PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Aim to centerline by landing
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Old 7th Jun 2012, 11:07
  #38 (permalink)  
thing
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: 23, Railway Cuttings, East Cheam
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I land to the left 95% of the time. I can land on the centreline if I really think about it but it just feels natural to me to land slightly left. I also tend to taxi on the left side of the taxiway..........

I've thought about this and I think it's because I've driven on the left for the last 40 years, I feel like I'm driving down the 'middle of the road' if I'm on the centreline. Just doesn't feel right.

I might add that my home airfield has a runway and taxiways you could probably take off from widthways. If I'm landing/taxiing at a small grass strip then the amount of 'leftness' is proportional to the width of the runway, so it might just be 6 inches or so on a narrow strip, but it's still there. I've talked about this to one of our club members who is also a very experienced airline pilot and he said don't worry about it, a surprising amount of airline pilots don't land on the centreline.

I was also told if I landed to one side, it was better to stay there and track straight with the runway. Trying to recover the centerline is more than likely going to end up with you doing something like piperboy84 described; zig-zagging across the centerline.
Did that yesterday after taking a young lady for a trip, landed slightly left as usual but perfectly straight and decided to get on the centreline for a bit of show. Finished up zigzagging down the middle like a drunk tramp.

Last edited by thing; 7th Jun 2012 at 11:12.
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