Microlighters

Sunday afternoon I went for a flight and took some pax's for flips.

First flight was pretty bumpy and Density Altitude was pretty high but Ill get to that later. Anyway I landed after about 15 mins and decded to wait a while for the ground to cool. I then went up for a quick flight by myself to feel if the conditions were any better and they were so I took the next pax the wife of the 1st for a flip.

Wx was much better and after a bit of flying we came back to land. I find the correct runway and for once the wind is pretty much down the runway with a slight crosswind. I line up for finals and then ... blindness... the sun is right in my eyes worse then ever before. I have been flying at this airfield for just over a year and have landed into the sun before but this is something else. I try line up for the runway but as I approach realize I am way off to the right so its full power for a go around.
I now decide to make it a long low approach to try get 'under' the sun. So after a go around and turn from base to finals the sun is still there... I head on a bit further hoping the shadows will give me a better view as I get closer but the sun is glaring off the windshield making visibility ahead terrible. I stick my head out the side of the A/C trying to see around the windshield but that does not help. My pax then tries to help by using her hand as a sun visor while I'm calling down, up, down, flatter but to no help.
I am now close to the runway edge from what I can see below me but decide to go around again. Now I experience what this density altitude thing is all about. I was 20 to 30 ft AGL with full power on now and knowing that there are power lines at the end of the runway, but she just did not want to climb. I wanted to just put her down as I could now see the runway below me but knew I was too high and too fast and probably too far down the runway by now. I remeber my training now that if this happens to just hold it and be patient, I was probably high enough to clear the power line but if I held it level and built up speed I would probably be able to pull into a climb just before the power lines if need be although they were in the sun. Anyway speed built up and I pulled back slightly and we started climbing slowly.
Luckily I have fuel and the Wx is good otherrwise things could have been ugly so I decide to fly on to the glider club nearby and check out their airfield. Things are good there, there is no air traffic so it is an option if need be but I decide to go back to my airfield once more as maybee the sun is better now. I get there turn from base to finals and NO WAY the sun is even worse. But now I realize that this sun is going down fast so once it's down it is like someone switches the light off there. I decide to try landing from the opposite direction with a tailwind which is now become more of a cross tailwind. I think I'll try once if it feels to fast I'll abort but will have to do it high as it is a tailwind )and I don't want to abort close to the ground) and then go to the glider club. Anyway I approach from the other side line up finals and land a little faster than normal, about 10mph, but all is well and I have learnt another lesson.

Thunderboy. A really good calculated and sober approach to resolving the problem. Well done

I regularly practise down-wind landings due to the same conditions you are describing. Altona is a runway facing 09/27, i.e. early morning and late afternoon one way or the other you are going to be flying into the sun. If you have a wind screen you suddenly realise how many cracks and scratches etc there are to totally blind you. So in these cases we land down-wind. 10 mph downwind will take 20 percent more distance on an approach of 50mph so land as close to the numbers as possible to give yourself as much running space as possible. Once safely on the ground kill the motor if neccessary to help with the slowing down.(don't do this if you suspect you might want to go around.)

Agree with Morph 100%. Well handled. Bank that one in the file of grey matter. Could come in handy again some day :D

Morph wrote:Once safely on the ground kill the motor if neccessary to help with the slowing down.(don't do this if you suspect you might want to go around.)

Just a question wont a slow turning prop, engine at idle be more effective at braking air speed

You might be right, but that depends what your idle speed is set at. Mine is about 1800 and if I cut my motor I slow down quicker

Any other comments guys?

I know when we practiced engine outs during training we only set to iddle but I was told that in the actuall event of an engine out you get a beter glide with the prop not rotating, that might be due to the idling prop slowing you down???

Bear with me, I am trying a little logic here. let's debate it

Thunderboy wrote:I know when we practiced engine outs during training we only set to iddle but I was told that in the actuall event of an engine out you get a beter glide with the prop not rotating, that might be due to the idling prop slowing you down???

That is true when the plane is flying at 60mph and the prop is at idle. Therefore the airflow through the prop exceeds the amount the spinning prop can process and the prop begins to act like a disc or brake. But on landing , and as you slow down you will reach a speed where the prop can process all the air (at this point the prop is unloaded) and below that speed the prop develops thrust again. Now I suggest if you are landing downwind then you will reach this unloading stage at a higher ground speed and therefore if you cut the motor at this stage the prop will not produce any more thrust and you will slow down quicker.

Im trying to think about taxing as well, some days you need a lot more power than others to get momentum going, I guess we would need to actually test the theory out.

Maybee we should get an engine reverse thing going on our planes