Pattern Work
After learning the basics, we turn our attention to learning to takeoff and land the airplane. This requires something we refer to as "pattern work", which is basically just doing lots of takeoffs and landings in various airport traffic patterns.
During pattern work you will be exposed to all of the following learning objectives:
- Normal takeoff and landings
- Crosswind takeoffs and landings
- Soft-field takeoffs and landings
- Short-field takeoffs and landings
- Left and right-hand traffic patterns
- Traffic avoidance
- Radio communication
- Wake turbulence avoidance
- Reference points for flying a square pattern
- ADM - go-arounds
- Traffic avoidance - situational awareness
- Slips to landing
Normal Takeoff
- Line up with straight with runway center line
- Remove feet from the brakes
- Smoothly apply full power over 2-3 seconds
- Add rudder as necessary to maintain the center line of the runway
- Gentle apply back pressure to the yoke to lift off once the airplane is ready to fly
Normal Landing
- Establish a stable approach keeping your aiming point in the middle of the windshield
- Establish configuration (flaps) and appropriate airspeed and maintain that all the way to your aiming point
- Once in ground effect (within one wingspan from the ground), begin the round out by leveling off above the runway and reducing power
- *** Once leveled off, now look down at the opposite end of the runway
- As power comes to idle, apply back pressure on the yoke as necessary. Try to keep the airplane from landing with more and more back pressure as the airplane slows. Be careful not to apply too much and balloon up away from the runway.
- If done well, the airplane will stall about one inch above the runway and touch down smoothly
Crosswind Takeoff
- Line up on runway with yoke deflected fully into the direction of the wind
- As you begin the takeoff roll, slowly reduce the aileron deflection
- At liftoff, the yoke should be essentially neutral with no aileron deflection
- Establish a crab for the wind to maintain your position over the runway and an appropriate ground track afterwards
Crosswind Landing
- On final, establish a crab into the wind so that the airplane tracks down the runway center line
- On short final (perhaps 200 AGL), apply rudder to align the airplane with the centerline. In the picture below, it would be left rudder.
- Simultaneously apply sufficient aileron (in the picture below, right aileron) to keep the airplane from drifting off thc centerline. This is a side slip.
- Continue to apply and adjust these corrections all the way to touchdown, keeping in mind the control surfaces get less effective the slower the airplane gets, so the corrections will increase as you slow down.
- Touch down on the upwind main landing gear first, then the downwind main gear, then the nose wheel
- *** Continue to apply full aileron correction into the wind on roll out. The crosswind landing is a mirror image of the crosswind takeoff in this respect.
Soft-Field Takeoff
- Set the flaps as appropriate.
- Starting at the hold short line, apply full aft yoke
- After you cross that line, you will not stop the airplane again, it is a continous roll through the takeoff
- As you apply power, reduce the back pressure on the yoke appropriately to maintain a nose up attitude for liftoff
- Allow the airplane to lift off on its own from this attitude, but then immediately begin applying forward yoke to keep the airplane in ground effect as it accelerates
- Once you gain sufficient airspeed, climb out of ground effect as normal
- At 400 AGL, retract flaps if you added any
Soft-Field Landing
- Touch down as softly as possible. Using the normal landing technique above will accomplish this.
- Upon landing, hold the nose up as long as possible
- Do not stop the airplane until you cross the hold short line completely
Short-Field Takeoff
- *** Before you begin, Determine an abort point on the runway after which if you do not have sufficient airspeed to continue, you will pull the throttle to idle and abort your takeoff.
- Apply flaps as appropriate
- Line up to use ALL available runway
- Hold the brakes as you apply full throttle
- Check the engine instruments and if everything is good, release the brakes and begin the takeoff roll
- After rotation, pitch up to Vx airspeed until you clear your obstacle at approximately 50 feet AGL
- After clearing the obstacle, lower the nose to climb out at Vy
- At 400 feet AGL, retract the flaps if you used any
Short-Field Landing
Short field landings depend on a variety of factors, but here are the elements they all have in common:
- On final, select an airspeed slightly slower than your normal approach speed
- Give yourself a nice long final for a stable approach
- Touch down at the slowest possible speed as close to your aiming point as possible
- Use (or simulate) maximum braking once on the ground
- Remember, short field landings are NOT soft. The touch down should be firm.
Emergency Procedures
Once you are comfortable with the traffic pattern and above items, you will be exposed to the following simulated emergencies and equipment malfunctions:
- Simulated engine failure landings
- Flap failure
- Instrument failures
- Runaway trim
Common Mistakes
- Inadequate wind correction
- Neglecting checklist items
- Airspeed control
- Unstable descents / approaches
- Reluctance to go-around
- Short field landing - floating
- Soft field landing - stopping
- Soft field takeoff - climbing out of ground effect
ACS Test Objectives
The pilot exhibits ability to fly and land an airplane in the pattern while exercising appropriate ADM on flying priorities, go-arounds, and situational awareness both with and without simulated equipment failures in the cockpit.