Take Off and Landings ( Both Soft and Short)
 

Hello Everyone,
I want to say thank you to everyone who assisted me in getting my normal landings together and right. I could not of done it without your help. I really appreciate it. Thanks once again. I am asking if you can assist me or giving me some advise on how to do soft field and short field take off and landings. I am having these problems outlined below on soft field and short filed take off and landings.

Soft field Take Off:

(1) Not knowing when and how much back pressure to release to stay in ground effect until my Vy Speed is attained. I always over correct. Somtimes the plane comes out of ground effect before i reach my Vy speed.

Soft Field Landing:

(1) For the airplane i fly ( Piper Cadet PA 28), It is recommended that we land with 1100 - 1200 RPM of power. When I try to land with this power setting, i balloon a lot. Sometimes I would have to just add full power and do a go around or I try to release some back pressure then try and flare again.

Short Field Landing:

(1) I normally land beyond the desired touch down point. I normally want to land on the second stripe, but i normally go beyond it.

Thanks in advance for your time and your assistance. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks once again.

soft field take off:

let the airplane get off the ground as soon as it can, then try and keep it right over the ground (10-20ft) until reaching Vy. This will most likely require some slight forward pressure as the airplane accelerates.

soft field landing:

try less power and maybe more back pressure

short field landing:

if you are consistantly landing long of your aiming point DONT CHANGE ANYTHING, just aim shorter on the runway. (maybe the beginning of the first centerline stripe)

I think you might need to reduce your power to help you with both landing scenario's. A little extra helps the first few times, but it really doesn't take much power to make an aircraft float when it's on the verge of landing anyways. A smooth transition takes time, so don't get too flustered, it's just what learning it about.

Short field landing... in a 172 I usually just fly on the almost point of the backside of the power curve - keep a little power in (as some would say dragging it in) on short final. Get low over the threshold, pull the power about a little bit (laterally) from where I want to be - always hits the spot.

The point being that there's enough drag created by a high AOA that when you pull the power you land a couple feet in front of you. It's seemed to work.

Soft field landing - just remember the points... 1) soft landing: Do what you have to do to make this happen...if you want to "cushion" the landing with power, you probably won't need too much power. 2) keep your nose up and enough power to not get stuck.

You should ask your CFI if you can go to a grass strip and experience everything.

I have very little experience with the PA-28, but I can tell you what works for me in a C172. Short field takeoff - Try your best to be ultra smooth with the backpressure. For an experienced pilot there will be no quick aft forward transitions on the yoke. In order to accelerate to Vy you will need to start with a lot of backpressure and smoothly decrease until there's no pressure, then to the point that you will need to push the yoke to remain in ground effect.
Soft field landing - If you need to decrease the amount of power to reduce float, then do it. Just remember, you can have some float with the soft field. It was also recommended that you choose an aiming point closer on the runway, another valid suggestion.
Short field landing - I treat these the same as a normal approach and landing. If you hit the target 50 ft. airspeed outlined in the POH on a normal approach and landing, the airplane won't float too much. I disagree with "dragging it in" as I discussed in the thread on mushing, but I'll leave that story for that thread.

Soft-field T/O:
You start with full backpressure and release some as the elevator gains effectiveness due to airspeed. Once you feel the wheels release from the ground, just level off. You don't need to look inside, just move the yoke forward until the ground doesn't get nearer or further away. And just maintain runway centerline. Begin a climb at Vy once you reach it by adding some backpressure. Remember that the airplane wants to get off the ground, you don't have to help it. You just need to make sure it doesn't leave ground effect.

Soft-field LDG:
When you get into ground effect 20-30 feet above the runway level off a little and reduce power to control the sink rate. Smooth reduction of power will allow you to settle nicely on the runway. Landing point isn't a consideration, but you don't want to float halfway down the runway either.

Short-field LDG:
Make sure you're using full flaps on landing (unless it's really windy) and get to your slowest airspeed right at and above your target point. Since you're flying a PA-28, when you pull the power out, the plane will descend (aerodynamics of a brick). Use that to your advantage. Reducing power will increase sink rate (to land within the target), adding power will slow descent rate (so you don't land early).

Just some suggestions . . .
 

Soft Takeoff:

A soft takeoff starts with the taxi phase. ALWAYS USE FULL NOSE UP ELEVATOR WHEN ON A SOFT SURFACE!!! Use the recommended flap setting. Do not apply brakes as you turn on to the runway - if you must, lightly tap on the brakes. Smoothly apply full power as your longitudinal axis aligns with the runway centerline. Apply necessary right rudder to counteract the unusually high pitch attitude. As the nose lifts off the ground, try to hold it as low to the ground as possible to permit speed to gain as fast as possible. When you feel the airplane become airborne, slightly decrease AOA and build speed until at Vx or the recommended speed. Climb at this until 200 AGL and then transition to Vy (in an RG Cessna, delay gear retraction because the gear turns sideways into the wind and increases drag as it retracts. This increased drag has pulled airplanes down into trees). Transition to Venrouteclimb at 800-1000AGL.

Short Takeoff:

Flaps as recommended. Use all available runway. Hold brakes and apply full power - this both lets you check systems before you plow down a short runway and prevents you from wasting valuable runway with the engine not producing max power. If your airplane has liftoff and barrier speeds (Pipers), aim to liftoff at the liftoff speed and climb out at the barrier speed until at least 50 AGL. This is neglected by many pilots. THEN transition to Vx until 200 AGL (depending on obstacles) - then Vy until 800-1000 AGL - then Venrouteclimb.

Short and Soft Takeoff:

Combine the above tips. Add power as you turn to align with the runway (DO NOT hold brakes to apply full power, as you may dig into the surface and suck dangerous particles thru the prop and damage it). Once you are airborne and in ground effect, accelerate to barrier speed. Climb at this speed until at least 50 AGL (the height of the standard FAA tree), then transition to Vx, Vy, and Venroute climb as described above.

Way too tired to write about landings...may do it later.

Hello Everyone,
Thanks for your advises and your suggestions. I really appreciate them. I will try your advises and get back to you on how they assisted me. Thanks once again.

toney.