the longest gliding disMy reply was: "Mate, it's only fun if we stay, tance and therefore the best chance to get it stopped, don't just alive. There is no fun picking up the pieces' right. punch the stick forThe reason many of us are attracted to The best glide speed varies relative to the ultralight flying is the excitement it offers. But manoeuvre being flown. For example, a 60 ward - the altitude this must be tempered in recognition of the degree bank requires a speed higher than best lost at this point could need to maintain safety margins. glide speed. Remember that any manoeuvre Follow the rules, and you will live, like be the difference creates drag which causes you to go down myself, to take your grandchildren for a fly. faster. Altitude can always be lost, but very between making it rarely regained. and not making it. Franco Arri is an Australian Ultralight Federation Keep sight of your chosen landing area. You chief flying instructor. must know where you are relative to your