Practice the Emergency – Before It Happens!

Why put yourself – or your student – through needless panic? Why risk pulling the “Brain Jettison T‑Handle” and an unhappy ending, instead of a safe landing and applause? The real question is not whether to practice emergencies, but how to do it effectively.

Scenario‑Based Training (SBT) earns partial credit. Talking through scenarios on the ground – thoroughly and repeatedly – helps. But what is the crème de la crème method? Anyone with military or airline experience already knows the answer: simulation.

Simulation That Works

Practice in a simulator. Think of it as SBT on steroids. The military and airlines rely on simulators because they save flight hours, aircraft, crews, passengers – and yes, lawsuits. Today, clubs can do this effectively as well.

Condor is more than a video game. With a realistic local landscape, it becomes a capable simulator. Many have seen Scott Manley’s articles on Condor, and Russ Holtz’s syllabus and flight school lessons. How many instructors in your club actually use it? Is it required as part of training? Hopefully, this article encourages wider adoption.

My Scenario from Real Life

I fly at Harris Hill, we’re we’re fortunate to have an auxiliary field (the AUX) about 800 feet lower than our main field elevation. It’s invaluable when you can’t make a normal pattern or suffer a rope break.

Years ago, after completing my local checkout, I was flying with students – but I’d never landed at the AUX. It was always on the “we’ll do it another day” list: it interrupted training, required a tow retrieve, or the grass was too tall.

I was also flying commercial rides and had a nagging concern about a rope break requiring an AUX landing. I’d never done an unexpected land‑out. From my military background, I knew Condor was my best chance to practice.

Practice builds confidence. It reduces surprise, confusion, doubt, and panic – the things that trigger the Brain Jettison T‑Handle. Ironically, if you practice enough, the emergency may never happen.

Unfortunately for me, it did!

Productive Practice with Condor

Before the incident, I’d practiced extensively at home – dozens of AUX landings in Condor under varying wind conditions. The AUX pattern can be tricky: downwind toward Harris Hill, base close to the trees. Three elements made the practice effective:

1. A local landscape. Generic scenery has limited value. Today, free Condor 2/3‑compatible local landscapes are available at SoaringTools.org, with resolutions down to 0.35 m/pixel (you can see the dashed line on highways).
2. Proper controls. Stick, rudder, and spoiler positions matter – especially for students. Dedicated simulator hardware builds muscle memory.
3. Virtual reality. I was skeptical until I tried it. With VR, you’re in the cockpit, with fully 3D terrain. It’s a game changer.

Brain Jettison T-Handle

Why do pilots of twin engine aircraft shut down the good engine after a catastrophic failure? Why do we choke on check rides? Stress!

At my training bases, we called it pulling the Brain Jettison T‑Handle – the sudden loss of decision‑making ability under stress. A related concept was “loss of IQ,” roughly:

What does yours look like? Experience and emergency practice reduce this effect – both of which are scarce for students and new pilots.

My Surprise Scenario – The Setup

I was flying with Steven on his first flight back after a long break. His second solo had ended with a damaged glider at the AUX, and he hadn’t flown since.

On that solo, turbulent downwind conditions left him very high on final. Uncomfortable with an aggressive slip, he chose to abort and land at the AUX. Again high on final and running out of field, he pushed the glider onto the surface. It ground‑looped and was damaged, but he was uninjured.

Our plan was simple: a 3,000‑foot tow, slip practice, and confidence building. I’d demonstrate the first pattern; he’d fly the second. The best‑laid plans of mice and men…

Instructor Error

It was a calm, beautiful day. With my engineering background and USAF experience, I felt with a 3000’ tow we could do five straight ahead SLIPs, in the same direction, with the nose pointed away from the field. What could possibly go wrong?

After the third slip, I glanced at the altimeter and was surprised. Steven noticed too. I had him turn back to the field, max glide. It wasn’t rocket science to see we wouldn’t make it. Fields beneath us, but wonderful to be on a ridge with a valley on our right. I took control and committed to the AUX. I should have anticipated this question, with some tension in his voice.

“John, have you landed at the AUX?”

