Landing Long

[Spoonbill]

At our place, the longest runway has a number of taxiway exits for landing aircraft to vacate.
The G/A area is all located at one end of the airfield, which just happens to coincide with two taxiway exits at that end of the runway.
This results in the temptation to land long to expidite vacating the runway and to save time over all.
There are a number of inherent problems with this practice, (not least that runway behind you is one of the most useless things in avaiation);
1 - Instructors will frequently ask us if they can land long, we cannot authorise this as we would be legally liable in the event of something going wrong.
2 - Students see their instructors do it, and often attempt it without asking, all very well if you can be absolutely sure you can stop in time, but would you advise a student to do so?
3 - Perhaps most important of all - we often utilise the "land after" procedure to expidite the traffic flow, we cannot authorise a following aircraft to land after if the 1st aircraft has not touched down because the pilot is attempting to land long without any consideration for anyone else.

The land long procedure can be a useful tool for atcos and pilots allike, but please ask before executing it! :cool:

[aristotle]

Agreed.

Landing long is a >bad habit<. In almost all cases I teach students to touch down between the runway threshold and the first taxiway.

[GoneWest]

Pretty much agree with both those postings...if you follow up this instruction with a detailed reasoning for and against - and then demonstrate the value of also why it may be favourable to land long (after asking).

Went into Heathrow once - in a Piper Arrow - Approach asked for "180 knots to the outer marker" (although VFR). As this may have seperated the wings from the fuselage, I offered 140 knots to the threshold - provided I could "land long" to get down to undercarriage, flap and landing speeds.

Just had to stay at 6,000' downwind.

Worked a treat for all three of us (including Tower).

[DB6]

Nothing wrong with landing long as long as you use a bit of common sense. Try landing on the numbers on Campbeltown's westerly runway and see where it gets you (about a mile from the turn-off, that's where!).

[GoneWest]

Was the same at Manchester in the good old days of general aviation - land on 24 at the threshold and it was a bloody long way to intersection Charlie.....and equally long from the start of 06 to the fantail (now called 24left).

[Strangely]

Surely a PPL should be able to land at an "appropriate" point on the runway, or is it too much to trust people to use their initiative? If someone like me (low time and even less skill, despite DB6's sterling efforts to turn me into a decent pilot) can do it then surely it shouldn't be beyond the abilities of the rest.

On the other hand, I do prefer to take off using the full runway, unless it's somewhere with miles of tarmac like Prestwick or Manston. It's down to individual circumstances. DO you need permission to land long anyway? It's up to the Captain to plonk it down where (s)he decides. When I'm flying I'm in charge, not ATC (or my wife for that matter).

[ 10 September 2001: Message edited by: Strangely ]

[dragchute]

If the landing distance required can be safely ‘overlaid’ onto the runway, why not land long? Most runways depict the distance remaining from various taxiways and intersections (available in the ERSA) permitting accurate determination of a displaced aiming point.

The technique reduces runway occupancy, brake wear and tear and extends tyre life. It is also very considerate to those queuing down final approach or at the holding point.

Surely pilots are skilful enough to develop safe techniques for landing long – and instructors equally skilful in passing those techniques to students. If necessary build in a multiplying factor of thirty per cent for the student component!

[DB6]

Strangely, old bean, a lurker no longer! See you at Leuchars tomorrow?

[PA38]

You must be talking about Liverpool, where I learned to fly.
My instructor/owner of the PA38 used to insist on landing long, because it saved wear and tear on his airframe and it was good floating practice (rudder control)
:p