For Keeps

Its impossible to develop suggested techniques covering all airplanes and all pilots at all times. By stating "hold the airplane neutral," we meant in a level attitude, whether on or slightly above the runway. The key here is accelerating to the desired airspeed as quickly as possible in the least distance. Some airplanes do this best on the runway. Your 182 isnt one of them, so accelerating in ground effect is probably the best solution. As always, of course, practice various techniques with an experienced instructor to determine which works best for you and your airplane.

Editorial Staff

Friday, November 21, 2008 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Short-field takeoff techniques are highly aircraft-specific; some planes may perform better by accelerating in ground effect rather than remaining on the runway to reach desired airspeeds, and personalized instruction is key.
"Real-world" tips for maximizing effective runway length include rolling starts, diagonal takeoffs, and utilizing terrain by landing uphill and taking off downhill.
Older aircraft, such as a 1949 Beech Staggerwing, featured notably complex and challenging fuel management systems with multiple tanks and hard-to-access selector valves, demanding extreme pilot attention.

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I read Dave Higdons article (“Playing Short-Field For Keeps,” October 2008) with great interest. However, there were areas I have trouble understanding. The article states, “For clearing the obstacle on an otherwise long-enough runway, do hold the airplane neutral and accelerate to V_Y, then swiftly and smoothly pitch to 1.2 V_S0.”

My 1956 C182 starts to lift off the runway at about 62 mph, while V_Y is about 90 mph. I do not think I could keep the airplane on the runway until V_Y is achieved. Did he mean “accelerate to V_X” instead of V_Y?

Jack Ciliberti
Via e-mail

Its impossible to develop suggested techniques covering all airplanes and all pilots at all times. By stating “hold the airplane neutral,” we meant in a level attitude, whether on or slightly above the runway. The key here is accelerating to the desired airspeed as quickly as possible in the least distance. Some airplanes do this best on the runway. Your 182 isnt one of them, so accelerating in ground effect is probably the best solution.
As always, of course, practice various techniques with an experienced instructor to determine which works best for you and your airplane.

More Short Tips

Dave Higdons October 2008 article “Playing Short-Field For Keeps” has good tips for the real-world. For example, the rolling turn onto the runway, so you dont start the takeoff roll from a stopped position, works well.

With a nosewheel plane, I have pushed the plane backwards so its tail is hanging out over a river to gain an extra 10 or 12 feet of runway. Another one is to start your departure from a diagonal corner of the runway. Starting from say the northwest corner and departing to the southeast corner will gain you more runway. This is taking into consideration the prevailing wind.

Also, we all know to land uphill. This will shorten your landing and roll out. The opposite is true on departure: Take off downhill. Even if you are experiencing a tailwind, up to a point, this rule should be followed. If you have a choice, land on a sand bar and take off from a gravel bar. All little tricks that really do work in real-world flying.

Steve Irwin
Via e-mail

Fuelish Errors