This discussion is like many on this board. Someone puts forth an idea and it doesn’t take long for various people to venture forth and try to shout down the idea.

I guess I’ll put my two cents into the discussion.

1. Airports are made for airplanes to land on.

2. On take off you are near an airport.

3. If you have an engine failure on departure you have two chooses;

    A. Return to the airport you just departed

    B. Land off the airport

4. I would pick, if I have a choice, landing at an airport, so, altitude and conditions permitting, I will return to the airport from which I just departed. If you have the required altitude to safely return, it would be kind of silly to say you were going to pick a spot + / - 30 degrees of your departure heading just because that is the way your flight instructor taught you. If someone has determined that he needs 500’ and he is at or above that altitude, then his choice should be already made for him. Return to the airport!

5. If you don’t have the required altitude, then your choice is already made for you; you will make an off airport landing.

6. If the is a cross wind, the turn should be made into the wind to reduce your turning radius.

Enough for now.

Lynn Farnsworth