Landing in windy conditions

[Irishboy]

Had been very stormy here the past two days. Got me wondering what's the best way to land a commercial jet in heavy winds? Do you increase/decrease speed? more/less flaps?

[Pilot Pete]

Our procedure in the 757 is to always add 1/2 the headwind component plus all of any gust with a min of +5kts and a max of +20kts to the calculated Vref speed. The headwind component is then bled off to cross the threshold with Vref +5 + gust factor. Normal landing flap 30 used. Easily said, takes a lot of hard work to achieve, constant corrections usually being required to attitude and thrust levers to maintain the glide and the required speed.

As already pointed out, the best way to land it is as PNF!!!

Hope this gives you the idea.. .PP

[The Messiah]

Minimum groundspeed technique is excellent into either reducing headwind or increasing tailwind component at the threshold.

eg. If the headwind on final is 40kts, and at the threshold it is 5kts, with a Vref of 150kts. That would give a groundspeed at the threshold of 145kts.

So on final you maintain that groundspeed. ie IAS 185kts - 40kts = 145kts.

This is a good procedure for large a/c which carry a lot of momentum eg. B747.