Landing Off Field
by Kai Gertsen
April 1999
Revised 2006
An inordinate number of accidents occur during off-airport landings, which is regrettable as I am convinced the majority are attributable to pilot error and could readily be avoided by proper training.
Luck plays a surprisingly small role in successful field landings. Ninety-nine percent is know-how, preparation and skill. I am reasonably qualified to address this subject having made, at this point in time, 169 off-airport landings and have probably picked ten times that number of fields. Consequently, most of the following material is based on personal experience including that in the "Must never do" category. Naturally, it is impossible for anyone to have been exposed to all possible scenarios, even in a lifetime of cross-country flying, so some of the material is derived from other pilots encounters.
Warning: There will be a test sometime after this course. The time and place will be at your first field landing and failing is not an option.
Table of Contents
Why You Should Be Prepared
Preparation
Spin Proficiency
Serious Hazards
Wires
Slopes
Fences
Wind Direction
Field Selection
Crop & Surface
Field Size
Pattern & Approach
When To Opt For A Down-Wind Landing
Landing
Qualifications
After Landing
Elements Of A Successful Field Landing
Practice
Emergency Procedures
Low Saves
Fundamentals Of Low Saves
COMMENTS
Beware of landing to the west late in the day (into the sun) which is likely to happen on post frontal days flying for records or long tasks. This happened to me landing 15 minutes prior to sundown on a 500 k attempt. Was blinded on final til about 100 feet above the field when a distant hill shaded out the sun - of course the field had a steep slope on one side to be avoided and only just made the correction in time.