Originally Posted by
polax52
In Europe I was always told during training that the landing was not important and gave no bearing or indication of how I rated as a Pilot, a firm Landing was a "Boeing Landing" and was perfectly safe, "any Landing you could walk away from was a good landing", "if you can use the aircraft again even better".
I think that is taking things too far.
I would say that a good landing is very important. However a
smooth landing is not necessarily a
good landing. A good landing in a transport jet is one that is on speed, on centreline, in the touchdown zone, and within the g limits for a normal landing. A smooth landing that has floated past the touchdown zone is a bad landing. I suspect what your European instructors were telling you is that you shouldn't focus on a smooth landing, a smooth landing is not important and has no bearing on how you rate as a pilot. Consistently landing on speed, on centreline, and on target IS worth striving for though, and IS important.
After a spate of landing accidents, has the view of the importance of a good smooth landing changed (other than its importance to ones ego). Having worked in the US, China and the middle east; my view has changed, generally in these parts of the world the landing is considered to be an accurate indication of the ability of a Pilot to handle an aircraft well. Whilst everybody makes the occasional "firm landing" i.e. 1.5g+. In the past I've worked with pilots who never make anything other than firm landings. These days the automatics are engaged from 1000' up to 1000' down, the only handling required is the landing, we must be able to do that well. It can not be good for passenger confidence or the long term health of the aircraft to experience 1.5g landings repetitively. In addition to that we can see from the latest list of accidents that it bears directly to safety.
Confusing good landings with smooth landings again. Some aircraft don't touchdown very nicely no mater how gently you put it down (half a degree off heading in a Dash 8 and a shudder goes through the aircraft) others are very easy to land nicely. I would much rather fly with someone whose landings were consistently firm but on target rather than someone who floated halfway down the runway to a greaser every time.