Couple of weeks ago I was flying out of Canyonlands Airport near Moab, UT. I landed at Mineral Canyon http://www.swaviator.com/html/issueD99J00/mineral.html and Happy Valley. You can find em both in Utah Back Country. Tried to land on a plateau strip about 30 ft wide with 1000 ft verticals on each side. It was a bit windy but I thought it would be ok cus the wind was right down the strip.

On final with 40 deg flaps, trimmed way back, a little power, and a good sink rate. About 15 ft agl a rouge gust of wind put me about 10 ft off the strip and a bit sideways. Have to understand that the density altitude was about 7500 ft. I put in full power, pushed down the nose and built up a bit more speed. At that point speed was more important that altitude.

Finally picked up about 25 more feet agl and got the plane to 70 mph indicated and dropped one notch of flaps. Stayed at that elevation tell I reached the edge of the plateau and picked up a good updraft and the additional 1000 that came with the terrane change.

My question is, since my mains were in the sagebrush during this semi white knuckle event, Is it a touch and go or a go around. Cannot be a go around since I did not try it again.

Tim

neither, sounds only like a low approach to me.

second thought, does it really even matter ?

Yep, that is probably it. Now if I had been flying a Super Cub or one of those other planes that you can look down on both sides I could say I was just taking a close look.

Tim

Plateaus always have squirrely winds associated with them. If your making a landing into the wind (as you should) you always want to make a steeper than normal approach to keep from flying through the down draft on the leeward side of the plateau.

Maybe we need a "tongue-in-cheek" emoticon?