DrBenny
New Member
Cross country to CGE. Weather was 7 miles, and light rain. I did pretty good on tracking my course. Over Tilghman, I was instructed to divert to Cambridge. Considering where I was, it was not a difficult diversion, although we were now down to about 5 miles. Did the diversion by the book, and did a good job on the course heading and time. Just as I called the airport in sight, CFI gave me an engine out.
Decision time. I've trimmed for 65 kts. I'm over the water. Can I make it to the runway? Or should I land on that well-manicured golf course below me. I ask him, and he gives me a kind of funny/perturbed look, and just responds that "your only hope is to maintain best glide." Hail Mary, and go for a straight-in for the runway. I complete the rest of the emergency engine-out checklist (including passenger briefing), and make my radio calls. I tell CFI I can see that I'll make the runway.
"Fine--we'll do some soft fields now." I do a soft field landing. Then we practice a couple of engine loss at 50 feet drills, one turnback to the runway at 1000 feet (we would have overshot it unless we were to agressivly slip). Then it was a couple of short field T/Os and landings. CFI liked them, but then he demonstrated a completely kick-ass shortfield, landing softly and slowly on the numbers, and rolling out with minimum brake usage.
One more time around the pattern, and he requested a diversion to Easton. That was easy--head north and follow Rt. 50! (Sometimes I gotta catch a break!) Two soft-field T/Os and landings there. Have lunch. Afterwards, did some "S-turns around Rt. 50" and it was time for the Jeppshades. Instrument climb to 2,000, call BWI and get clearance. Track needle to the VOR. At this point the rain was coming down. BWI assumed we were IFR (we weren't, and the weather was still MVFR), so they cleared us for the ILS RWY28 approach, circle-to-land RWY33R. I tuned and identified the ILS, tracked it, got real wobbly around 500', took off the foggles, and did a nice soft-field on 33R.
I did alright today.
CFI says I'm getting real close. He's going to do his 100-hr. inspection a bit early for my checkrides, then I can schedule.
Decision time. I've trimmed for 65 kts. I'm over the water. Can I make it to the runway? Or should I land on that well-manicured golf course below me. I ask him, and he gives me a kind of funny/perturbed look, and just responds that "your only hope is to maintain best glide." Hail Mary, and go for a straight-in for the runway. I complete the rest of the emergency engine-out checklist (including passenger briefing), and make my radio calls. I tell CFI I can see that I'll make the runway.
"Fine--we'll do some soft fields now." I do a soft field landing. Then we practice a couple of engine loss at 50 feet drills, one turnback to the runway at 1000 feet (we would have overshot it unless we were to agressivly slip). Then it was a couple of short field T/Os and landings. CFI liked them, but then he demonstrated a completely kick-ass shortfield, landing softly and slowly on the numbers, and rolling out with minimum brake usage.
One more time around the pattern, and he requested a diversion to Easton. That was easy--head north and follow Rt. 50! (Sometimes I gotta catch a break!) Two soft-field T/Os and landings there. Have lunch. Afterwards, did some "S-turns around Rt. 50" and it was time for the Jeppshades. Instrument climb to 2,000, call BWI and get clearance. Track needle to the VOR. At this point the rain was coming down. BWI assumed we were IFR (we weren't, and the weather was still MVFR), so they cleared us for the ILS RWY28 approach, circle-to-land RWY33R. I tuned and identified the ILS, tracked it, got real wobbly around 500', took off the foggles, and did a nice soft-field on 33R.
I did alright today.
CFI says I'm getting real close. He's going to do his 100-hr. inspection a bit early for my checkrides, then I can schedule.