Taking off: what could be better? You’re about to leave the Earth and do something few people can. When we forget about the possible complications takeoffs can pose, they seem so simple. Point the airplane down the runway. Advance the throttle. Maybe apply a little right rudder (unless you’re in a British airplane, which needs left rudder) and at the proper airspeed, pull back a little. Simple, isn’t it?
Most students appear to master the “normal” takeoff after only a few tries. Appear? One of the problems with takeoffs in the training environment is that they are done with another purpose in mind: A student takes off to practice one of the required maneuvers. In that mental environment, it’s easy to take the takeoff for granted. One way to combat that complacency is to make every training takeoff a high-performance effort. It’s not that hard to work into the lesson plan, and what little extra preflight planning is required is good experience. As students progress, they need to master high-performance takeoffs on short and soft fields (and as they progress even further, they need to master multi-engine takeoffs).
Riskier Than ‘Normal’
First, I need to get something off my chest: I think the short-field takeoff is a risky maneuver at any time, and can be a big problem for flight instructors. It’s the riskiest maneuver in the private pilot curriculum, in the commercial pilot curriculum, too, and it might be the most dangerous maneuver in the multi-engine pilot curriculum (low-altitude engine failures might be worse).
In the piston world, I see very few short-field takeoffs in normal operations. In the turbine world, every takeoff is a short-field takeoff, but most turbine aircraft have flight directors that guide the pilot through the maneuver safely. But flight instructors do the maneuver on every takeoff with every student aboard a piston.
What makes the short-field takeoff so dangerous? The big culprits are high angle-of-attack and high P-factor, the yaw forces caused by a spinning propeller. High angle-of-attack increases the danger of a stall, and high P-factor means lots of yaw. The combination of stall and yaw is a spin, a perfectly benign maneuver that some pilots do just for fun, as long is there is enough altitude to recover. But—by definition—during takeoff, there is no altitude to recover.
Compare it with an “ordinary” takeoff, in which the pilot raises the nose of the airplane the same amount every time. The P-factor, by combining high engine power with low airflow over the rudder, is exacerbated. As airspeed increases, the rudder becomes more effective, reducing the input necessary to counter P-factor.
In the short-field takeoff, the pilot raises the nose to a new, greater angle and does not allow airspeed to increase above VX, best-angle of climb, at least until clear of the obstacle, so there is no reduction in P-factor correction derived from a more effective rudder.
In primary training, students practice recognizing and recovering from departure stalls, typically planning to recover at no less than 1500 feet agl. This is accurate as far as it goes, but it cannot reproduce the sight of an approaching tree or utility pole. In that scenario, it’s tempting to pull the nose even higher, which can lead to a stall. With high P-factor, and little-to-no rudder effectiveness as speed bleeds off, yaw is introduced, making a spin more likely.
The recovery, like all stall recoveries, depends on reducing the angle of attack, that is, lowering the nose: maybe the pilot pulled too hard. Make sure that the throttle hasn’t slipped: that’s not what the training manuals say, but it is why they say to set maximum power, and it’s always a good idea to have a hand on the throttle(s) during any takeoff.
If the pilot does the performance planning, and the runway and conditions are within the airplane’s capabilities—with appropriate fudge factors added—the not-so-distant obstacle should not be a problem unless there is an issue with the airplane or with pilot technique. The instructor has to make sure the student doesn’t cause an unrecoverable situation.
When I am flying with a student, at any level, during takeoff, I rest my hand lightly on the yoke. The students may not notice this, but it means that I am ready to push the nose down immediately if something isn’t going right. Now, let’s talk technique, which often requires a dive into the POH/AFM.
That’s easy: Use what the POH says to use. Using flaps increases the wing’s lift by some combination of increased camber and greater surface area, but they add drag, too. What setting gives the most lift without producing too much drag?
Some manufacturers recommend not deploying flaps for short-field takeoffs (in contrast to soft-field departures, or a mix of the two). Their reasoning—hopefully backed up with data—is that the extended flaps’ drag is greater than the lift they provide at takeoff. Too, they may be concerned about inadvertent retraction and that sagging feeling we can get when flaps are retracted too soon after liftoff, i.e., before we’ve accelerated at least to Vy.
