Online school · Small wings · Module 6

Mistakes near the ground

Module six of the “Small wings” course. Why mistakes near the ground matter most, why the last turn is dangerous, how to recover from a dive, when and how to flare, why you must not jerk the brakes, why you land into the wind, where to look, and how to stop on command.

⏱ 20 min📖 9 sections✓ 20 questions2 animated diagrams

Why mistakes near the ground matter most

In shortOn a small wing almost all serious mistakes happen near the ground: a turn at low height, a late recovery from a dive, a late or sharp flare, a downwind landing, braking with open trimmers. Speed and energy near the ground are high, brake travel is short, and there is no time to fix things. There is only one protection: a plan, height and smoothness.

Remember modules 2 and 3: on a small wing the speed is higher, the energy near the ground is 2 times or more, brake travel is shorter, and the wing reacts faster. Near the ground this turns a small mistake into an impact.

Real-life example. A steering mistake on an empty road can be fixed. The same mistake next to the kerb is already a crash. The problem is not the mistake, but how much space and time is left.

What follows is for our students

The full module text, the practice sessions and the exams are open to those who train with us. Access to the theory is included in the course fee: it runs for the whole course and for three months after it ends.

If you are training with us now, or have trained with us before, sign in with your access code. If you are a pilot from another school, access can be bought separately.

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Mistakes near the ground

Why mistakes near the ground matter most

What follows is for our students

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