Hold it off...

[BigHitDH]

Quick question here.

I've many times seen pilots in the heavies (especially 747's) "hold the nose off the ground" during the rollout. I suppose this gives some advantages in terms of presenting a larger frontal area to help slow the aircraft down?

Where is this procedure described, or is it soemthing you do at your own discretion? Is there a minimum fore/aft CG limit/airspeed value for the various types?

Have you ever run out of elevator travel before the nose comes down with a thud?!

[Notso Fantastic]

It's to look flash! There is no valid reason for it. What you may gain in aerodynamic braking is lost in not settling the weight properly on the undercarriage to allow the brakes to be fully effective. If you hold off too long, you most certainly do lose elevator effectiveness and can lead to a very heavy uncontrolled arrival for the nose undercarriage.

[JJflyer]

To an observer it might seem like the pilot flying is trying to hold off the nose for aerodynamic braking. This is not the case though.
In a very large aircraft there is a need to actually fly the nosegear to the ground. It is as delicate of a manouver as landing the aircraft itself.
Just letting the nose drop is not only extremely uncomfortabe to the pax sitting above the nose gear (B747) but it increases wear and tear as well as being just poor airmanship... A bit like not correcting for drift on a crosswind landing. Just beacse the aircraft can take it does not mean that it has to be done that way.

This has nothing to do with trying "To look flash" though.

JJ

[Notso Fantastic]

So why do you see 747s with the nosewheel being held high? I don't call that 'flying it onto the runway'! Some people seem to like doing it.

[BigHitDH]

Maybe it's some sort of wheelie competiton? :E

[HOMER SIMPSONS LOVECHILD]

They're not "holding off".Only a few real dinosaurs would still try that on in the face of years of evidence from all and sundry that it just doesn't make sense.
They are trying to bring the nose gear down without it sounding like it's coming through the galley floor!
Anyone can make a fair stab at landing Mr Boeing's heavies just by doing roughly the right thing at roughly the right time.It might be a tad firm or a greaser,what side is your hair parted on?
When it comes to getting the nosewheel down gently,I'm passing 6k hours on type next trip and I'll let you know if I crack it.

[BlueEagle]

Quite a bit of comment here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=121213) too.

[planecrazi]

On the two types of A340 we fly, we fly the nose wheel to the ground and try and "grease" the second part of the landing. The little problem comes as we have two different types of A340. That being A340-312 (257ton) and the A340-313(271ton). Same lengh, different engines and take-off mass.

It's not the weight, but one (A340-312) has a shorter nose wheel leg and when flying the nose wheel down after landing, you actually get a little frightened thinking that the nose wheel is not out because the nose has a much lower nose attitude when the nose wheel touches down. Holding off to long on this one will make it fall further.

But don't try and plan to hold off with the autobrake on, you will learn very quickly not to try this again.

[*Lancer*]

On a 747, there is more aerodynamic braking with the nosewheel on the ground. The aircraft is designed to fly with a positive body angle. After all, min drag occurs just over 3 degrees nose up.

Aircraft that can hold the nose REALLY high (such as fighters) can get some advantage from it.

They're probably not 'holding it off', rather, 'letting it down gently'! :O