AIN Online recently released a fantastic article highlighting the increasing number of runway overruns in owner-flown jets. The Flight Safety Foundation has noted that “Runway excursions were, by far, the most common accident type in corporate jet operations in 2022, accounting for 17 of the accidents.”These excursions are often the result of unstable approaches, effects of unexpected weather conditions, or incorrect landing performance data.
At Tamarack we often hear Citation pilots talk about flying “VRef + X knots” that they have deemed their own safety margin, to feel comfortable on approach. What they fail to appreciate is that this arbitrary speed increase translates to serious implications for their landing distance and could very likely result in a dangerous runway overrun.
Tamarack customers consistently report that, due to the additional stability offered by the winglets, they are very comfortable ditching their old (unsafe) personal “VRef + X knots” procedures, and are now flying the book numbers in comfort. In fact, several Tamarack customers have made the decision to upgrade their aircraft with the active winglet modification just so they can land at their favorite airport without concerns about overruns because now they can fly the book numbers with confidence.
Studies have been conducted by the CJP Safety Foundation and others and it’s clear that pilots know when they aren’t meeting the objectives of a stable approach (airspeed, glidepath, configuration, etc.), but they press ahead. We applaud the good work by the CJP Safety Foundation and others who have developed simple standards to determine when a go-around is necessary.
It’s worth mentioning that historically, winglets have a reputation of making an aircraft float on landing and this may be true for owner flown jets with the Tamarack upgrade. However, extensive testing and professional pilots will attest that when the Cessna-prescribed, FAA-approved landing procedures are properly executed the Tamarack upgrade offers performance as good, or better, than without the upgrade.
Finally, this article points to turbulence as a significant source of injury and damage especially for airliners. Another advantage of the Tamarack upgrade is the significant ride smoothing offered, because the Tamarack Active Winglets include Active Technology Load Alleviation System (ATLAS) which operates as an aerodynamic shock absorber. These effects have been studied and found to reduce turbulence by about 25% - which can be felt by passengers and has come to be a favorite benefit of nervous flyers.
Overall, active winglet upgrade plays an important role in enhancing the safety, comfort, and efficiency of aircraft operations, which can benefit pilots, owners, and passengers and other stakeholders in the aviation industry.
