Originally Posted by
NoyGonnaDoIt
Every time I see one of these discussions I try to picture a solo pilot, faced with a sudden powerplant failure, pulling out his E6B and calculator so that he can accurately figure out the precise indicated airspeed to use to maximize his glide...
... for the 30 seconds since a minute later, the airplane will be lower, maybe turning toward a landing site (although maybe not with the pilot's head in the cockpit figuring out best speed) and the calculation will need to be done all over again.
I know. I know. I like an academic discussion as much as the next guy, but still...
I know what you mean... however... as luck would have it I found myself about 4 months ago with a pretty serious fuel valve problem (which resulted in less than 4 gal in the functioning tank) at around 12,500ft in a 172 out over ocean with the nearest airport (and land) being Punta Cana (90nm)... there was a tailwind to Punta Cana, but a headwind to Aguadilla... but... luckily I leaned it out enough and started a descent rate to make it 'just in case', the engine coughed while turning base for the runway in Punta Cana and shut off on the apron...
Now not everyone will find themselves in that type of position... but I haven't been flying for too, too long and it happened to me - while this conversation is less than practical - there's always the possibility
- it's nice to know what can help you/hurt you.
You never know what kind of situation you'll find yourself in....