Aim to centerline by landing
 

Dear all
I have another question which is about landing by Cessna 152.

My flight time is almost 30 hours, and landing 17 times(yes, we still are alive)

While we are approaching runway, my instructor don't tell me how can do, just ask me to use right rudder.

Because he said I always a little bit on left side and not tracking on center line.

But I thought I am aiming on center line. What is going on?
Does not use my right leg to aim runway center line?

Any photos or videos can help me?

Thank you so much.

Landing is like riding a bike, I can tell you how to do it but you have to figure it out yourself.

When you think about it, flying in from a few miles at 1000ft in a 152 to then land on a small line is pretty hard really. I was never spot on the centre line at 30 hours. Not even commercial pilots are spot on the centreline 100% of the time, so don't worry too much about being dead on it.

Something to remember is that the center line isn't directly down your eye sight. So for your nose gear to hit the centreline, you eyes sight will be to the left of the line. If your eyes match up with the centreline, then you are not on it and you are probably slightly to the right of the center line.

I don't really know what to suggest without being there and seeing you land myself.

Ask your instructor why he asked you to use right rudder and tell him you think you land on the center line and don't understand why he says you are not. He will explain it. Maybe it was just the wind or could be something else.

think of it this way....

put the LINE between your legs


also, buy and read and memorize the book: "Stick and Rudder" by Wolfgang langweische

It's real simple

If you keep landing on the left of the centreline - aim to land on the right. And you'll hit the middle.

Don't use rudder to adjust your centreline tracking (except for a crosswind landing) - just use the rudder to keep the ball in the middle.

Here is a trick that my first instructor taught me...

On approach, look up and down the runway. Constantly move your focus from the far end of the runway to the approach end and back constantly. If your eyes are moving up and down, you are lined up. If your eyes move at a slight diagonal, then you aren't lined up.

If you have a clockwise propeller,i suggest you get an anticlockwise one so you will drift to the right instead,breaks the monotony...:E

Seriously?:eek:


I think your instructor got it right.....use right rudder when you enter your flare.

Its quite common for pilots to favour one side of the line.

You mean Commonwealth students favor the left and the rest the right?:p

De facto it seems actually to be linked to which handed they are.

If the runway you are using has a painted centreline, just take the same line for landing that you use for take-off.

If there is centreline lighting, avoid running over the lights. Those little wheels don't like it. Bump, bump, bump,bump.:=

Landing on the centre line is really all about feeling the winds and compensating for those winds all the way down the approach.
If you take a zero wind day landing on the centreline is purely about lining the aircraft up at say 5 miles and flying a straight line to the centre of the runway.
Now add wind which will change down the approach and you will probably be crabbing in! Ie the nose will be pointing left or right of the centreline which will now be left or right of the nose.
As those winds change direction or strength as you gain more experience you will automatically compensate so that it becomes second nature.
They always say a good landing comes from a good approach which means a stable approach.
Work more on maintaining the centreline down the approach and the last bit will become easy.

Pace

keep the centre line "between the legs"... works even in crosswind :ok:

"Speedbird 01 you are a little left of centreline".

"Affirmative, and my co-pilot is a little to the right".

G :E

A C-152 is a cramped affair. The centre of each seat is almost exactly 12 inches/30 cm from the centre of the aircraft. If you are consistently touching down within 30 cm of the runway centreline after 30 hours total flying time, you are doing all right, old son. I would even recommend it if the runway has centreline lighting!

Or if your a scottish instructor its

"get ya bollocks on the centerline"


Or as one young lady FO put it.

"Right hand circuit visual approach stabilised by 500ft, Vref +10 to 100ft Vref over the lights and a slug trail down the center line from 2 miles out any questions?"

Obviously, your landing is good, but your instructor wants you to better use the available width of the RWY. To really understand what your instructor is emphasizing, I would advice you to try crosswind landing. During crosswind landing, if you maneuver too far left or right, depending on the wind circumstances, you might find yourself touching down at an area that you didn't anticipate. So, try to improve your situational awareness of the flight envelope in relation to the RWY by doing a lot of landings.

Yes, the right rudder is one of the variables you have at your control, especially during landing.

Happy landings.:cool:

WP

I always used to end up left of the center line - my instructor said it was because I held the stick left handed and rested my elbow on an armrest in the aircraft I used to fly. This meant I indadvertedly ended up flying slightly left, apparently.

Possible theory?

Might be.

A well known issue with early aerobatics pilots is that "stick straight back" is very hard to do. Because the force generated by your arm is never straight back, but in the direction of your elbow (partly sideways, typically under a 30-45 degree angle), the stick doesn't go straight back in a pitch up. This leads to skewed loops and so forth.

Maybe the same thing is happening in your flare.

The other reason might be the secondary effect (both roll and yaw) from closing the throttle.

To verify that this is indeed the cause, look at the end of the runway just above the coaming, and see what the coaming is doing relative to the horizon when you close the throttle, and when you flare the aircraft. You might detect roll and/or yaw that way, so you know how to correct next time.

With low power or no power on short final, you'll be using LEFT rudder in a C150 to keep the ball in the middle. Your touchdown position relative to the centrline isn't controlled by a rudder input, but by flying the aeroplane down the extended centreline with the controls in balance (ball in the middle).

Except in a wing-down crosswind approach - but I don't like those, much preferring the 'crab' method, where the above always applies, crosswind or no.

Find an airfield that has runway and taxiway center line lights. When you take off, land or taxi bang on the centerline you get a nice little bump through the noseleg. You then very quickly become accustomed to how the picture looks when on center and can apply this wherever you go.