Page 41 - March 2015 Volume 19 Number 3

Runways
distraction is an airstrip of unfamiliar dimensions; if one is accustomed to a 75-foot runway width, but is landing on a 150-foot-wide runway, there’s a tendency to flare early, in an attempt to keep the familiar perspective of the runway during landing. Conversely, a narrow runway tempts pilots into flaring late, or not at all, while waiting for the runway to grow to its normal size.
Downward-sloping runways are guaranteed to catch your airplane at the far end of the runway, if you aren’t alert enough to go around. The primary danger is not the extra slope’s effect on braking, but rather the illusion of being low on the approach, which made you go high over the threshold. A normal glideslope angle to a downhill runway produces a view of a short, wide airport, as if you are coming in low. Barring obstructions, concentrate on placing your non- moving aiming spot at the target zone and ignore the perspective.
The emphasis at many airports today is on a decelerating approach, for traffic considerations, arriving in queue with plenty of speed and a requirement to add final flaps for an airbrake late in the arrival. That’s fine, if you’re good with your timing and have some extra runway to cover your mistakes. It’s far better to plan on being stabilized no later than 500 feet AGL and probably two or three miles out. In any case, go around if the airplane is not on
target for a touchdown at, or just past, the fixed-distance runway markers, and adjust your approach for the next attempt.
Using CRM and briefing the takeoff and approach are critical to avoiding a hurried, slap-dash procedure. The pilot flying should say “this will be a flaps-10 normal takeoff, you are to call out V1, Vr and V2, and observe the distance to go markers.” Once cleared for an approach, brief the arrival; “we are flying the RNAV 16, initial minimum altitude is 2,100 feet, landing minimum is 515 feet, the missed approach is straight ahead to 2,000 feet, right turn to the holding fix. Call out altitudes to go, Vref deviation and runway in sight.” Even if you are flying as a single-pilot, make such takeoff and landing briefings verbally to yourself, reinforcing your dedication to following procedures.
The prevention for running off a runway is to swallow your pride and take a wave-off from an unworkable landing, or abort the takeoff early. These are maneuvers in their own right that need to practiced regularly in simulator training. Think about what caused you to abandon the landing or takeoff, and change something for the next try, so you don’t fall into the same trap. Insanity, it’s been said, is defined as doing the same thing as before but expecting different results. Let’s not give the tower controller an excuse to quip “Speed permitting, exit at the end.” I
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