Short/Soft Field Takeoff

[Cat Driver]

The reality is that the way a message is presented =does= have an effect on the content. Good knowledge, delivered badly, is going to find a limited audience and receive a bad response that, if not necessarily deserved, is definitely to be expected. Good teachers all know that.

__________________

Conversley bad knowledge delivered with syrup smoothly, produces pilots who do not understand the very basics of how to fly an aircraft. As evident by many of the PPL's flying today.

This focus on how small a field one can take off from should be examined in a different light as far as choosing what technique ( soft or short ) you use....I would suggest that if the field is that short and you have to fly that accurately to prevent crashing into something you are performing a reverse emergency manouver. In other words you are choosing to get into an emergency that is of your own making.

Cat Driver

 

[nosehair]

I would suggest that if the field is that short and you have to fly that accurately to prevent crashing into something you are performing a reverse emergency manouver. In other words you are choosing to get into an emergency that is of your own making.

Cat Driver

....this from someone with a GYROPLANE rating??...

 

[lowtimeguy]

Wow! the 2 words 'reality check' is considered untactful? Especially when accompanied by some excellent information?
Bad delivery? You gotta be kidding me!

 

[dmspilot00]

Wow! the 2 words 'reality check' is considered untactful? Especially when accompanied by some excellent information?
Bad delivery? You gotta be kidding me!

My thoughts exactly.

Anyway, as for the PTS/Checkride issue: On my private checkride, the DE asked me to do a "combination short and soft field landing."

 

[JAFI]

Catdriver, I completely agree with your post, the way information is presented is important. However, Some times there is a cost, if you will, in obtaining information. You have been around the block enough to have worked with people who were very good at what they did and could teach their job very well but were not exactly politically correct in their presentation. The presentation of a computer screen does not always present what we (not being English teachers) really mean to say. I am not speaking for Avbug or any one else here. They can do that for themselves.

I have diverged from the original post.

Mini, in answer to the last post, fair enough. Allow me to stop my rant and add something to your original question.

I agree, most soft fields are short. Please bear with me for a minute. Do not confuse being able to do the maneuvers for a check ride with "real world" flying. I say practice the maneuvers as you were taught to become proficient. The short field procedure is just that, the soft field procedure is also just that. If you are able to demonstrate both for your check ride and all the other stuff, you pass. Now each maneuver you learn can be a building block for the real world. Later you will see short fields with a cross wind, maybe an engine failure or flap failure. You take each procedure and priority of that procedure then tailor it to the emergency or condition at hand. We can't teach every possible situation but can break parts of situations down into teachable bites. Learn those bites as taught and apply what you have learned when you need them for a situation.

While you are preparing for your check ride I recommend that you record the steps you need to do to accomplish that procedure. They are called teaching points. (Ex. mid field down wind, power to xxxrpm, slow to 80 knots, at the numbers begin descent at xx airspeed, etc.) Draw yourself a diagram for each maneuver. This will be a start to your CFI lesson plans and CFI teaching book later. It will also help you remember (for the current check ride) exactly what you need to do to accomplish that procedure.

I am guilty of blowing my stack at the wrong times. One of my many faults. Some time I can control it, sometimes I can't. I count it as one of the "costs" of giving away "free" information. Please tell me if I am over charging the costs....


JAFI

 

[minitour]

JAFI

It's cool...like I said, I'm an a$shole at LEAST some of the time...it happens. I'm assuming the more that I read posts on the thread, that I probably did just take it in a way not intended by avbug...but only he knows how he intended it to be taken, so I can't tell for sure.

But anyway...Thanks fo all for the input. Just trying to see what the more experienced folks out there thought...no harm intended...really!

-mini

 

[midlifeflyer]

I agree, most soft fields are short.

Just an aside, but I wonder if that's really true. I don't do backcountry flying but I can say that the shortest runways I've flown into have been paved, while the unpaved runways I've flown into haven't been particularly short.

I think the point though (that a number have made) is that we're really trying to learn a series of techniques. I use elements of both short and soft takeoff technique when flying out of high density altitude airports. And the best "soft field" landing I ever did was on a long paved runway (I was concerned that I had a damaged nose gear)