Originally Posted by
Toolmaker51
About cool-handed as possible. Composure is a product of knowledge and nerve.
But there is a old funny joke.
Student pilot is up with instructor for air trials. His assignment, make 3 strips for grading of navigation, instruments, radio, time/ distance, fuel management in a series of touch and go. After fueling at third, he'll return to base.
First strip, combination commercial and private, is a breeze. Right on time, perfect comm's, approach and departure.
Second is textbook quality, at a smaller private strip. Touches down, rolls along and throttles up and away, en-route for the third.
It's otherwise unimproved dirt strip, high in the mountains and very small.
Approaching, he is shocked at the conditions, it really is small, he gets hesitant. It is incredibly short.
Low on fuel, instructor tells him it's required that he land. Student balks, while instructor becomes more insistent. Anxiety grows, instructor now virtually ordering him to land.
Student grits teeth, white knuckles with full flaps, touches down hard, reverses propeller, and stands on brake pedal..(imagine screeching cartoon effects)............lurching to a stop.
Whew! In amazement says "This runway is crazy short!"
Instructor, pauses chewing gum and writing on pad, looks slowly out port, then starboard window; remarks "Yes, but it sure is wide"........
