Richard
Final Approach
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2005
- Messages
- 9,076
- Location
- West Coast Resistance
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Ack...city life
I don't know why I think of such things...I just do.
A pilot in a VFR only single on straight floats (Lance, is that good enough?) departs from a south sea island in calm air and no swell just before sunset. His return is anticipated to be well after the end of twilight on a calm moonless night. In anticipation of his arrival, the pilot has worked it out with his buddy that the buddy will stand on the sandy beach shoreline with only a handheld and a powerful flashlight. The flashlight is the only lightsource on the island.
On arrival the pilot will turn on his landing light to signal the buddy that he is returning. The buddy will turn on his flashlight and aim it at the pilot to establish a two way visual contact. The buddy will count down to the mark when the plane passes directly overhead from which point the pilot will complete a course reversal and fly out bound to a procedure turn.
After the PT the pilot will let down to a water landing. He has previously calculated the power settings for a given groundspeed to allow for proper distance from shore at which to begin the landing.
Based on this, what is his probability of making a sucessful landing without an excessively long taxi to the beach? Also, if you were the pilot how would you make your inbound course reversal?
(The reason for the flight is the tribe ran out of beer for tonight's big bash and someone had to go get supplies. No, there are no water obstacles such as coral reefs, boats at anchorage, floating logs, etc)
A pilot in a VFR only single on straight floats (Lance, is that good enough?) departs from a south sea island in calm air and no swell just before sunset. His return is anticipated to be well after the end of twilight on a calm moonless night. In anticipation of his arrival, the pilot has worked it out with his buddy that the buddy will stand on the sandy beach shoreline with only a handheld and a powerful flashlight. The flashlight is the only lightsource on the island.
On arrival the pilot will turn on his landing light to signal the buddy that he is returning. The buddy will turn on his flashlight and aim it at the pilot to establish a two way visual contact. The buddy will count down to the mark when the plane passes directly overhead from which point the pilot will complete a course reversal and fly out bound to a procedure turn.
After the PT the pilot will let down to a water landing. He has previously calculated the power settings for a given groundspeed to allow for proper distance from shore at which to begin the landing.
Based on this, what is his probability of making a sucessful landing without an excessively long taxi to the beach? Also, if you were the pilot how would you make your inbound course reversal?
(The reason for the flight is the tribe ran out of beer for tonight's big bash and someone had to go get supplies. No, there are no water obstacles such as coral reefs, boats at anchorage, floating logs, etc)