Retractable confidence

Fearless Tower said:
This!

I am not against checklists, but single pilot, I have found the hard copy checklist can actually be a distraction. I have skipped more steps using the hard copy than using a flow. You start looking at the checklist and then look up/answer ATC/adjust trim..etc and next thing you know, you just skipped over 'landing gear down'.
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I am with you. I use mnemonics like GUMP and flows.
 
Today I did my first dual hours in an Arrow, my first RG type. The plane has its automatic gear extension deativated. While I managed well (only forgot to actually raise the gear once), I must say that the similarity between the stall warning and the gear warning sounds is too high. It is of course not totally the same sound, but I'm not sure that in a stressful situation I would be able to readily identify which one I'm hearing.
 
Jns_V said:
Today I did my first dual hours in an Arrow, my first RG type. The plane has its automatic gear extension deativated. While I managed well (only forgot to actually raise the gear once), I must say that the similarity between the stall warning and the gear warning sounds is too high. It is of course not totally the same sound, but I'm not sure that in a stressful situation I would be able to readily identify which one I'm hearing.
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Welcome to PoA!
 
There was a video someone posted a while back of a Fedex plane (if I recall) on very short final putting it's gear down. I just make sure my flows are good and always do a "final gear check" on short final; not that I'm impervious to distraction though. One of the apps I use also calls out "Check Gear Down" on short final into my headset, which is neat.
 
My retractable confidence was nearly shaken yesterday - but it was restored before landing. We had a gear failure that led to this situation - gear hanging halfway down that we at the time could not retract or extend. After circling for a bit, doing a low pass, and trying the emergency procedure THREE times, it finally came down.
 
Jns_V said:
Today I did my first dual hours in an Arrow, my first RG type. The plane has its automatic gear extension deativated. While I managed well (only forgot to actually raise the gear once), I must say that the similarity between the stall warning and the gear warning sounds is too high. It is of course not totally the same sound, but I'm not sure that in a stressful situation I would be able to readily identify which one I'm hearing.
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Yes, this is why if you actually own the plane, I highly recommend installing a voice gear warning annunciator system. They really aren't that expensive.

Hearing the words- "Check landing gear!" gets through the chaos that is numbing your brain in a stressful event much better than a simple horn that sounds like the stall warning horn. A horn that you actually hear often during preflight and on touch down.

Oh yeah, welcome to POA!!! :)
 
4 pages and it all boils down to being standard. Do it the same way every time and use a checklist.

There's a reason being standard works. Doing the same thing the same way makes oddities stick out like a sore thumb. Make the gear not being down an oddity...make it obvious.
 
I don't use printed checklists. I fly several different airplanes sometimes two or three the same day. If I haven't flown one in awhile or it is a new type I will review the POH before I fly it. I do go through all of my memorized checklists in the same order every time. Don
 
yakdriver said:
I don't use printed checklists. I fly several different airplanes sometimes two or three the same day.
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Odd, that would argue MORE for the use of checklists than less.
 
I don't see checklists as a distraction. If they are a distraction I'd say the pilot needs to work on single pilot resource management.
 
LDJones said:
This. You'll be fine.
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Yeah, you think that on a DC-9 it would be obvious, but we still had a Continental captain gear one up in Houston (after the FO even commented that the plane wasn't slowing down right).
 
Challenged said:
There was a video someone posted a while back of a Fedex plane (if I recall) on very short final putting it's gear down. I just make sure my flows are good and always do a "final gear check" on short final; not that I'm impervious to distraction though. One of the apps I use also calls out "Check Gear Down" on short final into my headset, which is neat.
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LDJones said:
What app is that?
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Yeah, what is this ap and how does it work? This would be the perfect place to post a link to the info for folks. It sounds like a good idea. How do you like it over all?
 
All great advise.

What I like to do as a final check for the "gear down light"

I do many of the things suggested, but one thing I do which helps is as soon as I can read the numbers on the runway clearly I check the gear. It prevents the straight in approach and base to final approach that disruption from your normal pattern approach.

