Landing technique - keeping thrust on until touchdown
Most Captains I fly with (Boeing short-haul) seem to keep approach thrust on all the way down to touchdown (or 1-2ft above) before closing them to effect a touchdown. In extremis I flew with a guy who actually kept thrust on until 2 secs. after touchdown before closing them! This resulted in a very flat touchdown and I was concerned at one point he was going to land nose wheel first. Many guys add large amount of thrust at 10-20 feet to arrest the ROD, instead of flaring.
In contrast, I (on a calm day) gradually close the thrust levers at around 30' so they are idle around 10'. As I do this I am subconciously pulling back to stop the nose dropping and keep an acceptable ROD. At 10' I can either let the descent continue and land flattish (esp. if the speed is more than Vref+5 / short rwy), or if long rwy/vacating at end/blonde on jumpseat, can actually flare to a higher nose attitude to reduce ROD to near zero a few feet (or hopefully zero feet) above the rwy.
I am relatively inexperienced, have I just not been 'burnt' yet by sink developing below 30'? If sink develops over the rwy I simply keep the thrust on longer, or even increase it, but if none develops, why keep it on?
I am just slightly paranoid that I seem to be the only person who does what I describe, and yet I understood that to be correct, and it works for me!
Last edited by Propellerhead; 13th October 2002 at 10:23.