“Yes – many times,” I replied truthfully, omitting “only in Condor.” Crew resource management and avoiding panic matters. I told him I would do a demo.

The pattern and landing were easy and uneventful. As we flew, I thought, this looks exactly like the simulator. Reality matched the practice!

After Landing

While waiting for a tow, I owned my mistake and explained this was my first real AUX landing. All previous ones had been in Condor. And yes, experienced pilots can make stupid mistakes. We also talked through his earlier experience.

Before solo, he had never landed at the AUX and never used Condor. The best he had was a verbal description from an instructor.

Challenges at Your Field

I’ve discussed some of the unique aspects of Harris Hill and the training challenges it presents. Under stress, Steven’s TLAR failed him. He knew he was high, knew others were watching, and knew the AUX looked unfamiliar and intimidating. Stress levels don’t get much higher.

Unless you are very fortunate, nearly every field presents challenging low-altitude (<200 ft) rope-break scenarios. These cannot be practiced safely in the aircraft, so we rely on discussion and imagination. Today, we can do better – giving students (and ourselves) realistic practice and confidence. One last example from my past illustrates this.

I transitioned to gliders at the Finger Lakes Soaring Club at Dansville Airport, which had a perimeter fence. Below 200 feet, a rope break forced an immediate decision – stop before the fence with brakes deployed, or extend the glide to clear it. Early in the tow we made callouts: “before the fence” or “after the fence.”

Clearing the fence wasn’t the end of trouble. Ahead were plowed fields worked perpendicular to the runway – far from ideal. Earning “style points” required a significant low-altitude turn.

We talked about these scenarios often, but I was never fully comfortable. That discomfort motivated me to learn how to create a custom Condor landscape. Club members used it. A 15–20 kt headwind changed the picture dramatically, and choosing to turn meant an abrupt shift from headwind to crosswind. Condor let us practice these environments and consequences safely.

Topics for Your Discussion

A demo or lecture – is not student practice. It may have been all we had years ago, but high‑quality simulation is now available. In a consistent manner you can setup a scenario whey they are high/low on dowwind, base, or final and see how they respond. The ability to press the “pause” button allows you to intervene and give the student time to think about recovery from a bad situation, discuss options.

Condor works – especially for emergencies. The student can safely practice low altitude rope breaks at your local field and see the impact of varying wind conditions. In about 12 flights the USAF Academy solos cadets with no prior flight experience in the DG-1000 after simulator use.

Instructor usage – Not sure about your club, but we only have two instructors working consistently with students. We have a large instructor corp, have offered training, but no takers. Why? A real good topic.

Getting Instructor Buy-In for Condor

When our club acquired a Mach 0.1 simulator, even though we offered instructor training, usage was minimal. Some instructors wanted flight hours. Others asked, “Why sit on the ground when I can fly?”

I thought, “Yes, I know the feeling!” As a USAF IP (in the 80s) we had to do procedure trainers and simulator missions with students. We all groaned, everyone wanted to log more jet time, but the Air Force was very motivational and encouraging. As I recall:

“These items are in the syllabus and are MANDATORY. You will do them and your students will achieve the required proficiency level, or your jet flying and promotions will come to an end!” – LOVE & KISSES, Air Training Command.

Can we say this in our clubs – no! We need to provide better motivation for acceptance and usage.

Instructor Motivation

I once dreaded early flights with new students. There was too much to cover and too little time. Students were all over the sky, and first attempts at takeoff and tow were memorable for the wrong reasons – stressful for both of us!

One winter, with club approval, I trained two brand-new junior students exclusively over nine Saturdays. Each session included an hour of classroom discussion followed by an hour in Condor. We started with the Holtz Flight School lessons, then transitioned to our local landscape for takeoffs, patterns, and area familiarization.

The students flew only with me for their first six flights, mirroring how I used simulators earlier: always paired with flying. If I invest simulator time with a student, I fly with them afterward.

The difference was remarkable. They knew their checklists, understood trim, basic maneuvers, and the local area. On their very first flights, they did the takeoff and got us airborne with no control input from me. By the third flight, they were flying the entire tow. Yes, it required some time on the ground – but well worth it. I enjoyed every flight and so did they.

I believe you and your students will also!