Step 7 - Simulated Deadstick Landing.
- Flying Standard Take Off, Circuit And Flypast Procedure Turn Circuit And Procedure Turn
- Circuit Rectangular Circuit And Land Getting It Together Dead Stick Landing
Introduced in the new Safety Code is the requirement for a (simulated) Deadstick Landing.
This is a welcome introduction as deadsticks happen to everyone - some more than most! If you can master this easy problem, your models will have a greatly increased lifespan.
After you have landed on completion of the main schedule, the Examiner will ask you to take off and fly a circuit. If your engine has stopped, return to the pits and restart it.
Climb to a reasonable height and fly a circuit. The Examiner will ask you to close the throttle and land - equivalent to an emergency stop in a driving test!
In the words of Douglas Adams' Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy -- "Don't Panic!"
Close the throttle and yell "Deadstick!" at the top of your voice. Check that the runway is clear and get your model down into a landing approach line. Get to the (slightly) downwind side of the runway fairly quickly - it's the best place to lose excess height and speed with either a slight detour or small circuit. Depending on where you are when the deadstick is called, you may not have height or speed for a normal approach. You may have to cut corners - remember though that tight corners lose speed and height rapidly - or extend them.
With a bit of practice you should be able to get a feel for exactly the right path you have to take to get down from any given position. However, should there be any chance a safety infringement or someone going deadstick for real, immediately abort your attempted landing and regain height and wait for the Examiners further instructions.
The other thing is that you can always re-sit your Bronze. If you've made a complete mess of the approach - and with a bit of experience, you'll know for yourself - open up the throttle and climb out. It takes a damn' sight longer to rebuild your model than it does to re-sit your Bronze.
Clockwise Circuit
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Counter-Clockwise Circuit
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