Oh S#&% Dead Stick!

A dead stick is when you are mid flight and the engine quits. It is a situation that you will most likely find yourself in at some point in R/C flight.Today marks the second dead stick I have experienced. So what should you do to survive a dead stick? How about screaming, freaking out, and going crazy on the control sticks to get that plane back down safely... I don't think so. More like staying cool, calm, in control, and quickly thinking of a plan to execute.
I believe three major factors play a role in successful dead stick landings: 1. Altitude- the more of it you have the better off you are. As logic would lead you to believe the higher your plane is the longer it will take to come down, you can glide your airplane safely back to the runway or a safe landing zone. 2. Heading- your initial heading when your engine turns off will also dictate what you will do next, what is the shortest turn radius you can take to get that plane back to a landing zone. The reason I mention turn radius is because your engine is off and every second counts. You will want to point that plane back at yourself in the shortest amount of time possible. It's always better to land your plane closer to yourself. Lastly you must take into account your speed. 3. Speed- once again the faster you were moving when your engine shut off the better you will be. If your plane is moving faster you have more energy to expend and get that plane back safe.
So now that we have discussed these three important factors (altitude, heading and speed) of a dead stick lets keep our cool when it happens. It is OK to let out a curse word and have a brief moment of internal panic, but that must all be over quickly (in the blink of an eye, remember no power, every movement is final) and back to cool and calm. When you are cool and calm your brain will control your hands better and give you the ability needed to safely land your dead stick.
When your back to calm think quickly. Assess your altitude? Are we high or low? What direction are we pointing? Towards or away from us? and how fast are we moving? Think of what path to take. Is our plane headed away from us? Turning which direction will result in the smaller radius to get it facing us? Is our plane headed towards us? If so is it moving to quickly to descend and land right away? Do we need to burn off a little speed first to not over shoot the landing zone? What ever you do make sure to get that plane pointed back at the landing zone.
All these questions and variables will zip through your thoughts and you will be able to land your plane safely if you remember to stay cool, calm, and in control. If you have a flight Sim you may want to practice some dead sticks every once in a while. This flight training will be invaluable and can very much save your plane and all that time and money you put into it.