Prelanding Checklist Continued
The prelanding checklist GFWATTS continued from last week finishes with TTS.
To clarify last week.
When I was referring to a crosswind, I was referring to the crosswind direction on final. So a left crosswind on final while making a left pattern, the airmass will drift you towards the runway when on downwind. Even though on downwind it would be a right crosswind for that moment. But I find it easier to describe everything in relation to the direction you are landing or taking off. Too many lefts and rights seem to confuse more students than not.
Once the airspeed is determined and set, meaning you are flying that speed. Not I will accelerate later. I have a condom analogy I use with students, but it is probably not appropriate here, so get it set now then we can move on.
Trim
Set the trim. Get the glider to fly at your desired speed. Then set the trim, now you can fly hands-off, and the glider will keep its airspeed for when you get distracted.
Traffic
Since we cannot go-around, we need to make sure we look around. We are not only looking at where we are for immediate traffic but where we are going. Remember, on landing, we do not need all of the 3000ft of runway, and the runway heading does not need to be our landing direction. Think outside the box when necessary.
Pattern
We want to look for other aircraft where they are supposed to be — so looking for traffic entering on a 45 or someone on downwind. If you are the one making a non-standard pattern, you want to be looking for where other aircraft should be and where your paths might meet. While in the pattern you want to be looking around for other aircraft making non-standard patterns. Maybe someone is making a right pattern while the standard is a left pattern.
Not making a pattern.
One of the reasons to make a pattern is to be predictable. One of my closest encounters with another aircraft was arriving on final wing tip to wing tip with another plane while he made a straight-in approach at about 300ft 20miles out in a faded sand colored Mooney in the desert. You want to look around for others low near the airport. They might give up and make a modified pattern.
Shadows
Looking at the ground to see shadows moving across the ground can be very helpful. I do this when sitting in the back of the 2-33, I start looking around for shadows of other aircraft headed towards our shadow. I especially like doing this on downwind as we near the base turn. Your eye will pick up a moving target much better than a stationary one. Remember that the stationary target is the one you are on a collision course.
Ground
Other gliders already on the ground. Maybe someone just landed, are they going to clear the runway in time for you? Does it look like that glider is going to get towed out in front of you? Golf carts moving around on the runway. Someone walking away from their glider not paying attention. I tell my students to aim for the private owner that isn’t paying attention walking across the runway.
I had an early morning flight on a ski trip, and we entered the pattern in the Cessna 180 and on-base we watched a Cessna quickly taxing down the parallel taxiway with no radio calls and very fast. We all guessed that he was going not to stop and depart in front of us. Sure enough on short final, he pulled out in front and accelerated. We saw this coming on early base and could have easily extended the pattern, slowed down, landed on the taxiway, S-turned on final. But we felt it more appropriate to go around and to quote Top Gun “Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations.” As he climbed level with us.
I like having the checklist done before entering the pattern. Now once in the pattern, I can focus on making the most boring standard pattern humanly possible. That way I can concentrate on flying, judging angles, continue to look for traffic, check the gear four more times, make corrections and above all else, fly the plane.
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Banner Photo Credit Petr Kolmann
Garret Willat holds a flight instructor rating with over 8000 hours in sailplanes. His parents have owned Sky Sailing Inc. since 1979. He started instructing the day after his 18th birthday. Since then, Garret has represented the US Junior team in 2003 and 2005. He graduated from Embry-Riddle with a bachelor's degree in Professional Aeronautics. Garret represented the US Open Class team in 2008 and 2010 and the Club Class team in 2014. Garret has won 3 US National Championships.