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Old 22nd Jan 2017, 23:10
  #41 (permalink)  
n5296s
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: LFMD
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+1 for everything Step Turn says. Flying an approach faster than you need to isn't "safer", it's inviting various kinds of mishaps. I once saw an SR20 coming over the threshold, and thought "wow, he's fast". Then I had a 20 minute delay while they figured out how to get an aircraft with a collapsed nosegear off the runway...

If you can't fly 1.3Vs safely and without risk of stalling/spinning, get some instruction until you can. Sure, at LAX I could cross the threshold at 140 KIAS (Vle), float halfway to Hawaii, and still land safely. Not such a good idea at my usual airport with its 2300 foot runway.

It's the old "superior pilot" hack. A good pilot can save a too-fast landing, but also has the sense not to do it. I did once meet an instructor (in the UK) who insisted on flying a 172 down short final at 75 (about 1.6Vs0). We floated forever. I thought he was crazy.

As for KayPam's comments, if you teach people how to land on a short field at 1.3Vs, why is it good to then insist people land at 1.5Vs+? Better that they know how to land at a reasonable speed when one day they need to. Otherwise the day they have to get into a 2000' runway, or need it put it down in a field, it's MUCH more likely that they will stall or otherwise mess up seriously.
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