Engine Failure On take off. Good Article by Steve Krog. But they all are good.
Steve Krog, I always look forward to reading his articles. But I look forward to reading them all. Really don't have one favorite over the other. Every one top notch. This month Steve is talking about engine out on take off. What a great subject and one I have dealt with more times then I would like to remember. After going through a half dozen of these I do things on take off maybe not everyone would do.
But before we dive into that. This is why I say every person wanting to fly, should start at the beginning with an UL type of airplane. Experience some of these engine outs and not simulate them. But this is another discussion or topic.
When flying my small experimental airplane, were when after take off I have 3/4 of the runway in front of me, why hold center line. Why not drift off to the right but staying within gliding distance to the runway. There will come a time when the airplane will be down the runway to far to be able to land and stop by the end of said runway. If you drift off one way or the other. Now you just bank in a descending manor and land going the opposite direction down wind. Now most will say do not land down wind. That is true. Under power do not land down wind. But when the spinning thing in the front stops so does the thrust. In 90% of the HB experimental airplanes, they are so draggy they will not glide long. You settle in and land.
I could give you few examples of doing this that has saved my butt but its only boring stories no one wants to hear.
Also before ever taking the runway I know what I am going to do in case of engine failure on take off. Do not wait until in the air to think about this, you have a lot going on at this time. Then once in the air I will adjust this plan as needed. I find this keeps my work load or brain work low.
How it works for me. After saying a prayer, yes I pray before every flight. Once I go air born I am drifting off to one side. I will take the runway anytime needed until to far past the end to make a gliding landing to said runway. Before reaching this point of no return, now start looking for the next landing spot within gliding distance and flying to it. Even if this means one must turn 90 degree's to one's heading. It's all about making a safe landings once the engine quits before reaching 1000'. Once at 1000' I will turn and head in the direction I need to go flying from one landing point to the next. If these points are all within gliding distance of my track or the heading being flown, I fly straight and true. If not one is zig zagging from one landing spot to the next. Never flying over large groups of trees or anything one cannot glide out from or way from.
On something that would barely clear the tree's or anything at the end of said runway. Hold center line and land straight if that thing stops spinning up front until reaching 400-500'. But then you will not be turning back. By this time if you barely clear the tree's you are to far to turn back if it all goes quiet. Have that spot picked out before getting there.
This does not make one a better pilot going through these. Just makes one do things a little different then maybe someone who has never been there and done that.
Hope to never go there again.
Tony
A radical move on takeoff
At our airport 26 puts you over the river so I tend to turn shortly after takeoff to the left where there are open fields, freaks people out turning half way down the runway at low altitude.
I read an article a long time ago, an instructor wrote about a theory, right after getting airborne if terrain allows turn 45 degrees into the wind.
That way if you have an engine failure you only have to turn 90degrees to get back to the runway instead of 180.
Makes logical sense but that would really freak everybody out.
Friend of mine used to do that on skis in front of the flying club,,,,,there was no end of po po's every time he left.
