Being current is important. Getting the feel of the controls usually is best done with some pilot proficiency exercises at a safe altitude in a safe practice area . Going through a drag demonstration can help , slow flight exercise is one of the best exercise to increase pilot control feedback during changes of airspeed . The aircraft goes through the slow flight range twice in every flight during take off and landings . Most accident occur in the take off and landing phase . Their is a tendency to rush through the slow flight handling characteristics of aircraft in trying to get to the faster more comfortable parts of training . It has been my experience when training pilots that have difficulty landing that I go out and practice slow flight . The difference after is night and day .
Landing the airplane at different air speeds can be fun as well , some pilots try to hold it off the runway until they have no energy left , sometimes you need a lot of energy in the aircraft to have any control . I like to always fly it onto the runway with extra energy to prevent a gust of wind making me look stupider. To much energy can cause a bounce if you get the timing of the transfer of the weight of the aircraft from the wings to the wheels wrong . Timing of that transition improves with pilots familiar with the control pressures and movements during different speed ranges .
The economic benefits of basic aircraft control during the slow flight transition in creating smooth landings show up in tire wear .
Once a pilot learns how to kiss it on the runway , those tires will last a long time , assuming they land with their feet off the brakes
