Originally Posted by
byrondaf
Don't get hung up on exactly when to flare and how much, it will vary depending on weight, wind, runway slope etc. Just LOOK OUTSIDE and adjust your closure rate based on what you see, it will be different for every single approach. If you start getting hung up on a cue to flare like the rad alt etc then you're more likely to just smash it in. We've all been there!
Agreed, like virustalon's comments
in gusty, unstable conditions reduce thrust at 20 and at 10 flare the same way.
That's probably not the wisest thing to say in a thread where someone brand new to the type (large jets?) is asking for tips. Next time it's gusting 12kts across and tries to flare at 10ft, at the very least, the captain will be in for a shock. If descent rate has increased to say 900fpm, 10ft will result in a VERY firm or hard landing.
The problem with asking for tips on somewhere like here is everyone from every different airline with completely different opinions and training/career backgrounds will give you their 2 cents. Some cut their teeth on fast jets, some have only flown an Airbus so everyones experience and method will be different. This is not what you want. You will end up taking the "flare at 10ft when it's gusty" thing and then add the "after 20ft flare" thing together and end up breaking something on a 1% upslope on a slightly steeper than normal approach as you're trying to fly the numbers. Landing isn't IFR flying, it's visual flying.
Instead, listen to your instructors and just keep going back to your companies landing technique and repeat it. As you get more experienced, you'll realise where you can and need to tweak it. Quality of landings in early stages is always going to look like a damped sine wave. You'll slam it in every so often, then go back to floaty ones. One will float a lot so the next time you slam it in. The peaks and troughs WILL get less and less and you'll crack it (metaphorically).
To go against all of my advice briefly, i will say the only 'number' I do pay attention to is the landing weight when the FO is flying. The A320 sidesticks aren't linked so you cant feel when they're beginning to flare. If I see a high landing weight, i should reasonably expect them to flare sooner rather than later - and vice versa. It just gives me a bit of a clue as to when we're likely to float or perhaps land hard/bounce etc.