Emergency Landings: Preparing for the Unexpected and Sharpening Your Skills
As a pilot, you are always preparing for the unexpected. One critical aspect of this preparation is mastering emergency landings. Making every landing a power-off landing and practicing off-airport landings can significantly enhance your skills and decision-making abilities in real emergencies. Below, we explore these practices and offer additional strategies for effective emergency landing preparation.
Preparing for Emergency Landings
First, every landing should start as a powered-off landing. During a downwind approach, once you are past the approach end of the runway, reduce the throttle to idle and initiate a descent. Turn toward the runway on base leg and continue to the final approach. Keep the runway environment in your windscreen until the flare and touchdown. Making every or every other landing a practice emergency landing will sharpen your skills. This approach is recommended by experienced pilots who aim to hone their abilities under pressure.
A more challenging yet essential practice is selecting off-airport landing sites. This can be done by looking for potential landing strips while flying in different areas. By considering the prevailing winds and identifying suitable locations, you can prepare for emergencies even when away from the home airfield. Over time, this practice becomes second nature, enhancing your ability to handle unexpected situations.
Memorizing Emergency Procedures
Memorizing emergency procedures is a crucial step in emergency landing preparation. For instance, consider the example of an Air Force pilot who, in a night Visual Flight Rules (VFR) setting, suddenly lost engine power. Despite managing to restart the engine and land, he couldn’t recall the exact steps he took in the heat of the moment. This underscores the importance of memorizing and being able to execute emergency procedures without hesitation.
To effectively memorize and recall emergency procedures, it is essential to understand the context of each situation. For example, a new student pilot may fall into the trap of reciting correct memory items but failing to consider what comes next. In a real emergency, such as an engine failure, a pilot must continue the decision-making process. The instructor’s question, “What next?” highlights the need to carry the situation to a logical conclusion.
Learning from Others and Practical Experience
Another valuable method of preparation is learning from experienced pilots. Engage in hangar flying sessions to discuss techniques and best practices. Additionally, studying accident reports can provide insights into real-world emergency scenarios and help avoid similar situations. Hangar flying and studying accident reports offer a wealth of experience that pilots can use to enhance their skills, often at no cost.
A memorable anecdote is from famous World War II ace, Pappy Boyington. He was thanked by a Marine aviator for saving his life during an emergency situation. However, Pappy never flew with the aviator. The aviator remembered Pappy’s advice from a campfire story and followed it, mitigating a dangerous situation. Such stories underscore the importance of learning from others and applying their experiences.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
While it is impossible to predict every possible emergency situation, comprehensive preparation is your best chance to act correctly and make good decisions. A Flight Commander once had a plaque on his desk that read: ‘A superior pilot uses his superior judgment to avoid situations requiring the use of his superior skill.’ This quote emphasizes the importance of intelligent decision-making in preventing emergencies.
To achieve this, focus on the following points:Practice every landing as a powered-off potential off-airport landing sites during and understand emergency procedures.Learn from experienced pilots and study accident reports.
We encourage all pilots to adopt these practices to enhance their skills and improve their safety in the air. Happy and safe flying!