On a routine VFR flight Shoreham EGKA to Guernsey EGJB I met THREE unroutine issues I thought I’d ask my fellow forumites advice about, in the spirit of “learning on every flight”:
1. RADIO: Holiday traffic made the frequency so busy that I couldn’t get a response from London Info in good time for the entry to Jersey Zone which is strict Controlled Airspace – they kept telling everyone to standby -finally I blurted out a request to change anyway and got cleared less than a minute from the boundary – it was also at a triangular pinch point by ORIST where an orbit would have had to have been flown very accurately if I was to delay, I was on the point of doing this.
It later occurred to me that I could have called Jersey at the risk of missing my callback from London Info, and explained the situation or just changed and maybe got them to call London Info by phone or used both radios or or or… what would you have done? I didn’t like to drop London without saying goodbye, given I was over the sea (this went on for several minutes).
2. Wake turbulence: Arriving in Guernsey under a radar control service I was asked to follow an ATR on final and warned of wake turbulence. I took the widest path possible without infringing a restricted area and flew at minimum speed, setting my stopwatch as the ATR landed.
Given there was little wind, I wanted the full “three minutes” and my stopwatch reached three minutes exactly as I reached the threshold -no wake turbulence at all – but was I cutting this too fine? What would you have done?
3. Bird strike/runway end: I startled a flock of pigeons on landing, taking one or two out with ominous thuds on the undercarriage- I was carrying extra speed due gusty crosswind and had taken my time lining up nicely with the centreline – then braking very gingerly given the cloud of feathers etc -suddenly the runway end looked awfully close – it was fine . but the following question occurred – if the worst happened, what would you do – 1. Push so hard on the brakes you risk a skid 2. turn sharp onto the taxiway at the end at “too fast” a speed 3. Let the gravel at the runway end stop the plane? It’s a TB20 so small wheels. What would you do?
1. You have to prioritise the controlled airspace. I would have changed early for the clearance. London info is a nothing service anyway, you can always leave their frequency although obviously if possible it is good to tell them.
2. Sounds sensible.
3. Perhaps when you hit the birds a go around with some time to consider the situation would have been a good idea?
Thanks Jason – on 3: Let’s assume go around is not an option, I’m interested in relative merits of turning fast vs braking hard vs gravel :)
JasonC wrote:
3. Perhaps when you hit the birds a go around with some time to consider the situation would have been a good idea?
If I understand correctly, the approach itself did not warrant a go-around, so it would be performed solely based on the bird strike. If so, why would one even consider leaving terra firma after a successful touchdown, inviting the risk of an in-flight issue arising from the strike?
For the wake turbulence, in Trondheim, I usually combine the timing (about 3 minutes, but I don’t use my stop watch) and coming a bit higher and land further away from the airliner before (one should make a mental note of where they land, but that is made easy since they have a consistent tendency to touch down on the mark :-). This way I’m higher than the wake turbulence (if I’m not mistaking they go down and in the wind). Of course, the fact that the runway is normally 2700m long (they are doing some work on it right now, so its length is reduced to about 2000m) helps to do that, you have plenty of margin.
for the braking part, I would brake as much as possible going straight. Trying to turn with too much speed while braking heavily, from car driving experience (and even biking) usualy has bad outcome. Breaking in straight line should give you the maximum breaking effect, so you would go in the gravel at the lowest possible speed. Of course, it depends if there are any obstacle in the area.
(Indeed I was already In the flare as I hit the birds – and was sufficiently spooked by the thuds and feathers that I think the scope for a “bad” go around would have been high) – anyway I clearly had enough runway, it was just that it raised the question in my mind – what if I didn’t!?
tmo wrote:
f I understand correctly, the approach itself did not warrant a go-around, so it would be performed solely based on the bird strike. If so, why would one even consider leaving terra firma after a successful touchdown, inviting the risk of an in-flight issue arising from the strike?
It happened during the flare and seems like it distracted him enough that braking was delayed.
On braking, yes brake straight and hard but don’t skid. If there is gravel at the end I would say going slowly into that would be preferable to ground looping the aircraft to avoid. If a cliff or hard barrier then maybe a ground loop at the slowest possible speed.
What you must not do when you discover you are out of runway is add power and try to make a late touch and go. Unless done very early and in the right configuration, it can lead to going off the end at high speed rather than slowly. It is a reason why many jets have ended in a fireball at the end of the runway.
1. I’ve had this happen enough times, if London Info is busy then I just switch frequency anyway. If the subsequent ATC frequency isn’t busy I mention that I lost contact with London Info, if not I simply forget about it. It happens all the time, they are used to it. Making timely contact with ATC in the controlled airspace you need to go in is around 100000% more important than saying goodbye to London Info when you can’t get a word in edgeways.
2. Sounds sensible, wake turbulence tends to descend (you can also aim a little further than the ATR’s touchdown point).
3. Just do what you were going to do. You’ve already touched down as planned, and a pigeon isn’t going to make your gear collapse, so just use the brakes as you had intended to before the bird strike. Also, on the speed over the fence: don’t forget book numbers are for the aircraft at gross weight, so if you’re anything under gross weight, you’re already fast if you’re using the book approach speeds. Too much speed makes gusty crosswind conditions worse, as you’re having to fight it for much longer as you float in ground effect. (This advice may come from the days when everyone flew taildraggers, and a technique to deal with gusty conditions is to make a wheel landing and stick the plane with a bit of forward stick, and only set the tail down when well below flying speed so a gust doesn’t lift you off again. This can’t be done in a nosewheel plane).
As an example, the American Bonanza Society (for the S35 I used to fly quite often) recommends for each 100lbs under gross, subtract 1 knot from the approach speed.
I would not turn fast (especially on an RG aircraft) you will have more chance of skidding and loading control than hard breaking straight but would have pulled the stick very hard while breaking gently and hope for the best and definetly will not add any power even with a wall ahead if I did hit a bird or lose control…
1. I wouldn’t bother with London Information, unless there was no one else to talk to, as they get overun by VFR traffic who don’t really need anything anyway. For that trip, I’d either go to Bournemouth for Traffic service to ORIST, or Plymouth Mil for a Traffic service or DAC if you needed one. Both are of more practical use than London Info who are very restricted on what they can co for you, presupposing you can get a word in edgeways.
