Circuits

20160108

Circuit Legs

1. Upwind

2. Crosswind

• The cue to turn onto crosswind from upwind is 500ft AGL.

• Level off at 1000ft AGL.

3. Downwind

• The cue to turn onto downwind from crosswind is 0.75 to 1.0NM from runway.

• In C172S out window, runway is 2/3 up the strut.

4. Base

• The cue to turn base is 45 degrees from runway threshold.

• Reduce power.

• Begin descent.

5. Final

• Turn at ~600ft AGL.

• After turn, wings level at 500ft AGL.

• Don’t overshoot turn because parallel runway at YBAF.

• Use power for airspeed.

• Attitude for aim point on runway.

Checklist at Holding Point

• Strobe & Landing ON

• Pumps (as required)

• Transponder

  • Standby

  • Altitude

• Heat

  • Pitot Heat (as required)

  • Cabin Heater

Circuits in C172S

Take-off

• Full-power

  • Section 4 in manual

  • Static power 2300rpm minimum

  • Check Pressures and Temperatures

  • IAS increasing

• 55KIAS rotate

• Attitude ~ cowl on horizon

• Vx ~ 62KIAS

• Vy ~ 74KIAS

• At Vy, raise nose slightly higher

• 300ft take-off checks

  • Full power

  • = 2300rpm

  • 74KIAS

  • Flaps up

  • Landing light off

• Lookout, 500ft begin climbing turn onto crosswind

• Use heading bug

• Use reference point

• Level off @ 1000ft

Levelling off

• Attitude

• Power

• Trim

Turning onto downwind

• Radio call immediately

  • Callsign

  • Downwind

  • Touch and go (or Full stop)

Downwind Pre-landing Checks

• Brakes

• Under-carriage

• Mixture full rich

• Fuel quantity

• Instruments (Pressures and Temperatures)

• Switches e.g. landing light ON

• Hatches and harnesses

Abeam runway threshold

• Reduce power to 2000rpm

• Flap 10 degrees (< 110KIAS)

• Trim

• Turn base at ~85KIAS, 45 degrees from runway threshold

Base turn

• Roll

• Power, reduce to ~1500rpm

• Flap at 20 degrees (< 85KIAS)

• Trim

• On base, half sky-half ground attitude

• Should give ~75KIAS

• Half-way around, half-way down (750ft when half along base)

Turning final

• Approach Work Cycle

  • Aimpoint - aim at runway numbers, use attitude

  • Aspect - how the runway appears

  • Airspeed - 70KIAS for 20 degree flap, 65KIAS for 30 degree flap

• Flare

  • At ~50ft AGL

  • Idle power

  • Runway threshold markers about to disappear

  • Attitude from nose down to straight and level

  • Look away from runway numbers to far end of runway

• Hold off

  • horizon at dash cowling

  • let the aircraft land

Work Cycle

• Height

• Speed

• Heading

• Spacing