PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Landing distance vs. approach angle
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Old 15th July 2004 | 08:03
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FlyingForFun

Why do it if it's not fun?
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Joined: Jul 2001
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From: Bournemouth
I would have thought that the landing distance would be shorter for a steeper approach. The flare will, as has been said, need to be quite a lot more pronounced. This will result in more speed being washed off during the flare, and therefore less float and an earlier touchdown. Depending on pilot technique, the touchdown speed should not change... but the way many pilots of tricycle-geared aircraft fly, you might find the touchdown speed, in practice, is lower (because it is too high from a "normal" approach) and therefore the distance required is less, too.

Not sure if there is a parallel with helicoptors here, because I know very little about how helicoptors approach and land. But I would imagine, if we take things to extremes, that helicoptors require zero distance to land if the approach is vertical (i.e. extremely steep) - and this might back up my argument. But I'm not sure.... any rotary pilots care to help me out?

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