Some of the most important
procedures to practice when you learn to fly are emergency
procedures. I have actually had to make
an emergency landing in a field a few years back. It wasn’t the coolest thing that has ever
happened to me, but I was prepared for the emergency and my wife and I walked
away from it. And we both love to fly
now more than ever.
When my students are training
with me, I make sure that they know exactly what to do during a particular
emergency. I want you to make sure that during
your training, your instructor takes time to well prepare you as well. Here are some common mistakes I see when my
students are practicing handling emergencies.
- Waiting
too long to react
- Not
using an emergency checklist
- Not
pitching for the best glide speed
- Not
heading for a landing area immediately
- Overshooting
or undershooting a landing area
- Becoming
fixated on one thing and forgetting everything else
- Not
remaining calm
If you realize that your aircraft
is not flying normally, the FIRST thing to do is pitch for best glide
speed. Next, find an emergency place to
land. Third (and this is what most
people forget) START HEADING THERE. I
know it sounds odd, but some people see a great landing area to their left or
right and say “There’s a great place to land," and keep flying in a straight
line. Start heading there, if you don’t
you might not be able to glide there.
Then you should continue your
emergency checklist and attempt to correct the problem. Also, remain calm. During training, you know that there is
nothing really wrong, so it doesn’t make you so nervous. But during an actual emergency (which is
extremely rare), this is imperative.
Remember, the order that you
ALWAYS do things in the air:
Aviate
– fly the airplane
Navigate
– figure out where you are going
Communicate
– tell someone about it
Just remain calm and remember
your training. Also, practice does not
make perfect. Perfect practice makes
perfect. Make sure you are practicing
correctly so your good reaction will be from instinct when you are on your own.
About the author: Matt Tanner is an experienced flight instructor in the Atlanta, Georgia
area. His background includes Embry Riddle
Aeronautical University,
the United States Air Force Academy Aero Club, Auburn University Aviation,
American Flyers and more. Matt loves
teaching students to fly and has compiled his extensive flying experience and
advice into a book located at http://www.privatepilotguide.com
tweet this!