AOPA has excellent takeoff and landing videos online.
Air Safety Institute has been Tweeting safety picks recently and No. 5 takes you to AOPA’s page of Safety Videos, including 3 on takeoffs and landings. When you watch them, consider my key take aways below:
Takeoff
- Consider engine age and condition in performance calculations
- Use all available resources to select an abort point before strapping in, i.e. airport diagram, photos, walking the runway
- Think ahead, don’t just react to the influence of power change and wind
- Attitude = airspeed
- Every takeoff is an opportunity to practice precision, e.g. stay on centerline
Short Field Landing
- More flaps => increased drag => greater rate of descent
- Short field landings are really about precision in the landing point
- More weight on the wheels (flaps up on touchdown) => greater deceleration
What are your key take aways?
SaferAviator exists, in part, to encourage healthy discussion on aviation safety matters. Comments should be respectful and relevant to the current topic. SaferAviator’s detailed Comment Policy can be found on the Legal Matters page.