The only thing is at night, I check it as soon as I see the Papi lights, or if no lights, where I think I should see the numbers, just to keep the same routine
 
ahypnoz said:
I do many of the things suggested, but one thing I do which helps is as soon as I can read the numbers on the runway clearly I check the gear. It prevents the straight in approach and base to final approach that disruption from your normal pattern approach.
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What do you do on grass strips? :wink2:
 
flyingron said:
What do you do on grass strips? :wink2:
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2AAB19CE00000578-0-image-a-59_1437317204378.jpg
 
LDJones said:
This. You'll be fine.
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So how do you explain the mountain of crashed airplanes that landed with their gear up?

Were physics different for them or were they all just bad pilots?
 
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brian];1999052 said:
Keep toying with the idea of a twin. Not many of them have fixed gear either. But that does raise a question: if you had known ice on a columbia or cirrus would you have to put boots on the pants? (That sounds weird.)
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No. The FIKI TTx (Columbia) does not have protection on the gear.
 
brian];1999052 said:
Keep toying with the idea of a twin. Not many of them have fixed gear either. But that does raise a question: if you had known ice on a columbia or cirrus would you have to put boots on the pants? (That sounds weird.)
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The gear does not provide lift so it wouldn't need deice. Sure the ice accumulation would add weight, but it would not be as critical as ice on the wings or horizontal tail. You can get ice on the vertical stab too, but I'm not sure I know of any airplanes that have deice/anti-ice in that location (someone will come up with one). Twins will get ice on the nose.
 
Good to know. I'm more likely to get an old 55 or 310 than a TTx. Sure wish I had that kinda dough though ... I got to look over one a while back and I definitely wouldn't turn one down..





By the way - maybe this airplane would help someone gain confidence with managing the gear ;)

https://vimeo.com/38638995
 
Everskyward said:
You can get ice on the vertical stab too, but I'm not sure I know of any airplanes that have deice/anti-ice in that location (someone will come up with one).
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At least for the piston world, I think you'd have a harder time finding one without de-ice on the vertical stab.

I've honestly never seen a de-iced piston airplane with boots only on the horizontal tail. Seen plenty of tubro-props and jets without boots on the vertical tail though.

It is interesting now that you mention it though. Not sure why a King Air doesn't need boots on the vertical stab, but a Baron/310/Navajo/Seneca....etc all do. :dunno:
 
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Fearless Tower said:
At least for the piston world, I think you'd have a harder time finding one without de-ice on the vertical stab.

I've honestly never seen a de-iced piston airplane with boots only on the horizontal tail. Seen plenty of tubro-props and jets without boots on the vertical tail though.

It is interesting now that you mention it though. Not sure why a King Air doesn't need boots on the vertical stab, but a Baron/310/Navajo/Seneca....etc all do. :dunno:
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You're right that I don't know anything about deice in the piston world. But I can't recall having seen a turbine with any protection on the vertical stab. I have landed and looked at about 2" of ice on one, however.
 
Interestingly enough, on all of the transport airplanes I have flown in the 121 world, none of them had any ice protection on the tail at all. During the certification, they do extensive testing for icing and I suppose they determined that ice on the tail posed no serious control issues, so they didn't deice them.

I saw a 777 pull into the gate one night with an ungodly amount of ice on it. Didn't seem to affect its handling qualities any.
 
James331 said:
Bah, I can get a PC12 to VFE without dumping gear, it's basic energy management, if you can't slow down to VFE in a single engine piston GA plane without dumping gear you need some additional training.
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I don't think you can compare a PC12 to a single engine piston in terms of being able to slow it down easily... From my (limited) experience flying single engine turbines, it seemed to me to be incredibly easy to slow them down with that huge prop in the front. Pull back the power and make those blades flat and it is like having a barn door in the front. Pull back the power and it is like hitting the brakes. In fact I'd say the opposite situation is the problem, you have to learn to NOT slow down too much. You don't get the same effect with a slippery single engine piston.
 
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