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Backcountry Operations: Train For Your “A” Game

For a short-field landing, the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for the private pilot rating require that the applicant  “Maintain manufacturer’s published approach airspeed or in its absence not more than 1.3 Vso, +10/-5 knots with gust factor applied.”

You’re about to land on a 1000-foot backcountry airstrip with an elevation of 3000 feet on an 80-degree F day. 1.3 Vso in your STOL- and VG-equipped Cessna 182 is 45 knots. At that speed you should be able to get down and stopped in 700 feet. There’s a decent margin for error—especially if you’re dealing with a tailwind on a one-way strip or slippery grass.

Rick Durden

Senior Editor Rick Durden has written for Aviation Consumer since 1994 and specializes in aviation law. Rick is an active CFII and holds an ATP with type ratings in the Douglas DC-3 and Cessna Citation. He is the author of The Thinking Pilot’s Flight Manual or, How to Survive Flying Little Airplanes and Have a Ball Doing It, Vols. 1 & 2.