If the aircraft feels heavy then you are not trimming enough. The a/c should be in trim right down to the runway otherwise you have no feel to your control. Any attitude or power change must be followed with an equivalent trim change, then it flies itself.
If the aircraft is at the correct vref speed, which equates to angle of attack...then it is in the landing attitude. That is how the manufacturer designed it.
That is why you can do a power on landing without flaring, to an exact aiming point. Get the speed correct and trimmed, use power for ROD (150'/min) and the aircraft will land exactly right, where you have aimed it, flown to the runway.
When you hold off, flare etc. you are waiting for the aircraft to run out of energy at point unknown to you.....no wonder students cannot get it right..
If the aircraft balloons then usually the speed is too high. If you are not at mauw then the vref should be recalculated.
Vref is based on stall speed in landing configuration, (Vso x 1.25). Therefore, any change in stall speed affects vref.
so if the wt is different i.e. 2000lb instead of MAUW of 2500 the calculation is
new Vso = old Vso x sqroot of(w2/w1)
W1 =mauw
W2 =actual weight
for example.
Vso = 48kt (giving a vref of 60kt)
mauw = 2500lb
actual wt = 2000lb
2000/2500 = 0.8
sq rt of 0.8 = 0.89
48kt x 0.89 = 43kt
so new Vref for this new wt is 43kt x 1.25 = 54kts. A difference of 8 kts.
Any speed based on stall speed should adjusted if the stall speed is affected.
This calculation can be used for landing with partial flap etc. where there are no manufacturers figures. Find out the stall speed with 2 stages / 1 stage of flap then multiply by 1.25 to give Vref for that configuration.
Homeguard, I agree with you.
Where do they get the idea that more than a 3deg approach is necessary? very odd.
