24 carrot thinks peripheral vision plays no part in landing an aircraft during day time flying but with a very humble 15,000 hours under my belt using just that technique I beg to differ.
Try this very convincing little exercise if you're a doubter:
Stand upright, looking straight ahead at a fixed distant point with your arms outstretched either side, and whilst continuing to look straight ahead move your arms slowly up and down. Unless you're unfortunate and have an eyesight defect, you cannot help but notice the rate of movement of your arms through your peripheral vision.
That rate of change, seen through the peripheral vision is a vital sensor which most of us use in the landing phase without realising we're even doing it. Looking way down the runway as explained by Chuck Ellsworth, is absolutely vital - without doing so, or focusing too short will cause you to miss out on that one vital additional visual cue, which enables you to assess sink rate - its available through your periphery but only if you fixate on a point a long way ahead of you.
You need to to check back in the flare to keep the aircraft flying level just above the runway but at the same time you need to decrease power to stop the aircraft flying. If you continue to look straight ahead whilst this is going on you cannot help but monitor the sink or lift rate and adjust the flare accordingly.
I use the above technique whether flying a B757 or whilst teaching students in a PA28, it's all the same whatever you fly.
Last edited by sapco2; 16th April 2013 at 22:04.