The problem is, those retracted wheels eventually have to be extended, in order to taxi to the ramp unaided. And pilots, being creative in their ability to ignore warnings and signals sent by the airplane, will find ways to land with the gear up. The increased maintenance and risk of loss associated with flying with “limber legs” were always present. Insurers, mechanics, and lenders began discouraging a later generation of pilots from buying such complex airplanes. Accordingly, Cirrus and other next-gen manufacturers have built fast singles with the gear firmly fixed in place.

However, many of the retractable-gear Beech, Cessna, Mooney, and Piper legacy fleet is still around, able to be purchased by new owners, and it behooves us to periodically revisit the cautions and techniques needed to operate them without incident. The FAA merely requires a logbook endorsement attesting to proficiency in operating one type of complex airplane; further training in other retractables is at the discretion of the pilot. 

You must avoid such laid-back transitions.

Study how the landing gear system works in any retractable-gear airplane you’re going to fly, what to do if it malfunctions, and what maintenance is required to keep it in tip-top shape. Get through training from knowledgeable instructors familiar with that type of aircraft, not just a few trips around the pattern but coverage of the plane’s limitations and requirements in all phases of flight.

When it comes to avoiding unintentional gear-up landings, make sure you understand how the airplane acts when it’s being forced to approach the ground without wheels. Yes, all retractable-gear planes were built with gear-up warnings that activate when power or speed is reduced with wheels retracted. Those can malfunction, or be masked behind the stress of passenger or ATC interaction.

What won’t malfunction is the airplane’s unnatural buoyancy in the absence of drag from the extended gear. If you’re reducing power to idle when a normal approach requires several inches of manifold pressure, you may be trying to land gear-up. If the airspeed remains fast as you roll out onto final, it may be because the wheels are still stowed. Listen to what your retractable-gear steed is telling you.

Checklists or GUMP rituals are fine, but make sure you’ve actually “done” the list, not just read it. I follow two rigid procedures to avoid landing gear-up. First, I never descend below normal traffic pattern altitude without assuring that the gear is down. You may think you moved the switch or handle, but did it really actuate, confirmed by indications and feel of the aircraft? Second, I always do a short-final check, when the approaching runway numbers are visible—gear-down, stabilized, cleared to land.

Flying retractable-gear airplanes is still a worthwhile endeavor, but it does require another element of risk management. Keep the gear system in tip-top shape, keep your skill at handling the extra piloting chores sharp, and never ignore the possibility that you missed that vital gear extension.

The post Gear Down Before You Go Down appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

The concept of performing “circuits and bumps,” aka touch-and-goes, was developed to save time during landing practice by eliminating the taxiing portion of a full landing-and-takeoff regimen. In the case of the Boeing, the brakes would be hot at the end of a full-stop landing, perhaps leaving the aircraft unable to handle a rejected takeoff if necessary.

Many flight schools at busy airports are forced to teach with touch-and-goes because exiting the runway means joining the queue and waiting for a break in traffic to take off again. The only full-stop landing comes at the end of the training session unless a trip is made to a nearby quiet airport.

It’s probably better to teach primary students full-stop landings, leaving touch-and-goes for advanced and recurrent training with pilots who have already learned the basics of flying. By experiencing the entire sequence of decelerating to taxi speed, then starting out from a dead stop to experience a complete takeoff, a beginning student becomes more familiar with transitioning between taxiing and flying, requiring fewer landings to acquire proficiency. As long as the taxi-back and departure takes only a minute or two, the time on the ground gives the instructor a moment to critique and teach while the student is less occupied with controlling the airplane.

• READ MORE: In Defense of Young Instructors

Thus, touch-and-goes are necessary but less desirable for initial learning if it’s possible to avoid them. In the cases of commercial pilot training, instrument approach practice, multiengine transition, or checkouts in a new type of plane, there’s no reason not to do touch-and-goes if done properly.

The decision to make the landing a touch-and-go should come in advance, unless required to avoid a hazard. Planning for the touch-and-go means allowing plenty of remaining runway for the run to liftoff and obstacle clearance. Don’t do touch-and-goes on a runway offering less than twice the distance needed for normal operations. Be prepared to make a full-stop landing in case the flaps fail to retract or an engine doesn’t respond.

The mental setup is to expect to have the wheels planted on the pavement within the first 500 feet, then retract flaps (not the landing gear!) to the normal takeoff setting. The nosewheel can be kept airborne or allowed to touch down in a normal manner, depending on the airplane’s proclivities. Apply takeoff power as soon as the flaps are confirmed in motion, establish liftoff attitude at the airspeed used for normal takeoffs, and retrim to a takeoff setting without taking your eyes off the runway. Climb out following the usual departure profile. If at a nontowered airport, make an advisory call like “going around on Runway 6, staying in the pattern” after establishing a stable climb. Saying “on the go” is a little Top-Gunnish.

There’s nothing wrong with a touch-and-go if done correctly and in the right place. Eventually, of course, we’ll always do a full stop.

The post Are Touch-and-Goes Good Practice? appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.