El Cid Av8or
Crew Dawg
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2002
- Posts
- 193
Pick the place you want to land!
I say pick the place you want to land because a grassy field is a heck of a lot easier to land on than a forest. I would not do any level out manuever if I didn't have to but would plan my descent and approach to landing as if both engines were out, plane is on fire, we got to get down now. Levelling out in a twin or heavy single with no power can be like flying a refrigerator (they don't fly too well either).
On second thought, if you're considering "levelling out" to be transitioning from the emergency descent attitude to landing attitude, the 500ft AGL would be better since you get down quicker. You should have already called your emergency and other aircraft should have cleared (vacated) the area for you. No pattern should be necessary. Maybe I'm not experienced enough yet, but if the plane is on fire, I want to get down now, no time to fly the landing pattern.
Ask an examiner what he/she would want to see.
I say pick the place you want to land because a grassy field is a heck of a lot easier to land on than a forest. I would not do any level out manuever if I didn't have to but would plan my descent and approach to landing as if both engines were out, plane is on fire, we got to get down now. Levelling out in a twin or heavy single with no power can be like flying a refrigerator (they don't fly too well either).
On second thought, if you're considering "levelling out" to be transitioning from the emergency descent attitude to landing attitude, the 500ft AGL would be better since you get down quicker. You should have already called your emergency and other aircraft should have cleared (vacated) the area for you. No pattern should be necessary. Maybe I'm not experienced enough yet, but if the plane is on fire, I want to get down now, no time to fly the landing pattern.
Ask an examiner what he/she would want to see.