Advice on landing
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Advice on landing
I'm in the circuit now and I've got a real problem landing... I can get it on the ground but with a bit of a thud. Before circuits my landings were pretty good but know I'm feeling a bit dissolusioned. My instructer has said that my approaches are good but for some reason during the last 20ft I seem to get it all wrong. It goes something like this. Instructer. "Look at the orange boards at the end of the runway, now keep flying it ... keep flying it ... keep flyi... THUD, Ah a bit on the heavy side" Me."B******s.. .Instructer."never mind full power and try again".. .My instructer has said that I'm not the only one and that my flying is generally good, but I still wonder whether it will ever come good.. .The last two times (the only two times)in the circuit I've had to cope with a fairly strong crosswind (about 15 kts) and a strong headwind about (20kts gusting 27kts).. .Will it ever get any better?. .Any advice would be well recieved.
Thanks in advance. .Cloudwatcher
Thanks in advance. .Cloudwatcher
Join Date: Feb 1999
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I think everyone goes through a bad patch at some point during their training. I would say that you just need some more practice over another hour or so.
One thing to bear in mind is that in a strong headwind, try and avoid the tendancy to flare as excessively as you would in a mild 5-10 knot headwind. The aircraft will sink too fast, and you'll get the thud on landing.
Apart from that - congrats in landing in a 15 knot crosswind - that's no mean feat in an aircraft that probably has no more than a 17 knot maximum!
One thing to bear in mind is that in a strong headwind, try and avoid the tendancy to flare as excessively as you would in a mild 5-10 knot headwind. The aircraft will sink too fast, and you'll get the thud on landing.
Apart from that - congrats in landing in a 15 knot crosswind - that's no mean feat in an aircraft that probably has no more than a 17 knot maximum!
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Hi Cloudwatcher,
first and foremost, you mustn't get disillusioned - you hang in there, keep working on your technique and you will crack it. Alot is to do with confidence - a couple of decent touchdowns and you will feel far more positive.
Everybody goes through stages like this when they are learning to fly - the secret is to have faith in your instructor and keep practising hard.
One of the fundamental concepts of landing any aircraft is transfering your focal point from the touchdown point (i.e. your target point on the runway during the approach) to what is termed 'looking long'.
As you cross the threshold of the runway, look down towards the far end of the runway, although don't focus on anything specific. By doing this your peripheral vision allows you to judge your descent rate as you get close to the ground and therefore allows you to flare at the correct point and subsequently hold the aircraft in the landing attitude.
I tend to find that if I am having a run of poor landings, it is because I am failing to transfer my focal point at the correct moment.
Good Luck - and remember, a good landing is not necessarily a 'greaser'. It is simply putting the aircraft on the runway in the right place at the correct speed.
first and foremost, you mustn't get disillusioned - you hang in there, keep working on your technique and you will crack it. Alot is to do with confidence - a couple of decent touchdowns and you will feel far more positive.
Everybody goes through stages like this when they are learning to fly - the secret is to have faith in your instructor and keep practising hard.
One of the fundamental concepts of landing any aircraft is transfering your focal point from the touchdown point (i.e. your target point on the runway during the approach) to what is termed 'looking long'.
As you cross the threshold of the runway, look down towards the far end of the runway, although don't focus on anything specific. By doing this your peripheral vision allows you to judge your descent rate as you get close to the ground and therefore allows you to flare at the correct point and subsequently hold the aircraft in the landing attitude.
I tend to find that if I am having a run of poor landings, it is because I am failing to transfer my focal point at the correct moment.
Good Luck - and remember, a good landing is not necessarily a 'greaser'. It is simply putting the aircraft on the runway in the right place at the correct speed.
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Good words from those above, but one thing that I found helped me, was to relax. As part of your checks on final, say (mentally) 'relax' to yourself and physically loosen your shoulders and legs. Being tense in the flare always causes a thump! If you are having some bad landings, then you will probably be more tense next time and it gets worse. We have all been there, so don't worry or get despondant, part of the joy is that it is a challenge. Don't finish flying when you touch the ground either, fly the aircraft until you have stopped. Too often when I was learning I would stop concentrating after touching down and then a bounce would take me by surprise.
Hang in there. You'll get it in the end.
Hang in there. You'll get it in the end.
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Do a search for "Landings" in the Private Flying forum. I asked a question last year, and got many very helpful replies.
I'd like to say it gets better, but some of my landings are still a bit dodgy. Some are OK <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
I'd like to say it gets better, but some of my landings are still a bit dodgy. Some are OK <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
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Good advice in the above, the only thing I can add is get the speed right, its a lot easier to land it when you are slower. My better landings have come after an approach when I have nailed the speed. I've also heard that most pilots don't flare enough either, but thats thats open to comment.
Having said that, my last greaser was made directly into the sun & I couldn't see the runway.
So, watch the speed, relax, look at the end of the runway, flare positively and keep flying it onto the ground - add power if need be.
But we've all been there at one stage or another, I wouldn't try to land in a 15knot X-wind, I wouldn't even be flying so you are getting very good practise.
A good landing is one you can walk away from, but a great landing is one when you can still use the aircraft afterwards!
<img src="smile.gif" border="0">
Having said that, my last greaser was made directly into the sun & I couldn't see the runway.
So, watch the speed, relax, look at the end of the runway, flare positively and keep flying it onto the ground - add power if need be.
But we've all been there at one stage or another, I wouldn't try to land in a 15knot X-wind, I wouldn't even be flying so you are getting very good practise.
A good landing is one you can walk away from, but a great landing is one when you can still use the aircraft afterwards!
<img src="smile.gif" border="0">
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I am not sure what sort of aircraft you are flying in however my guess would be either high wing cessna or low wing warrior. A low wing allows a more cushioning effect close to the ground which aids in managing you rate of descent more easily.. .The hight wing cessna does not have the same cushioning effect but tends to float if you above your nominated airspeed. A positive landing is a good indication that you are landing at the minimum possible speed. This is a good sign!!
Remember firstly that in the last 20' you are going from a slightly nose down attitude to nose up. This is a big change in attitude and inertia. Never rush to get the aircraft on the ground. This is a common problem where people feel pressured in getting the plane on the ground. This happens normally due to a case of excess speed.
I have also found that people go straight into the flare attitude as soon as they reduce power. Try and do the attitude changes in stages. Close throttle and then fly in straight and level attitude until excess speed has washed off. When you fell the sink slower raise the nose onto the end of the runway (orange boards). Rush it, especially in a cessna, and you will have a balloon.
The last piece of advice is try doing some flapless landings. These help in an number of ways. They give a good prospective of the flare attitude, keep your feet working hard and normally end up being greasers. Gets the confidence up.
There is light at the end of the rainbow. GOOD LUCK!!!
Remember firstly that in the last 20' you are going from a slightly nose down attitude to nose up. This is a big change in attitude and inertia. Never rush to get the aircraft on the ground. This is a common problem where people feel pressured in getting the plane on the ground. This happens normally due to a case of excess speed.
I have also found that people go straight into the flare attitude as soon as they reduce power. Try and do the attitude changes in stages. Close throttle and then fly in straight and level attitude until excess speed has washed off. When you fell the sink slower raise the nose onto the end of the runway (orange boards). Rush it, especially in a cessna, and you will have a balloon.
The last piece of advice is try doing some flapless landings. These help in an number of ways. They give a good prospective of the flare attitude, keep your feet working hard and normally end up being greasers. Gets the confidence up.
There is light at the end of the rainbow. GOOD LUCK!!!
