douglassmt
Well Known Member
When I completed transition training with Mike Seager over 10 years ago he taught a simple before-landing checklist that included testing brakes to make sure they will function on landing. For over 1500 hours and who knows how many landings, I've done it religiously, out of habit thanks to Mike. Tuesday night, coming in to land at my home airport after a week in Arizona, my right pedal was flat. No pressure. Since I knew it before landing it wasn't a factor...except that after landing I had to make a right turn off the runway. Fortunately the airport wasn't busy but it took me a few seconds to figure out that I would need to request three left turns to get off the runway to the right! Then it took me two tries to figure out how to arrest the left turn by applying full right rudder, releasing the left brake, and applying some power to keep from blowing past my exit. I recommend trying it some time in case you need it. It looked funny I'm sure, but it got me through two more right turns and back to the hangar.
Bottom line, thanks to Mike Seager's training, I was prepared for no brake on landing. It looks like a leak at the caliper but it could happen any number of different ways. So check those brakes before landing!!
PS. It was very kind of my plane to wait until my home airport to fail a brake.
Bottom line, thanks to Mike Seager's training, I was prepared for no brake on landing. It looks like a leak at the caliper but it could happen any number of different ways. So check those brakes before landing!!
PS. It was very kind of my plane to wait until my home airport to fail a brake.