Search
Notices
Flight Schools and Training Ratings, building hours, airmanship, CFI topics

Power-Off 180's Help

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 10-11-2012, 03:18 AM
  #11  
Gets Weekends Off
 
JamesNoBrakes's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Nov 2011
Position: Volleyball Player
Posts: 3,982
Default

Your best glide speed is for maximizing range, not "still air". The point of a power off 180 is not to maximize range. You might have to if you mess it up, but that means you are flying on the extreme of being low and barely making it, rather than "bracketing" as described above. Your CFI should have given you techniques to come in neither high nor low, but in a position where you can get higher or lower on GP if necessary. CFIs really got to be held accountable here, this is usually one of the weakest areas, and it's passed on from CFI to CFI as "guessing" and it screws students. It can be done methodologically and quantitatively. After all, what if you have to actually land engine out?
JamesNoBrakes is offline  
Old 10-11-2012, 04:01 AM
  #12  
Super Moderator
 
usmc-sgt's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,945
Default

That's awesome you are training in a micco. It's a pretty neat airplane...has some similarities with the swift.

Good on you for flying some serious man equipment.
usmc-sgt is offline  
Old 10-11-2012, 05:21 AM
  #13  
Gets Weekends Off
 
chrisreedrules's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Feb 2012
Position: CRJ FO
Posts: 4,599
Default

Originally Posted by usmc-sgt View Post
That's awesome you are training in a micco. It's a pretty neat airplane...has some similarities with the swift.

Good on you for flying some serious man equipment.
I will say that it is the most unforgiving aircraft I've ever flown. I've flown other tailwheels and it is definitely at the top of the herd for being a pita to fly. Not to mention it is severely underpowered with the IO360... It really feels like it needs a 540 or something.
chrisreedrules is offline  
Old 10-11-2012, 07:51 AM
  #14  
Gets Weekends Off
 
tomgoodman's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: 767A (Ret)
Posts: 6,248
Default

Originally Posted by zondaracer View Post
I also keep an eye on altitude throughout the maneuver. If you have turned 90º through the maneuver, you should have lost half of your altitude. Don't rush the maneuver. Often times rushing leads to turning too quickly before you have lost enough altitude, leading to being high.
For comparison, here's a jet doing a SFO pattern. The altitude checkpoints during the maneuver are called "high key", "low key", etc.

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.
tomgoodman is offline  
Old 10-11-2012, 09:44 AM
  #15  
Line Holder
Thread Starter
 
CapnNance's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Mar 2012
Posts: 52
Default

Thank you everyone for your suggestions!

I am doing this in a C-172 RG, I think the biggest problem for me right now is just getting used to the sight picture, I did most of my flight training in low wing Diamond aircraft and the sight picture change is much more than I expected (took me 4+ Flights to get past landing flat!).

Thinking back on it I think I am also visualizing my approach path on my landing point and not my aiming point, so I am hoping that fixing that will help. I also think that I hesitate with putting the flaps down, a month ago I was coming up short on all my Power off 180's.

I'll go do a few rounds of practice and see if any of this helps. Thanks again!
CapnNance is offline  
Old 10-11-2012, 04:52 PM
  #16  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Yazzoo's Avatar
 
Joined APC: May 2011
Position: E175, Left
Posts: 272
Default

Don't change more than one thing at a time. First, try adding the flaps a few seconds earlier. See what that does. Not enough? Turn base later next time by a few seconds. Keep making tiny changes until you are within the 200' range. Remember that it's generally OK to land a little bit far, but any amount short is an un-sat, so always err on being higher! And don't forget to modify your pattern for any crosswind, which will definitely change things up. Good luck.
Yazzoo is offline  
Old 10-21-2012, 03:03 PM
  #17  
New Hire
 
alldaydreamer's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Oct 2012
Position: Flight Student
Posts: 9
Default

I had the same problems. One thing that helped me coming up short is to wait to add flaps until in ground effect. That will give you an extra 50 ft before you touch.
alldaydreamer is offline  
Old 10-26-2012, 09:52 PM
  #18  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Gajre539's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Position: EMB-170 FO
Posts: 383
Default

Most of my students had trouble with Power off 180s, the biggest issue was that they always doubted themselves when it was time to put gear and flaps. They waited a second or two... which always caused them to be high on the approach. Fly with a CFI and find out what the profile is for the aircraft that you fly. Then fly the profile every single time and don't hesitate to drop gear and flaps when you need to.

You can also try flying on the back side of the power curve... drop flaps way too early that way you'll come up 100-200 feet short of the runway, requiring you to add full power and do a go around, then try it again.
Gajre539 is offline  
Old 10-27-2012, 06:53 AM
  #19  
New Hire
 
Joined APC: Sep 2009
Posts: 4
Default

I found that adding flaps incrementally really helped me out in the arrow.
atprider is offline  
Old 10-27-2012, 07:03 AM
  #20  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Aug 2007
Position: I pilot
Posts: 2,049
Default

I liked doing poweroff 180s in the arrow, because when I dump the flaps in near the end I feel like I'm pulling the hand brake to slide into a parking spot
zondaracer is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
jungle
Money Talk
14
05-18-2012 05:28 AM
toney
Flight Schools and Training
31
03-04-2010 06:48 AM
buffmike80
Major
18
07-01-2009 04:24 PM
FalconPilot
Hiring News
0
05-18-2008 07:08 AM
SWAjet
Major
0
03-14-2005 02:40 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



Your Privacy Choices