Circuit Training with Glide Approach

Completed another circuit training over the weekend with touch-and-go non-landings. However, the variety added this time is a simulated engine fault and doing a glide approach.

What happens is on a base leg or even downwind leg, my CFI will instruct me to throttle off the engine, hold glide speed immediately, and then look to turn into the runway while aiming the nose at the center of the runway. All the while trying to estimate if I can make it, and if yes and the aircraft is higher than required altitude, then apply flaps to bring the descent down.

It was a lot of fun but I found it difficult to estimate when to turn and apply flaps. I was too high on 2 out of 4 attempts, and the remaining 2 were okay only because Andy gave me prompts.

I think this skill requires a lot of experience, experiences that I hope can be achieved within the PPL coursework and with practice. I mentally noted to push myself after PPL to practice these more, even with an instructor.

At the end of today’s lesson, I find myself completing the first page of my logbook. The tally is now 13 hours 35 minutes.