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Rope Breaks

Rope Breaks

The low break is taught to develop the skills and judgement necessary to safely execute landings after a low-level rope break. Rope breaks can occur at any altitude, and time and options are limited under these circumstances. It is important that students gain some practical experience in this regard. In most instances, when the rope breaks the aircraft is in the climb attitude. It is very important to first return the aircraft to the normal flying attitude so that control is assured for any subsequent manoeuvres. The next key skill required is the judgement of the first decision height which is normally 300 feet. The options below this height are to land ahead somewhere in the field of view. Below 300 feet course corrections are usually limited to approximately 60 degrees in either direction to avoid obstructions or select a better landing surface. There are always trade-offs down low. Shallow turns will conserve height, but often do not alter course quickly enough for the conditions, and are also a prime factor in stalled conditions. Steep turns do allow more rapid course changes, but also produce higher sink rates and can position the wing tips dangerously close to the ground. As well turbulence and wind shear are often factors that are best dealt with in a wings level attitude. The best compromise is to make 30 degree bank turns, with limited course corrections, so that the wings can be kept level as much as is possible to give the best chance to cope with turbulent conditions. Above 300 feet, the options open up to include the 180-degree course change. This can usually be completed above the turbulence. Full circles should be left to above 600 feet. Anything that might promote the stall/spin scenario should be avoided until above this altitude as modern aircraft require approximately 100 feet per pound of wing loading to recover safely from a single turn spin. The student’s actions are to lower the nose appropriately to gain the proper airspeed, and then decide what to do.