24 Precautionary Search and Landing
CASA Recreational Pilot License (Aeroplane) — CASA Sample Syllabus Lesson 24.
This lesson trains the response to deteriorating conditions away from the aerodrome — weather, fuel, or growing unsure of your position — with the engine running normally throughout: deciding early while still in full control, configuring the aeroplane, flying a search-and-inspection pattern over a chosen field, the PAN call and passenger brief, and completing a short-field landing. It also assesses the pre-flight operational documents (MEL, NOTAMs, GNSS RAIM, ERSA, AIP), fuel management and endurance calculations, and revises short-field take-off and landing from Lesson 22.
Pre-lesson workbook
Section titled “Pre-lesson workbook”This lesson pairs its theory brief with a self-paced pre-lesson workbook — complete it before the lesson. It covers why precautionary landings happen and why deciding early matters, the turning illusion experienced flying low, fuel management and endurance, the pre-flight operational documents, the PAN call, landing distance from your POH, and drafting your own checklist. It takes about 45–60 minutes, and your answers get checked together at the start of the pre-flight brief. Download the PDF of the workbook to print or fill in on your device.
Theory Brief
Section titled “Theory Brief”The live session builds on the workbook: the vital-actions sequence, configuring the aeroplane for the search, choosing and inspecting a field, the PAN call and passenger brief, and revising the short-field landing from Lesson 22. View the slides on this page below or open the slides directly.
Pre-flight briefing notes
Section titled “Pre-flight briefing notes”The pre-flight brief (~15 min, immediately before the flight) works best as an interactive whiteboard session, not slides — stepping through the flight plan, the inspection pattern, threats, and the "deciding early" judgement together with the student. These printable notes give you the briefing components (aim, flight walk-through, threats, airmanship emphasis) with prompts and fill-in blanks, plus a front page to sketch your own whiteboard plan and running order. Although it will be helpful to plan and step through it yourself before the lesson, remember: modelling the process of the pre-flight brief is more important than presenting a polished pre-flight brief. This is why we do it interactively rather than a presentation. Download the PDF of the briefing notes to print or use offline.
In-flight notes
Section titled “In-flight notes”Instructor kneeboard reference for the airborne sequence. These use a portrait layout for easier use on a kneeboard or device. View the slides on this page on the right or open the slides directly, or download the PDF of the in-flight notes to print or use on your device offline.
Post-flight debrief
Section titled “Post-flight debrief”I plan to add post-flight debriefs once I have more experience conducting them, but I'm assuming it'll be more of a personal preference with assessment outcomes than a set of slides.
Useful resources for students
Section titled “Useful resources for students”- The NZ Civil Aviation Authority has a precautionary landing whiteboard that summarises the technique — suitable for the student to download for themselves.
- The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook, Chapter 18 (Emergency Procedures) covers precautionary landings and forced landings in more depth.
Example email to students before the lesson
Section titled “Example email to students before the lesson”If you are an instructor, feel free to modify this for your own use. Sending an email a few days before a lesson is a great way to engage people in the learning before they even arrive (if they have time and capacity).
Subject: Lesson 24 — Precautionary search and landing
Hi [name],
This lesson is a little different from Lesson 17 — the engine keeps running the whole time. It's about the judgement to decide early when weather, fuel, or your own position aren't going to plan, and the plan for what happens next: configuring the aeroplane, searching for and inspecting a field, and landing safely.
Before the flight, there's a short pre-lesson workbook [1] to work through in your own time (about 45–60 minutes) — why precautionary landings happen, the turning illusion when flying low, fuel management and endurance, the pre-flight documents (MEL, NOTAMs, GNSS RAIM, ERSA, AIP), the PAN call, and working out the landing distance you'd need from your aircraft's POH for today's temperature and QNH, and drafting your own precautionary search and landing checklist. Bring your answers and your draft checklist to the lesson. The live theory brief then builds on that (about 20 minutes), focusing on the judgement, the search, and the flying — and we'll fly for about an hour, practising the sequence from varying positions, plus a short-field landing.
When: [day]
See you then! [1] https://open-aviation-solutions.github.io/open-aviation-briefings/recreational-pilot-license/24-precautionary-search-and-landing/