PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Thrust on during flare...Q for AIRBUS test pilots...
Old 19th May 2014, 03:30
  #214 (permalink)  
SKS777FLYER
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Double Oak, Texas
Age: 71
Posts: 180
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Retired now but I do remember my technique for flaring just prior to touchdown.
Let's see I used the same basic technique in every civil jet I ever flew beginning in Lears and Citations in 1978, to B727, DC10, MD11, S80, B757, B767 and last, the B777.

The military jets I never flared, T2C TA4J A4M F4 and RF4......

Anywho, I tried to arrive at around 50 feet, stabilized on speed and over a runway threshold. At 30 to 20 feet I would flare slightly and ALMOST NEVER retarded the throttles until touchdown. Worked nearly every time for a very smooth touchdown. The jets were all trimmed up, on speed , pulling the power off would tend to cause the nose to drop, especially on the wing mounted engine jets. Leaving the power on, just started a push-me / pull you yoke fest.
Often, the power was still on at touchdown, thus requiring close monitoring of auto speed brakes when equipped and auto brakes.

Worked well on generally level runways. Had to pull power sooner on downhill runways. For steep uphill runways, say San Jose, Costa Rica or La Paz, Bolivia if
I or a co-pilot pulled power during flare, I was very demanding in allowing NO
FLOATING along an uphill runway with flight idle or close to it.

Again, I generally found it so much easier to leave the power alone and just flare slightly.
Offered that "flare system"as a possible technique to think about to pilots I taught as a line 757/767 CKA during 14 of my airline years.
SKS777FLYER is offline