Turbine Pilot: Power Play
V1…rotate…VLOF?
Lots of emphasis is placed on “V1 cuts.” This is a drill that involves an instructor “failing” an engine right at V1, or takeoff decision speed. It’s the worst time an engine could quit. You’re taken by surprise, and committed to taking off with a lot of asymmetric power and at relatively low airspeed.
I experienced a lot of V1 cuts in a FlightSafety course I recently took. One right after the other—which is easy to do in a sophisticated simulator. “Batting practice,” the instructors call it. Although actual engine failures must certainly be rare in the real world, in training a great value is attached to executing a graceful liftoff and climbout from a V1 engine-out.
Because they are rare, and rarely practiced in the real world, V1 cuts are cruel to rusty turbine jockeys. After V1 blows by, the next call is VR—rotation speed—at which time you raise the nose to a climb attitude. The problem comes when pilots are tempted to yank the airplane into the air. If a wing’s going to drop and strike terra firma, that’s when it will happen. It’s a routine event in simulator training.
I was taught to look down the runway as V1 draws near. This way, when the yaw caused by a dead engine kicks in, you can quickly see it, and just as quickly apply corrective rudder inputs. Next, I was told to wait a second or two before smoothly lifting off. Yes, you pitch up at VR, but your main gear are still on the runway. Result: You’re ready for a controlled climbout.
This comes at a V-speed we seldom learn—VLOF, or liftoff speed. I thought that any delay getting airborne right at VR would ruin your calculated takeoff distances. Not so, I was told. VLOF is factored into published takeoff data. You learn something new every day.
—Thomas A. Horne, Turbine Pilot Editor
