Inconsistent landings. Normal? (Newbie inside)

[WhySoTough]

Give you guys a long story short. I am a newbie on the airbus 320 and a newbie with the commercial flying in general.
550 TT and 350 on the bus.
I find that some days on severe cavok and wind calm I don't have a nice landing, whilst some days in gusty weather I land better.
Basically I just do my usual, start a break at 30 feet, cut power, and flare at 20.
Sometimes I float a little, sometimes it works well, sometimes a firm landing.
I feel as though it is just luck sometimes.

Is this normal?
Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks guys.

[framer]

At 550TT I'd just be stoked that I found the airfield. Sounds fairly normal to me.

[Check Airman]

I don't fly an Airbus, but I was a "newbie" not too long ago (and in the presence of some of the guys here, I'll be considered a newbie for quite some time).

That being said, I think you're just fine, when I had 550TT, I didn't know what I didn't know yet. When I had 350hr on the jet, I was only just starting to get comfortable with landing it. Even then, I had a long way to go before saying I was comfortable landing the thing.

Two weeks ago, I was feeling pretty comfortable, with well over 1000hr in the jet. I hadn't a care in the world as I crossed the fence on a calm day. The subsequent landing was a source of great amusement for my Captain, and caused a flight attendant to comment on my technique

Sometimes I float a little, sometimes it works well, sometimes a firm landing.

Sounds about normal for any of the students I taught to fly. I'd say that's fairly typical as you transition to a new plane.

[vilas]

WhySoTough
A320 landings are audio visual landings without tactile feed back. As long as you flare sufficiently you will get a percentage landing. After flare listen out to the auto call out if it repeats a number you are floating and you need to go down and restart. Real hard landing is when you don't flare or touch down during flare.

[Uplinker]

WST:

I don't want to seem rude, but you appear to ask this same landing question over and over again. There are quite long threads in response to your other posts and I suggest you go back and read those again.

As for your specific question this time; CAVOK days can sometimes produce the worst landings! I personally find that a really challenging, gusty, cross wind day, when I am hand flying - working really hard and often with manual thrust too; produces my very best landings, in difficult circumstances. I think it is because in those conditions my brain is in overdrive. On a non challenging CAVOK day, for some reason, things don't always work out as well - probably because my brain is being lazy, like Homer Simpsons'.


Just keep practising, as we all do. And don't stress too much. Don't get too worked up with numbers and strict methods. Relax and try to do it by feel - using "the force" - like Luke Skywalker. (I am not taking the mickey).

[Rick777]

I think sometimes we make better landings in bad weather because we are concentrating more.

[SLFguy]

"I think sometimes we make better landings in bad weather because we are concentrating more."


Say what!!?

[Doodlebug]

Completely concur with Messrs. Uplink and Rick, I often land more smoothly on a blustery or contaminated day. Normal I think, the little old brain is paying more attention when operating under more challenging conditions. Doesn't make the occasional CAVOK-thumper any less safe, Mr Selfloader. In fact, most will confirm that a positive landing is a safe one.

[de facto]

I often land more smoothly on a blustery or contaminated day

I hope you aint trying to land smoothly on a contaminated runway...

My landings are quite consistent from the very beginning...crap that is...never broke anything though and never floated like a either

[Natstrackalpha]

I think sometimes we make better landings in bad weather because we are concentrating more.

I think sometimes we make better landings in bad weather because we can feel all of the aircraft more, its moving around more, or trying to. We can therefore feel the air more, there is a visual sense of motion with cloud for speed appreciation etc(unless its IMC at night) Also you can feel the air, against the aircraft (kind of, apt really).

Here is another thing - usually on gin clear days, in the summer.

You are on a three mile final and when your profile is perfect - the picture seems to freeze - as if suspended animation -its like the picture never changes, for a bit.

If the profile is perfect, then the speed and rate of descent are perfect and if there is no change - (trending up or down). Has anyone here ever noticed this?