Originally Posted by
john_tullamarine
Having been in aircraft during maximum performance landing tests, might I suggest that you and I, as mere mortal line pilots, are NOT going to achieve what the TPs have put in the AFM as actual figures. That is to say, we will end up in the fudge factor region to a greater or lesser extent, even if we reckon we have done a real beaut job of getting the aircraft on the ground and so forth.
I was on some max performance landing tests many years ago - I don't recall being overly impressed by the pilot skills involved (although the test pilots I flew with were very, very good). What I do recall being impressed by was how fast a big airliner (767) could stop. The deceleration at max braking was amazing - so much so that if there was anything loose around the cabin, it quickly ended up against the forward bulkhead. After coming to a full stop, we'd promptly take off, fly around for 10 or 15 minutes with the gear extended to cool, then we'd do it again.