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8 Answers

Touch and Go’s

Asked by: 14290 views
Private Pilot

I just passed my PPL check ride and have a question relating to Touch and Go's.  After soloing whilst still on my student license I was told to only do full stop landings yet nearly every landing with my CFI was touch and go.

What is the danger associated with Touch and Go's that would warrant a student not doing them?  Now I have my PPL any reason for me to not do touch and goes when practicing in the pattern?

Thanks. 

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8 Answers



  1. Bill Trussell on Feb 02, 2012

    Touch and go landings have taken some lumps in recent years.  They were practiced often in the “old” days with the biggest advantage being time savings.  Recall that in most cases the most learning that occurrs during landing is from inside the fence to the ground, or about 15 seconds or so.  The logic was that anything that cut down on the time required to get to that last 15 seconds was a good thing.
    Many airports now ban the practice of touch and go landings either for safety reasons or noise abatement purposes.  There is certainly nothing wrong with practicing using touch and go’s but you could take care to ensure that it is conducted within the local rules and practices.

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  2. Koehn on Feb 02, 2012

    I agree with Bill, but something to keep in mind is that you probably shouldn’t be practicing touch-and-go’s on a short runway (and by short I mean any runway under five thousand feet or so) until you’re consistently using much less runway to complete the manuever. Be sure to consider the runway conditions (asphalt, concrete, dry, wet, ice, snow, VASI/PAPI) and any crosswind.
    Remember, you’re cleared “for the option,” so you can always come to a full stop if your speed is high and you float, consuming too too much runway to safely take off again.
    That’s a lot to think about when you’re a student pilot, so I can understand the reluctance to have students do solo touch-and-go’s. My instructor was fine with it, and it always ended well for me, but I was also using a 7,000 foot concrete runway.

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  3. Matthew Waugh on Feb 02, 2012

    I don’t let students do solo T&G, but that’s because I don’t teach them T&Gs dual. When we’re dual and doing T&Gs the student keeps the plane straight on the runway, *I* re-configure the plane, and then I tell the student to start the take-off.
     
    That’s because I don’t want students careening all over the runway, head in the cockpit moving flaps, setting trim etc. That is my decision as their CFI and their solo is on my endorsement. Other CFIs have different standards.
     
    Now you’re a Private Pilot you can make the decision on T&Gs. If you haven’t practiced them as the sole practitioner then I’d take a CFI along to practice a few first.
     
    When I am flying without a CFI I do not do T&Gs. That’s my choice, and it’s based on the fact that when I land I don’t configure the aircraft until I’m clear of the runway and stopped. Others will make different decisions.

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  4. Patrick Flannigan on Feb 02, 2012

    You asked about the dangers of doing a touch and go and I think Matthew nailed it with the potential runway distance issue.
     
    Another serious problem is pilot distraction. Even in simple airplanes, you will probably have to retract or reset the flaps. Matthew mentioned the pilot being heads-down at a critical moment of flight. But there is another danger.
     
    The pilot may forget to retract the flaps for the takeoff. In most airplanes, full flaps will add too much drag, increasing runway length and decreasing climb.
     
    The same performance penalties are applicable if the pilot errs in the other extreme by retrracting the flaps to zero. 
     
    Back when I used to do touch and goes in a Piper Warrior, I got into the habit of always landing with two notches of flaps. That was the normal takeoff configuration in that airplane, so there was no need to make any configuration changes on the runway.

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  5. Brian on Feb 03, 2012

    “What would warrant a student not doing them?

    I took the liberty of editing your question as the dangers regarding touch and goes topic seems well covered. However, the typical answer as to why students cannot do them does not appear to be noted. That answer is simply insurance. 

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  6. Vicki L. Bevan on Feb 05, 2012

    Along with problems with distraction, runway length, and finally insurance, a touch and go does not let a student pilot practice bringing the airplane to a full stop.  I have witnessed a few student solos that resulted in the airplane rolling off the end of the runway or the side of the runway.  In each case, the CFI worked exclusively touch & goes during the lessons leading up to the solo. If you wish to minimize the risk to a student, you must train for each part of the landing right through flare, touchdown, braking, and taxiing clear.
    The landing isn’t over until the airplane is parked.

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  7. Curtis Ide on Feb 06, 2012

    I agree with most of the above.  I certainly use touch and go’s when teaching my students but if you are going to use them on your own you showld take a few items into consideration.
    1) Keep in mind the amount of runway you will be using.  As a student you generally have practiced on only a couple of runways.  Make sure you are taking note of how long your touch and go distance takes prior to practicing at other fields.  Simply adding landing distance and take-off distance won’t work because you don’t know exactly how fast and far you will roll down the runway during the transition.
    2) The aircraft can have problems during the touch and go – Engine failure, flat tire, electric flap failure in the full down position.  When you are by yourself or with precious cargo on board (other people) you will find that the runway behind you would have been nice to have.  For this reason you need to think about what situations could happen, how the touch and go will affect them, and how you will handle each situation.
    3)In complex aircraft people have accidentaly pulled the gear handle up instead of the flap lever – this is just one of the reasons touch and go’s are discouraged by the FAA.
    4)You need to be able to recognize how much runway you have remaining for the takeoff and that it is within your aircrafts capability.  If you are at a field with runway distance remaining markers you can use them.  In any case select a point on the runway with sufficient length to stop or take-off.  If you have not made the transition to take-off by this point you would abort the takeoff. 
    5)As you start to carry more passengers and get back into summer older aircraft may not have the climb rates they once did – make sure you can clear any obstacles when you are only going to take-off from halfway down the runway. 
    For an additional reference – I work out of a 8000 ft runway field.  I allow my students to do stop and go’s solo during training.  They must land at the touchdown zone which stops them by about 2000 feet of runway used, leaving 6000 for the takeoff.
    This list isn’t exhaustive of all the items to consider. You will have to make the choice for yourself if you will do touch and go’s but hopefully the feedback you recieve here will help you to make an educated decision. 
     

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  8. David Eberhardt on Feb 11, 2012

    It’s been a few years since I was a student, but I did touch & go’s as a solo student. I flew Cherokees back then and still lfy them today. You have three things to worry about: flaps – retract, trim – forward some, and apply right rudder smoothly on the power advance.
     
    All three items can be done correctly without looking inside. I make sure I am totally under control before reaching for the flap handle. The trim can even be done after getting airborne … that’s how I do it all the time. You just have to press the contro wheel forward until you get the thing re-trimmed. No big deal.
     
    At night, full stop, taxi back seems more prudent.
     
     

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