A36 Bonanza Engine Failure on Takeoff 

Exactly what I teach as a result of teaching hundreds of Bonanza pilots over four years in the simulator at Beech Field: it takes 1000 to 1200 AGL to realign with the runway, IF pilot knows when the failure will occur AND he/she has (unsuccessfully) practiced it once or twice immediately beforehand. Like you, I present the option of getting to the flat airport if not the runway itself, above about 700 AGL. And also, as you say, you have to PUSH. Another good video, Scott.

“You’ve got to be aggressive. You’ve got to push NOW.” I have been very strongly influenced by this concept as demonstrated by you, by Flight Chops, and Aviation101 RU-vidrs. Giving up 3 seconds after an engine failure on takeoff is a potentially lethal mistake. I have changed my takeoff SOP to making the assumption that I WILL have an engine failure on every single takeoff, so I 1) accelerate to Vy ASAP; 2) watch my engine instruments and listen to my engine in order to be able to recognize a failure ASAP; and if I do that I have a chance to try to shave that 3 seconds down to 1.0-1.5 seconds. Your demonstration of a 45 degree bank being the best option is really interesting!

Scott, as a CFIG who taught low-altitude rope breaks as part of the private pilot syllabus, I once did the math to answer this question: What is the optimum bank angle for reversing course 180º with the minimum altitude loss? Answer: 42º of bank. That's a lot of bank for a private pilot close to the ground at min sink speed, but that's what the math says. Two things to note: 1) the much tighter *radius of turn* in a 42º bank leaves you much closer to the runway centerline than the more leisurely, 20º bank you used in the first couple of scenarios; 2) the minimum sink speed in a 42º bank is no longer Vx, but is slightly higher. The last scenario you flew came very close to that ideal: just about 45º of bank, with the stall warning horn warbling but not on solid. Final observation: if there's a crosswind on takeoff, it's much better to turn *into* the crosswind than downwind: the crosswind helps keep you closer to the centerline throughout the turn back to the runway.

You didn't mention it, but the prop control has a big influence on glide ratio. If you have prop control, pulling the prop rpm all the way back can make a big difference. It might make an interesting video to explore. thanks

A couple comments, if I may.... It's been a long time since I've flown small aircraft, but I used to fly A36s rather frequently in the early to mid-eighties. That said, I'm going on memory, so bear with me. First, is the horn I'm hearing in these exercises the gear unsafe horn, or stall warning? I suspect the former, not the latter. Second, there was no commentary regarding the residual thrust of an idle good engine vs a bonafide engine failure, and how that would change the dynamics of this exercise. Obviously, there would be some difference. Last, I remember doing drills like these in the old days, and the check airman where I worked used to demonstrate that pulling the prop to full decrease made a dramatic difference in glide ratio....and it did. Of course, this was with an engine running at idle. I'm uncertain if that technique would be effective if there was a catastrophic engine failure, as I can't remember if one needs engine pressure to change prop pitch from high RPM to Low RPMs. A teachable moment for me, and I welcome your input. And in closing, the gentleman mentioning that this would be a dangerous maneuver due to the threat of an accelerated stall... I don't believe this would be a factor as long as the load factor was 1G. There are a couple videos out there that seem to show that the steep bank angle is more advantageous (even with the accentuated altitude loss of maintaining 1g) than a shallower turn due to the time involved in turning around. This makes for a good discussion. Thanks for posting, and I look forward to your input.

Nose down to Vglide position, Keep 45 degrees nose down and dont pull for under Vglide. Push if speed going to under Vglide. Why?? Because At low altitude you tend to pull more than you wanted, specially in a real engine out. Dont stall it by trying to Steep turn under Vglide speed, those guys that say that have no experience at all teaching Turnbacks To Opposite Runway (EFATO Question Mark Turns).

Great videos Scott. I'm a new pilot, and had a question for you. You've previously stated that you climb out at a higher IAS than best rate of climb because you feel the added speed is helpful (something along those lines). It seems to me that being closer to the airport and having a higher altitude would be preferable in an "engine out" situation, and that could be achieved by climbing closer to Vx. As a new pilot, having an engine out with an airport below me and adequate altitude seems like the best situation, rather than being fast and far from the airport. What are your thoughts?

This would be cool to see using an app like Cloudahoy. It would show lateral and vertical, so you could really pin point where your landing zone would be.

Scott, great video as usual. One question for both training and real life FO. Pull the prop back to low RPM or leave it maxed?

Nice Video. Got a sub from me.

Nose down to Vglide position, Keep 45 degrees nose down and dont pull for under Vglide. Push if speed going to under Vglide. Why?? Because At low altitude you tend to pull more than you wanted, specially in a real engine out. Dont stall it by trying to Steep turn under Vglide speed. Guys that say that have has no experience at all teaching Turnbacks To Opposite Runway (EFATO Question Mark Turns). I taugh hundreds of them since 1992 as CFI.

Can I hear a german accent or am I dreaming? 🤔

45+ STEEP TURN @ 81KTS 700 AGL IS AS DEADLY AS IT GETS BASE TO FINAL.. IMPOSSIBLE TURN ! JUST LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD UP TO 30 LEFT/RIGHT!