Trying (not) to land

Sixteen years in the RAF, a decade as a civilian ETPS instructor and latterly commercial, Charlie has instructed on the majority of the 220 odd types he’s flown

- Charlie Huke

Last summer I was honoured to have been entrusted with a real SE5a, a proper first war fighter, and as such a single seater. Consequently, the only check-out would be a good verbal briefing on the ground. Once sat in the aircraft I’d be on my own!

Shuttleworth’s Chief Pilot talked me through it and, very generously, gave me a copy of the Collection’s notes for their own aircraft. Oddly−but in hindsight absolutely correctly−much of this briefing centred on starting the Hispano Suiza engine−a four-man process not without pitfalls−and the pressurised fuel system. This, once understood, makes sense, but seems overly complicated initially. However, with regard to flying, apart from engine management and almost using the ailerons to balance the rudder, little was unexpected, bar a dire warning to be absolutely at the correct attitude on landing. “Do that, and it’ll land itself,” I was told. If, however, either mains or tailskid touch first apparently a nasty, almost uncontrollable, bucking can start as the SE5a bounces from mains to tail.

Thankfully, the flight went as per the brief and I managed to avoid this bucking on landing. What a hoot, wheeling around in the Old Warden overhead, I watched the polished Spitfire streak underneath my wings. Sadly he was too fast to get my sights on him – next time...

Once the elation began to wear off as I was driving to work that evening (for some far less exciting flying), I thought about the comment ‘it’ll land itself’ and it got me thinking. And yes, it’s true, if presented to the runway correctly, most light aircraft will land themselves. Why then are there so many landing accidents?