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

Content:
Characteristics of soft 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.

Completion standards:
Takeoff and climb: Student should demonstrate soft-field operations, so as to follow the checklist by memory, including proper extension of flaps, taxiing procedure to keep weight off the nose wheel, using correct speeds including rotation and flight in ground effect to Vy (or Vx if there is an obstacle), proper raising of gear and flaps.
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 gentle touchdown with power within the PTS standards.
General: St should be able to explain the procedures and reasons for them.

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

Attention/motivation: (2 minutes)
Have you ever been to Basin Harbor? Or Katama? It's pretty fun. Check out the sectional. Grass fields are fun and sometimes all you've got. How do you think that landing on grass might be different from landing on a paved runway?

Overview and Explanation: (6 minutes)
I. Definition of a soft field: retards acceleration. Transfer all weight to main wheels and get the plane off the ground soon to get the weight on the wings instead.
II. Discuss ground effect. At wingspan, induced drag down 1.4 percent. At ¼ span, 23 percent, and at 1/10 span, 48 percent.
Soft-field in arrow: use checklist, POH, and Airplane Flying Handbook.
1. Put out 2 notches of flaps (25o).
2. Get clearance to take off while still behind the hold-short line.
3. Clear area. Position controls for wind.
4. Taxi on to runway with full back yoke pressure. Keep moving into the takeoff roll.
5. Do not stop, but power smoothly to maximum (hand on throttle)
6. Keep just enough back pressure to rotate and break ground
7. At lift-off, lower the nose to fly in ground effect and accelerate to 55-65
8. Gear up (more right rudder)
9. Accelerate to Vx or Vy (more right rudder)
10. Retract flaps in increments.
11. Climb at Vy
12. Checklist

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

Common errors: (4 minutes)
flaps not set
controls not positioned for wind
stopping during the taxi-to-takeoff roll
keeping the nose pitched down without back pressure
Keeping too much back pressure after lift-off and breaking out of ground effect
gear not up
Vx or Vy break
right rudder insufficient
flaps left down or pulled out too quickly
hand not on throttle, eyes too much inside
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: Compare and contrast normal, short-, and soft-field takeoffs
Q: Why do we keep the plane rolling from taxi to takeoff rather than stopping?
Q: Why fly in ground effect? Could that be dangerous?
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?

Review: soft-field takeoff & climb
Objective: soft-field approach and landing, reasons, how/why different from normal and from short-field
Materials: POH, model plane, handout

Attention/motivation: (2 minutes)
(Same as soft-field takeoff.) Have you ever been to Basin Harbor? Or Katama? It's pretty fun. Check out the sectional. Grass fields are fun and sometimes all you've got. ALSO: emergency landings will probably be in fields. Finally, "Advise pilot this is the primary maneuver to develop sink rate control and conquer hard landings" (Quinlan).

Overview and Explanation: (6 minutes)
I. Definition of a soft field: retards acceleration. Keep all weight on the wings as long as practical. Power-on landing; float 1-2 feet above ground until touching down gently at minimum speed.
II. Soft fields can be pretty rough on landing gear, particularly the nose wheel.
III. Approach speeds and final touch down attitude are similar to short-field landing, but there's no reason for the steep approach unless obstacles are present.
1. Downwind: Clear area. BCLGUMPS check
2. Power back to 17", first notch flaps, pitch for 85. Trim.
3. Look. Turn base. Second notch flaps, pitch for 80. Trim. GUMPS check.
4. Look. Turn final. Third notch flaps. Props forward. Adjust power and pitch for stable descent at 72-75. Directional control.
5. Flare: keep power IN, slowly bringing back. Hover 1-2 feet above surface to dissipate forward speed and touch down gently, nose high
6. NO BRAKES; soft field should retard speed. Hold the nose wheel off the ground. Adjust power as necessary to keep moving.
7. After-landing checklist.
III. Aviso: On low-wing aircraft, flaps can be damaged by mud, stones, or slush thrown up by the wheels. Use flaps in general, but with caution, aware of the situation. However, do not try to retract them during the takeoff roll; instead, concentrate on aircraft control. (AFH pg. 7-15).

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

Common errors: (2 minutes)
erratic descent rate, airspeed, pitch
wind correction
closing throttle prematurely
uncontrolled flare
hard landing
allowing the nose wheel to drop
using brakes
throttle control on ground

Oral evaluation of understanding through discussion/quiz: (4 minutes)
Q: What are the PTS tolerances?
Q: Compare and contrast normal, short-, and soft-field landings
Q: Why power-on? Why keep the nose wheel up? Why no braking?