Aiming for the numbers
Okay, it's cool to aim for the numbers and kiss it on right where you planned, graceful and short... well done! And well done to the fellow in the nice newish looking PA-18 type in front of me today. I was coming to mid downwind, as I watched a really nicely executed landing. It was only he and I in the pattern, and we were both on the radio, so zero conflict risk. So, he's down and slowed to a walking pace, and I'm coming to the base turn, so I stretch it out a little... Mine is a shoulder wing plane, so I loose my view of him on extended downwind, but he must be well down to clear at the end (no mid length taxiway exit). So I turn base, and he comes into view - still puttering along the runway. I call my base turn, no reaction. So I start thinking that a final turn is going to be too soon. My circuit speed is hardly faster than his, so everything should fit, but it's not, it's getting backed up. So I listen and look around, no traffic. So I orbit my base to final turn.... Each time around, assessing his progress - it is only a 2300 foot long runway! On my third orbit, I figured I could make it fit, without an overshoot, so I called turning final. I flew a mile mile long final, during which I hear him on the radio (as now, he's finally cleared, and is taxiing back, so he can see me), and he says: "Wow, you're high!". Surprised, I replied: " 'Just waiting around up here, in case I needed to overshoot...". I landed happily, and rolled out to the end to clear, as he was still taxiing in.
So, fellow pilots, if you know that someone is behind you, try to keep your runway time brief. If you can, maybe not land right on the numbers, if you think you'd like to/have to taxi the entire runway length at a walking pace. Or... Just let the pilot behind you know that you need to tie up the runway, and as long as I'm not compelled to land, I could fly another circuit. It's a quiet airport, so no big deal. But, planning your runway use can become pretty important at a bigger or busier airport. Certainly, putting your PA-18 on the numbers on a large busy runway is not going to entitle you to roll out the length of the runway. While flying a Caravan at Ottawa two weeks ago, I had 10,000 feet or so of runway, and my destination on the airport was off the far end of that runway. I did tell the tower that I would land long, and keep the speed up, and they were fine with that. For my last landing of the day, they requested minimum 150 knots on final, I complied with no problem. Decelerating over the runway was not a problem, and overshoot if I muff it. Tidy touchdown, cleared as directed.
It's just traffic courtesy.... (Thanks for letting me vent a little!)