Touch and Go

[S3flyer]

When I was learning to fly I happily flew the pattern chocking up around 10 touch and go's an hour. I continued the practice (pardon the pun) until I purchased my first plane. At that point, I didn't see the advantages of a t&g versus a full-stop landing other than fitting in more landings in a defined period of time. I also felt/feel there is a higher risk of losing control due to pilot workload in a t&g. Since I own the plane, I figured I'd reduce my risk, however small, and only do full-stop landings. Also allows me to practice real world landings and take-offs. Been doing it ever since -- full stop landings, exit the runway, taxi back, then do it again. On longer strips, I do stop-n-gos. I know on a busy airport with lots of students you pretty much have to follow the herd -- I choose to practice something else in these situations.

 

Found an article on the topic: http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/inst_reports2.cfm?article=4457

 

What do y'all do when you practice take-off and landings?

[Jim]

I've never viewed touch and go's as a significant risk increase over full-stop. I have a 6000' foot runway and if I can't land in the first 1200' I'm doing something wrong. Touch and go's save gas and time. If there are other planes in the pattern, it's much easier to stay in the traffic flow if you're doing them.

[Runtoeat]

Hi Dave. I think that full stops and T&G's are both good training excercises and each of these provides unique opportunities for a new pilot to develop technique. For me, doing T&G's allows me to concentrate on just the landings and takeoffs. I am less concerned about where I am on the runway in relation to the taxiway exits, don't have to think about changing frequency to talk to ground, mixing in with taxi traffic and be delayed by other aircraft landing. All are distractions that one must learn to deal with in the whole picture but which prevent me from just concentrating on landing and takeoffs and how I need to deal with prevailing winds and runway surfaces. I think also by being able to quickly repeat a takeoff or landing where I didn't do well, I am able to try corrections in a timely manner and stay more connected to the process than if I am delayed by the full stop option. On the other hand, full stops allow me to think about runway length and obsticals for takeoff and landings. Do I have enough length to clear tall trees? How am I going to deal with a strong Xwind on a short grass field with trees on both sides and at both ends? What happens if I have engine failure on takeoff? It also provides learning on dealing with ground control, mixing properly with taxi traffic and keeping track of taxi and runway markings and signs. This is the time to slow things down, think, make a plan.

[knolde]

When I was learning to fly I happily flew the pattern chocking up around 10 touch and go's an hour. I continued the practice (pardon the pun) until I purchased my first plane. At that point, I didn't see the advantages of a t&g versus a full-stop landing other than fitting in more landings in a defined period of time. I also felt/feel there is a higher risk of losing control due to pilot workload in a t&g. Since I own the plane, I figured I'd reduce my risk, however small, and only do full-stop landings. Also allows me to practice real world landings and take-offs. Been doing it ever since -- full stop landings, exit the runway, taxi back, then do it again. On longer strips, I do stop-n-gos. I know on a busy airport with lots of students you pretty much have to follow the herd -- I choose to practice something else in these situations.

 

Found an article on the topic: http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/inst_reports2.cfm?article=4457

 

What do y'all do when you practice take-off and landings?

[knolde]

Dave: I also am ambivalent about the value of t&Gs. However, over the years I have followed thse general guidlines for my self to maintain proficiency: I do t&Gs only in relatively calm winds; I do "stop and goes" in stronger winds. My bottomline is that each landing is a learning experience and in calm winds I have less to critique. On the other hand windy or other conditions require more consentration, technique, and judgement as how to handle THIS LANDING ONLY--thus a stop and go.The one hard and fast rule I have is NO T&Gs on GRASS STRIPS! I'll give you an example,the other day I flew the CTLS back to 82J after 2 and a half months at the doctors. Despite a 45 minutes with an instructor at Sebring before returning, I did feel a bit rusty of a pilot proficiency ride was in order. The day I picked was windy (10+ kts direct X/W at 82J, getting off was not particular problem and I then went to the nearby Pensacola Regional (PNS) and they had 13 gusts to 17, but right down their crossing runway--I did T&Gs and then I switched to the cross wind runway, and did 4 stop and goes--a 125' x 7000' runway does provide some added security. So I then went home and landed at home on the grass grass R/WY--the winds were just a bit lighter than at regional, but I felt "right" on final. I hope this helps.

 

Sincerely, Ken Nolde 370 LS hous and love it!

[sandpiper]

Do whatever turns your crank. I prefer full stops or, traffic permitting, stop and goes. This allows me to set up the next take off as I want it - soft field, short field, flaps, no flaps, etc.

 

When I am checking someone out in an aircraft or doing flight reviews I want each take off from a full stop, especially in tail wheel, so we can set up the take off as stated above.

 

Keep in mind that stopping on a runway at an uncontrolled airport has its own hazards and can cause problems with other traffic that you may not be aware of. It is also not good practice to taxi into position and stop at an uncontrolled airport while you wait for traffic to exit the runway or preform other pre-takeoff tasks. Have these tasks done before entering the runway and wait for landing traffic to exit before entering.

[Scott Johnson]

To Touch and Go or Not to Touch and Go:

 

I am not a fan of them, particularly with student pilots. Most accidents occur on landing and the roll out when pilots forget they need to keep flying the airplane. (Meaning hold that wind correction deflection over in the stick all the way to the hangar.) The value of landing lessons (with or without an instructor) is for the pilot to practice returning to the airport and getting the airplane to the hangar safely. Stop and go if there is room and traffic permits have more value than multiple high speed touch and goes. Also, during the taxi back (on the taxiway) the pilot and the instructor can stop, think, talk, and debrief the approach without being rushed or distracted. Save on gas? How much does the CT burn? Seriously. :-)

[Jim Meade]

It's kind of like religion - you believe what you believe. I have taught thousands of touch and goes, but as I get older and mostly fly my own planes, I virtually never do them. If I started teaching primary again, I think I'd pass. I think that it teaches bad habits or at least habits that aren't used in normal full stop and take off situations. You'll notice that as one goes into larger and larger aircraft, one sees fewer and fewer (I'm not saying "no") touch and goes. Perhaps the more complex plane takes longer to set up, run checklists, etc. and a touch and go gets too frenetic.

 

As I got more and more experienced in teaching, I tried very hard to relate all the maneuvers to real world flight situations. Touch and goes don't quite pass that test.

 

If one is working on the approach and climb out, some balked or rejected landings can be substituted for touch and goes - oh! but they don't count as a landing, do they? Body count.

 

I'm not saying do none - it is useful to all of us to be able to get up off the runway if we see someone pulling in front of us as we're just about to touch down.

 

I'm not condemning, but I'm not doing.