How It Works: Water Rudders” (March 2016 Flight Training) refers to switching to one magneto and pulling the carb heat to tighten a turn radius in a seaplane on water. A close friend who is an A&P/IA and I both caution students against that practice, as it is guaranteed to foul spark plugs—quickly.
Alternatively, leaning the mixture to a “stumble” with fine tuning seems to work.
Hunter Horvath
Sandpoint, Idaho
QUESTIONING 360s
I just read “Around the Patch: Jolly Holly Run” (March 2016 Flight Training), in which a pilot in the landing pattern made a 360-degree turn to create more space for a faster airplane to land ahead of her. I was taught to continue on in the pattern but announce position, et cetera, but also to include a go-around at pattern altitude. It was explained to me as being less disruptive of traffic flow and therefore safer. Do you have any comment about what is better?
Fran Laabs
Ames, Iowa
Both methods of traffic avoidance are acceptable in the traffic pattern. A pilot should consider his or her position in the traffic pattern, traffic ahead and behind, and the speeds of aircraft in the pattern. In this case, the pilot had begun a turn to the base leg when the pilot on a long final announced his position. Continuing on the base leg would have put her in the path of the Cirrus on final, so she executed a right 360-degree turn. —Ed.
