Touch and Go

[RobertB]

How long should a pilot, who has been cleared for a touch and go, still have their wheels on the ground after they touch down? Seconds? Feet? Anything that is the norm?

I am really interested in what is the "norm" for a C172 or a DV20...

[Jbroz04]

Depends on the scenario. Sometimes I will put the wheels on the ground and immediately take back off simulating a obstacle entering the runway (deer, another airplane <-- happened to me once). Other times I if just doing touch and goes to fit more landings in, if the runway is long enough I will put down clean the plane up alittle (set takeoff flaps, turn carb heat to cold) than take back off. Just depends why your doing them and avaiable runway. Theres no text book answer.

[tykrtr]

The vast majority of times, I touch down long enough to stay on centerline, reset flaps, and add power. I've seen people, however, slow to taxi speed then start again. That's a stop-and-go in my book...

[minitour]

Originally Posted by Jbroz04

Depends on the scenario. Sometimes I will put the wheels on the ground and immediately take back off simulating a obstacle entering the runway (deer, another airplane <-- happened to me once). Other times I if just doing touch and goes to fit more landings in, if the runway is long enough I will put down clean the plane up alittle (set takeoff flaps, turn carb heat to cold) that take back off. Just depends why your doing them and avaiable runway. Theres no text book answer.

...and thank you for teaching a "rejected landing". Too many don't.

-mini

[TXTBOOK]

For me, doing primary training in a C172, it was touchdown, flaps up, power, carb heat off, and look for 60 mph, rotate. So it isn't actually a "touch" and go, more of a land and go... no brakes though

[RobertB]

Should a Cessna 172, cleared touch and go, still have their wheels on the ground roughly 4,000 feet down the runway after touchdown?

[RobertB]

Originally Posted by tykrtr

The vast majority of times, I touch down long enough to stay on centerline, reset flaps, and add power. I've seen people, however, slow to taxi speed then start again. That's a stop-and-go in my book...

That's my take. A touch and go is very little time on the pavement, not still rolling 4,000 feet down the runway causing a go around for another airplane...

[minitour]

Originally Posted by RobertB

Should a Cessna 172, cleared touch and go, still have their wheels on the ground roughly 4,000 feet down the runway after touchdown?

How long is the runway? Why are the wheels still down?

-mini

[RobertB]

Originally Posted by minitour

How long is the runway? Why are the wheels still down?

-mini

7,002 feet long... I have no idea why their wheels were still down. As a non-pilot, I didn't know if there was a typical touch and go routine or distance associated with it.

[TXTBOOK]

Originally Posted by RobertB

Should a Cessna 172, cleared touch and go, still have their wheels on the ground roughly 4,000 feet down the runway after touchdown?

No way. You can be airborn again in 2,000 feet.

[RobertB]

Originally Posted by TXTBOOK

No way. You can be airborn again in 2,000 feet.

Exactly what I thought as did probably that air carrier I had to send around...

[vikingair]

I like TnGs... quick, efficient and seamless ~ they let me pile on the landings by cutting out the long slow taxi back to square one. I also practice the rejected landing where we get within a cats whisker of touching down before we're airborne again. It paid off in spades last summer when the city bug sprayer drove out across the runway right in front of us the second our wheels squeaked.

Most of the time though there isn't any rush to get airborne again. Alot of pilots seem to have committed to the "and go" portion before they've even touched down and thats a good way to bend metal. There may be a reason to stay on the runway longer than would seem normal. At 60 knots youre eating runway at 100 feet/sec. A gust of wind, a slight sideload pulling you off centerline, a sticky flap handle, an engine cough...all good reasons to take a few extra seconds before leaving the safety of terra firma if at all.

I haven't made the decision to take off again until I rotate and no matter what its my runway until I choose to leave it. Now if theres following traffic and its gonna be a tight fit...let me know. Speed me up, slow them down, clear me for low approach only or an expedited maneuver. Its a simple time-speed-distance problem. Most of the time 10-20 seconds and 1-2000 feet should suffice but the only "norm" in aviation is that someone is going to do it differently.

[minitour]

Originally Posted by TXTBOOK

No way. You can be airborn again in 2,000 feet.

Just because you can do something doesn't mean it's the prudent thing to do.

-mini