Conveniently, ailerons present a similar aerodynamic problem. The angle a fully down-deflected aileron presents should be when roll efficiency is greatest. That’s lift, but only on one wing and in one bank direction at a time. An acceptable level of adverse yaw—that’s drag, but only on one wing—is easily corrected with rudder. If the designers analyzed this situation, then any recommended takeoff flap setting should roughly match the maximum down aileron deflection. Remember, of course, that the downward-deflected aileron will be on the wing opposite the direction of the bank/turn.
This works well enough that it’s a recommended soft-field setting for older Bonanzas that have long ago lost the flap-position stripes applied at the factory. Instead of fretting about the exact bank angle recommended for soft-field takeoffs, roll the ailerons fully right, extending the left aileron downward to its limit. Deploy the electric flaps so the aileron and flap trailing edges on the left wing are aligned. Roll the aileron the other way to verify the right wing is correctly configured. (Hint: 10 degrees of flap is nominal for soft fields. Beech does not recommend using flaps for short fields.)
Short-Field Technique
Most modern POH/AFMs have details on takeoff technique in the performance section. That might be considered hidden: most checklists only give the pilot a speed, but nothing about technique.
Takeoff configurations vary from airplane to airplane, and even from model to model, so it’s important to look up this airplane’s configuration. I often say, “Fly the airplane you’re in,” and that really applies in this case.
That said, some generalities apply to short-field takeoffs in all airplanes. What are they?
Use all of the available runway by lining up on the centerline with the tail “in the weeds.”
Use maximum engine power. This can be easy if turbocharged and with an altitude-compensating fuel pump, but without either, adjust the mixture to find the best fuel-air combination for the conditions. To do this, set full throttle and lean the mixture to peak EGT or, lacking an EGT, until the engine starts to lose power. Then enrichen the mixture a little to add some extra fuel for cooling. Monitor cylinder head temperatures closely during initial climb.
Set pitch trim normally, but place the elevator to a neutral position, in-trail with the stabilizer. If the elevator is up, the airplane nose will be up, and that produces a little drag. If it is down, the nosewheel will be heavy, and that also produces a little drag. In a taildragger, after the tailwheel is off the runway, establish the attitude for zero angle-of-attack, which may appear to be a little nose-high or nose-low, depending on the airplane.
Once the takeoff roll begins, you’ll need the customary amount of rudder to maintain the centerline. Almost every POH specifies rotation speed and target speed at 50 feet, both of which depend on weight, so use those. This is one of the most precise maneuvers one can do in a piston airplane.
Some pilots may prefer to keep the airplane on the ground—or close to it—until reaching VX and then sharply pitching up to clear imaginary or real obstacles. This can be an effective technique in lightly loaded, high-performance airplanes. It’s not the best choice for others, since, as we’ve discussed from the beginning, pitching too high in an effort to clear the obstacle puts you closer to the critical angle of attack, while you’re also close to the ground.
Once clear of the obstacle, retract flaps, if any, and landing gear, if any, per manufacturer’s recommendations. Accelerate to the airplane’s best rate of climb speed (VY) or your preferred en route climb speed.
Should you hold the brakes until reaching maximum power or let the airplane roll? My experience is that it doesn’t make much difference, but your mileage may vary. I find that even when the pilot anticipates it, brake release at maximum power leads to some zigging and zagging as so many forces appear at once.
Multiengine Considerations
The Piper Seneca II POH short-field technique uses 25 degrees of flaps and an airspeed below VMC, the minimum airspeed that provides enough airflow over the rudder to allow it to produce enough yaw to counter that produced by the good engine. The key to surviving an engine failure in almost every twin is: “Power up (add full power on the good engine)—Clean up (retract gear and flaps as appropriate)—Identify—Verify—Feather.” The extra time it takes to “clean up” the flaps might be more than the time it takes to lose control at such a low airspeed. I refuse to demonstrate or teach the technique. It just isn’t worth the risk.
Meanwhile, The Poor CFI
With modern runways, there’s less need for a short-field takeoff in personal airplanes. When they need it, though, pilots have lots of tools available to improve takeoff performance, including reducing weight, waiting for cooler air and waiting for a stronger headwind. As my first instructor said, “The best way to get a big load out of a short strip is to take several small loads.”
Instead of listening to my instructor, the designers of the Airman Certification Standards make instructors do a lot of short-field takeoffs with students who don’t know how much to pull. They just know it’s more. Eventually, they’ll get it, but until they do the instructor has to protect them.
Keep a hand resting on the yoke, ready to push the nose down.
Jim Wolper is an airline transport pilot and retired mathematics professor. He’s also a CFI with single-engine, multi-engine, instrument and glider ratings.
