News

WHY EVERY PILOT SHOULD PRACTICE POWER-OFF 180 LANDINGS

It’s unlikely you’ll ever have an engine failure abeam the aim point markers on downwind…so why are power-off 180s so important to practice?

WHAT EXACTLY IS A ‘POWER-OFF 180?’

Performing a power-off 180 is just what it sounds like. Abeam an aiming point on downwind, engine power is cut to idle (at or below 1000 feet AGL per ACS standards), and you maneuver to land as close to that preselected point as possible. Most pilots pitch for best glide speed, at least initially, to improve chances of making the runway point.

While it’s not usually a required maneuver for private pilots, it’s a great maneuver to practice for any pilot. The ACS has the following standards for maneuver completion: “Touch down within -0/+200 feet from the specified touchdown point with no side drift, minimum float, and with the airplane’s longitudinal axis aligned with and over the runway centerline.”

SHOULD YOU FOLLOW THE VASI ON FINAL APPROACH?

It’s a question debated by flight instructors and pilots around the country… after flying a traffic pattern, should you use the VASI as a descent aid for final approach, or should you land close to the numbers to avoid wasting valuable runway?

The short answer? Use the VASI when you can, and here’s why…

PAPI VS. VASI

Before diving into how you should plan a descent using visual guidance systems, it’s important to know a little bit about how they work. For the purpose of this article, we’ll use “VASI” as a synonymous term for any vertical guidance lighting system.

According to the AIM, the Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI) is a system of lights arranged to provide visual descent guidance information during the approach to a runway. These lights are visible from 3-5 miles during the day and up to 20 miles or more at night. The visual glide path of the VASI provides safe obstruction clearance within plus or minus 10 degrees of the extended runway centerline and to 4 NM from the runway threshold.

IF YOUR ENGINE FAILS, SHOULD YOU FLY BEST GLIDE OR MINIMUM SINK?

When you think about power off landings, there are probably a lot of things that go through your head, like finding an airport within gliding distance, finding an off-field landing site if there aren’t any airports, and last-ditch efforts to get your engine running again before you’re out of altitude.

In 2013, there were thirteen fatal accidents related to power off landings, according to the NTSB. You’re faced with some very serious decisions during a power off landing. But after you’ve run your checklists and determined your engine isn’t coming back to life, handling a power-off landing really comes down to three simple things: aviate, navigate, and communicate.

MAXIMIZING GLIDE RANGE, OR TIME ALOFT?

6 WAYS PILOTS GET CONFUSED IN THE CLOUDS (AND HOW TO PREVENT IT)

As fall approaches, we’ll start seeing more gray, IFR days. And that’s important, because 5-10% of all general aviation accidents result from spatial disorientation, and of those accidents, 90% of them are fatal.

WHY DISORIENTATION HAPPENS IN THE CLOUDS

Your eyes are your primary sensory input when you’re flying. You look outside, you see which way the sky is pointing, and you adjust your airplane. But all of that falls apart when you’re in the clouds.

THE PROS AND CONS OF CARBURETED VS. FUEL INJECTED ENGINES

There are two main types of fuel induction systems in airplanes: carburetors, fuel injectors. Each system has benefits and drawbacks – here’s why.

Let’s start with a basic systems overview.

CARBURETED ENGINES

Carburetors house a float-type chamber, where fuel is collected and distributed to the induction system.