Friday, September 4, 2009

RE: [Titanaircraft] Landing distance required

I forgot to say the runway is at 650ft. AMSL

Div

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From: De Villiers Visser [mailto:div@websurf.co.za]
Sent: 04 September 2009 07:35 PM
To: 'Titanaircraft@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: RE: [Titanaircraft] Landing distance required

Hi Robert,

I use a grass strip of over 2 000ft. I use about a 1 000ft to rotate. I
cannot have full fuel and a heavy passenger taking of there. I must say the
grass is thick and the owner is planning on cutting it short.

With the high thrust line of the Tornado, the nose wheel gets pushed into
the grass.

Make sure the grass is rolled hard and short. That will help a lot.

Div

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From: Titanaircraft@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Titanaircraft@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of skyking13
Sent: 04 September 2009 07:12 PM
To: Titanaircraft@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Titanaircraft] Landing distance required

As a sea level flier (Home field only 671MSL) I'm usually able to enjoy take
off and landing distances of well under 1,000 feet on a hard surface runway.

I recently assisted a new Tornado owner in moving his new aircraft to
Montana where he is, for the time being, operating off a hard surfaced
runway of more than 6,000 feet. He is a pilot, without however any recent
experience and no experience in a light sport type of aircraft. He was used
to flying larger GA aircraft and his most recent experience is in a Pilatus
PC-12, an experience that doesn't transfer well to the Tornado.

I have been assisting him with some dual and he has shown progress in his
aircraft handling skills through about 8 hours of dual. He'll still need
some time in doing touch and go's to become consistently proficient in
landings before I'll feel comfortable about turning him loose.

My question is this...He's planning (and has broken ground) on a 1,000 grass
runway on his property in Montana. The location is at 6,000 feet above sea
level and although this field length is enough for operations at sea level
I'm somewhat doubtful that it provides sufficient runway for safe operations
at that mountainous altitude. The runway has trees at one end and a river
and less hospitable terrain at the other end. Do any group members have
experience with measuring takeoff and landing distances at this altitude?

I may of course do my own measurements from operations on the hard surfaced
runway where he is currently operating and extrapolate the greater distance
that the grass strip would require for safe operation.

And as an aside on the hitting the tailwheel on landing. Depending on the
airspeed, flap setting, and effort the pilot is putting into the flare, the
tailwheel may or may not touch the runway. I've found that during maximum
effort landings in the IISS...that is, looking to hit a line at the minimum
possible airspeed, I'll roll my tailwheel on the runway before the mains.
I've got the sight picture down pat from my hours flying the Tornado but
depending on the PILOT'S ability to manage the flare the tailwheel is still
there to PROTECT the tailboom.

Blue Skies,
Robert "Captain Bob" Perry
Titan Tornado IISS 899HC
Buellton, CA

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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