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ChrisBebensee Certificates/Ratings/Crew Stations: 11. "RE: Wide (way out) Patterns..." 07-17-09, 18:31z  Not to attack the specific students, but if they can't configure an airplane on downwind over a period of a minute or two, how on earth are they going to actually land the plane? The requirements of flying the pattern are a fraction of that required to land the plane. Why not teach them to configure the plane away from the pattern? Teach them to fly a precise ground track relative to a road far away from the pattern. Teach them to fly pattern at a reasonable airspeed. While you're at it, teach them to trim the aircraft properly. Spend enough time on the ground so that they know the hazards of flying wide patterns, not just from a power off glide standpoint, but from the risks it presents to everyone else flying at the airport who deserve the option to fly a normal, sane pattern. These aren't B-47's, they're Cessnas and Archers and Cirrus-es oh my! If most private pilots learned in TF-104G's then i'd totally understand the 3 mile downwind. Teach them this stuff before you get into the pattern, so when they get to the pattern it is second nature. They won't be overwhelmed by the additional pressure of having to learn to land when they can't even fly a decent ground track and configure the airplane. If you accidentally get into the pattern with someone who isn't capable of flying a decent pattern, either try to coach them into a safer, tighter pattern, or break out of the pattern and review. Maybe land and go over it on the ground, because obviously they weren't taught. I've been there in the pattern with someone that I thought I'd taught, realized they didn't have it, and had to land and review. You could also just keep them circlinng the pattern for 30 hours building up revenue if that's your game. I fly the safe pattern and keep track of the people who are outside of it. If I didn't then the person behind me expecting me to fly a normal pattern would possibly run into me. I trust my ability to avoid wide traffic that i know about more than I trust the person behind me. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

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Subject      Author      Message Date     ID      Wide (way out) Patterns...    DHamblin       03-19-03              RE: Wide (way out) Patterns...    Bruce_Williams       03-19-03       1            RE: Wide (way out) Patterns...    DHamblin       03-20-03       2                 RE: Wide (way out) Patterns...    Ben_Chiu       03-22-03       3                      RE: Wide (way out) Patterns...    jerryrosie       04-09-03       4                           RE: Wide (way out) Patterns...    DHamblin       04-09-03       5                           RE: Wide (way out) Patterns...    Ben_Chiu       04-09-03       6                                RE: Wide (way out) Patterns...    jerryrosie       04-12-03       7                                     RE: Wide (way out) Patterns...    Ben_Chiu       04-12-03       8                                          RE: Wide (way out) Patterns...    jerryrosie       04-13-03       9                                               RE: Wide (way out) Patterns...    ChrisBebensee       07-17-09       11         RE: Wide (way out) Patterns...    jhayes_tucson       09-23-07       10

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