Practice Routine for Keeping Skills Sharp?

[lndwarrior]

I want to go practice today and I was thinking about what skills to work on. I was wondering if someone had worked out an efficient practice routine?

I'm imagining something that would kind of flow together to make the most efficient use of time in the air. Kind of like the type of process that an aerobatic pilot uses for a routine.

It may start with a particular type of takeoff, then some various types of practice during a long climb-out, then at altitude a series of practice routines, then a multi-step descent with various maneuvers during a step down, etc, until landing.

I could put something together myself but sometimes it's nice not to have to figure stuff out when someone already has a plan.

TIA
Gary

[Sam Buchanan]

When I feel rusty several circuits of the pattern with different types of landings restores confidence in all flight maneuvers. When the pattern work is really sharp, so is everything else because of the different flight parameters required for precise patterns and landings.

[Mike S]

What will kill you or bend up the plane??

Work on those skills.

[6 Gun]

I would say make every landing different forget pulling power at the numbers at a certain height learn to adjust to any situation and always make the first turn off.
Bob

[mfleming]

Originally Posted by lndwarrior

.......I'm imagining something that would kind of flow together to make the most efficient use of time in the air. Kind of like the type of process that an aerobatic pilot uses for a routine.......

I'm hoping someone shares there routines. That's a great idea to have a systematic approach similar to aerobatics. Maximum use of our avgas!

Back in the day in Alaska, I didn't have a prescribed routine...except...

Every landing was a spot landing. Not just in "on the line" but also left or right alignment (we mostly didn't have centerline to help us).

Of course keeping our skills up for landing off field was the big incentive but the payoff for airport landings was that making a taxiway turnoff was never in doubt. Practice used to include every manor of wind direction there was. Gusty quartering tailwinds were the most challenging but it can be done and the confidence from having those skills made everyday operations a breeze.

Hope you get some good input for this thread.

-M

[Steve Melton]

in my 1000 hrs of flight time, I don't believe I have ever landed with a gusty quartering tailwind. what's it like? how differently does it behave?

[Tankerpilot75]

When I?ve gone a period of time without flying I tend to do the following on the first flight out of my home airport (KRQO) which is uncontrolled (no tower).

1. Start engine, Taxi, Takeoff and Climbout paying close attention to checklist discipline, smooth application of power and airspeed control. I always ask for traffic advisories from OKC approach control on climb out letting them know my intentions.
2. Twenty to thirty minutes in a practice area working on steep turns, power on and power off stalls, and stall recognition/prevention. I try to pay close attention to heading control, stall speeds, altitude lost and smooth recovery. It?s also critically important to constantly visually clear the area and look for emergency recovery sights in case a forced landing.
3. Then it?s time to request some practice instrument approaches from OKC approach control. These are usually done at an airport with an operational tower (KOKC or KPWA). Since I?m usually VFR between 5,000 and 6,500 feet when doing the above air work I must then descend VFR to around 3,500 ft for approach control to begin factoring me into their flow patterns. This is a great time to couple my autopilot, review my approach and setup an initial coupled approach sequence. I always fly my first approach coupled to allow me the opportunity to look outside for traffic (since this flight is normally a solo experience) and refresh in my own mind gps, EFIS and autopilot buttonology. This first approach is usually an ILS since my gps is non-WAAS. I fly it to a T/G and then do a second ILS (non-coupled) with a go around accomplished at DH.
4. I then return to my home airport and finish my instrument work with a non-precision GPS approach. I like to fly to the IAF, do one procedure turn, and if that approach is coupled, I then dial in my step down altitudes to MDA. Again this is usually to a missed approach. Then to the visual pattern for two or three touch and go landings.

This routine normally consumes about an hour and a half of flying (give or take 15 minutes). I feel like it refreshes several important skills: checklist discipline, basic aircraft control, instrument procedures and equipment operation proficiency, and finally a little confidence in my airmanship skills, landings, and working with air traffic control.

Some will argue flying practice instrument approaches without a safety observer isn?t very smart (I cannot disagree here) but I?d rather risk myself (under approach control supervision) than ask someone else to join me when it?s been a while since I?ve flown. Besides single pilot operations are more the norm with me than multi pilot flight. With approach control calling out known traffic and ads-b in and out also providing traffic information I hopefully have minimized unknown traffic situations. However, ?see and avoid? is always paramount so that is why I?m always ?peeking? when flying instrument approaches (even in the rare situation of having an instructor/second pilot flying with me).

Hope this helps.

[mfleming]

Originally Posted by Steve Melton

in my 1000 hrs of flight time, I don't believe I have ever landed with a gusty quartering tailwind. what's it like? how differently does it behave?

Many of the strips and glaciers we used to frequent were one way affairs. Some of them were also no go-around.
This would put us in situations where the winds were frequently less than ideal.
Were there limits to what we could handle going into situations less than ideal? Of course...many times we would just fly away and wait for a better day (or hour).
But some times...many times, we would land with a direct tail wind or a quartering tail wind. Waiting for ideal conditions wasn't really practical.
So practicing was, for me, the one way to keep my skills fresh. That way, when crunch time came, there was no doubt on what I could or couldn't handle.
As far as what a gusting quartering tail wind feels like...it felt like pure concentration...with your mind, hands and feet working overtime

Getting ready for some practice back in the day!

[Vac]

Hi Gary,

Here's a link to a quick reference "aircraft handling" card I keep in the in-flight guide in my airplane:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8E...ew?usp=sharing

Over on the Safety page, there is a sticky at the top that contains a link to transition training resources. Appendix A has some information about maintaining personal proficiency, and Appendix B contains an example of a briefing guide covering just about anything you might consider doing during a training flight. If you download a PDF version via the link provided, the table of contents is hyperlinked to help navigate.

Drop me a PM with an email address if you'd like a Word version of either document that you can edit.

Fly safe,

Vac

[RV3bpilot]

I'm with Sam, I stay near the airport and practice in the pattern.
Good radio communications
Holding the same altitude with changing air speeds.
Watching the instruments for engine problems.
Watching for other aircraft.
Practice landings and take offs.
Then when comfortable leave the area and enjoy the beautiful view.
Cheers