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Old 14th May 2016, 15:38
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India Four Two
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Manchester MAN
Posts: 6,644
Received 74 Likes on 46 Posts
mewsie,

Welcome to PPRuNe. Lots of good advice above.

You mention that you are ballooning a lot. Is it possible you are moving the yoke too quickly or possibly jerking it? My advice is to ask your instructor to tell you when to start the flare and then start easing the yoke back until, ideally, you have the yoke all the way back just as the main wheels touch the ground. Try to mentally note the sight-picture when your instructor tells you to flare.

You don't say what aircraft you are flying, but if the seat height is adjustable, make sure you have set it as high as is comfortable, so that you can see more of the runway.

If you touch down earlier, then don't worry about that, just keep easing the stick back, to keep the nosewheel off the ground for as long as possible. Do not jerk the aircraft back into the air, if you touchdown earlier then planned.

Soemthing that you could try, if you haven't done it already, is to get your instructor to do a landing, talking to you as she does it and have you follow-through on the controls, so that you can get a feel for the rate and degree of control movement.

Landing is one of those things that everyone finds difficult to some degree, when they are learning. One day, it will suddenly 'click' and you will wonder why you found it so difficult. Eventually, you will find that flying the aircraft is 'automatic', and you can concentrate on other traffic, the weather, navigation or just enjoying the view.

There is a lot of good advice in other threads on Private Flying. As a start, try a search using the keywords 'landing' and 'advice'.

PS A small correction, meant in the friendliest possible way - it's 'final', not 'finals'.

Last edited by India Four Two; 14th May 2016 at 15:50.
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