Short-field takeoff, climb, approach and landing

Objective:
To develop student understanding and skill in short-field operations, procedures, and reasons for them.

Content:
Characteristics of short fields. Configuration of aircraft. Procedures for ground, takeoff, and landing operations.

Equipment:
Airworthy aircraft. POH, checklists, model airplane.

Schedule:
Preflight ground school (40 minutes, including takeoff/climb and approach/landing)
Instructor demonstrations (25 minutes)
Student practice (45 minutes)
Postflight feedback (10 minutes)

Instructor:
Preflight: (see lesson plan) motivate, explain, have student be an armchair pilot, list common errors, discuss.
In flight: Demonstrate proper soft-field operations while talking through them. Coach and encourage student.
Postflight: Give feedback and suggestions.

Student:
Preflight: Attend to explanation, be an armchair pilot, answer questions
In flight: Perform new maneuvers after demonstration
Postflight: Ask questions; post-flight feedback and evaluation.

Completion standards:
Takeoff and climb: Student should demonstrate short-field operations, so as to follow the checklist by memory, including proper extension of flaps, taxiing procedure, opening throttle while holding brakes, using correct speeds including rotation and Vx, proper raising of gear and flaps, flight in Vy.
Approach and landing: Student should demonstrate short-field operations, so as to follow the checklist by memory, including proper extension of flaps, power management, and touchdown within 100 feet of the designated point.
General: St should be able to explain the procedures and reasons for them.

 

GROUND LESSON:
Short-field takeoff & climb
(note: this lesson to be combined w/ short-field approach and landing)

Review: normal t.o. & climb
Objective: short-field t.o. & climb, reasons, how/why different from normal
Materials: POH, model plane, handout

Attention/motivation: (2 minutes)
Look at sectional. Long runways: but what about shorter ones? Could be reasons to go: fun!

Overview and Explanation: (10 minutes)
Short-field in arrow: use checklist & POH. Good opportunity to explain POH usefulness.
1. Clear area. Go to very start of runway. (displaced threshold?)
2. Position controls for wind
3. 2 notches of flaps (25o)
4. Brakes: power smoothly to maximum (hand on throttle)
5. Positive lift: rotate around 50-60 (heavier = faster)
6. Lift off and accelerate: positive rate of climb gear up (more right rudder)
7. Climb at 78 (more right rudder)
8. 50 feet: retract first notch, then second notch flaps
9. climb at 90
10. checklist
Also in POH: ground roll vs. Obstacle clearance distances. Vx and Vy speeds with & w/o gear

Armchair piloting: (8 minutes)
What is the order of the steps? Do them.

Common errors: (4 minutes)
not using the very beginning of the runway
flaps not set
early rotate
gear not up
Vx or Vy break
right rudder insufficient
flaps left down
hand on throttle, eyes outside
directional control
use of after-takeoff & 1000-ft checklists

Oral evaluation of understanding through discussion/quiz: (4 minutes)
Q: What are the PTS tolerances?
Q: Why do we hold the brakes at the beginning?
Q: When should the gear go up? See PTS vs. POH A: "In all cases, the...procedures prescribed by the airplane's manufacturer should be followed." (Airplane Flying Handbook pg. 3-6)
Q: What will happen to climb rate if the nose is pulled up and airspeed falls below Vy or Vx?
Q: What could happen if flaps are suddenly retracted close to the ground?

 

GROUND LESSON:
Short-field approach and landing
(note: this lesson to be combined w/ short-field takeoff and climb)

Review: normal approach and landing
Objective: short-field landing, reasons, how/why different from normal. Requirements in PTS
Materials: POH, model plane, handout

Attention/motivation: (2 minutes)
As for t.o. and climb: look at sectional. Long runways: but what about shorter ones? Could be reasons to go: fun! Before you take off from one, you may have to land at one. Also: short-field operations are a must for a forced landing.

Explanation: (10 minutes)
There is no short-field explanation in most POHs. In general: shorter downwind makes for a steeper approach at a lower airspeed, for clearing a 50-foot obstacle at the threshold.
1. Select and declare a touchdown point. (Second centerline stripe after the numbers, or the fixed-distance markers.)
2. BCLGUMPS check
3. Abeam touchdown point: Power to 17", 1 notch flaps. Pitch for 82-85. Trim.
4. Turn base. Second notch flaps. Pitch for 80. Trim. GUMPS check
5. Turn final at least 500 AGL. Third notch flaps. Props forward. Pitch for 72 (Vso * 1.3) (+ half gust factor) and steep approach. Adjust power as necessary. (Hand on throttle)
6. When field is made: power to idle. Flare. (little or no float). Land at stall speed.
7. Touch down on mains and hold pitch up; brake smoothly.
8. After-landing checklist.

Armchair piloting: (8 minutes)
What is the order of the steps? Do them.

Common errors: (2 minutes)
erratic descent rate, airspeed, pitch
uncontrolled flare
long touchdown/float

Oral discussion/quiz: (5 minutes)
Q: What are the PTS tolerances? A: Commercial touch down within 100 feet; private within 200 feet of the declared point, aircraft over the center line.
Q: When should props go full forward?
Q: How much landing distance is required in the Arrow? Are landing distances greater or less than takeoff distances?
Q: Flaps and braking?