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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

How to survive
engine failure

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28 FLIGHT SAFETY AUSTRALIA AUTUMN 1997

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