b737 ng landing difficulties - due to change in seat height
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Sink rate
Spent a lot of years training. Seat height need to be good, but me thinks the problem has more to do with where are the eyes looking. If looking right over the nose at the runway, there is little feel for the sink rate. Pull your eyes up and look at the far end of the runway and horizon. That is where you can see not only sink rates but also runway alignment.
Good luck
Good luck
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FWIW, this is Boeing's recommended procedure (details specific to the 737NG, check your manual):
Pilot Seat Adjustment
Adjust the seat position with the appropriate controls to obtain the optimum eye
reference position. Use the handhold above the forward window to assist. The
following sight references are used:
• Sight along the upper surface of the glareshield with a small amount of
the airplane nose structure visible (A)
• Sight over the control column (in the neutral position) until the bottom
edge of the outboard display unit is visible (B).
Pilot Seat Adjustment
Adjust the seat position with the appropriate controls to obtain the optimum eye
reference position. Use the handhold above the forward window to assist. The
following sight references are used:
• Sight along the upper surface of the glareshield with a small amount of
the airplane nose structure visible (A)
• Sight over the control column (in the neutral position) until the bottom
edge of the outboard display unit is visible (B).
In all the commercial aircraft I’ve flown, I’ve found the recommended seat position unnatural and difficult to operate from. So I set them up how I like it.
As long as you can get full control deflections, move the thrust/power levers over their entire arc, access things like TO/GA and A/T disconnect plus be able to see the ground out of the front window, then what’s the problem? Especially if you get more accurate landings with your own seat settings...
I remember once being told I was *maybe* sitting a bit low and that *possibly* on a marginal CAT IIIB (DH) I *might* miss seeing a light. My reply was to thank them for the observation and that I would bear it in mind next time I did a marginal CAT IIIB (DH) approach.
As long as you can get full control deflections, move the thrust/power levers over their entire arc, access things like TO/GA and A/T disconnect plus be able to see the ground out of the front window, then what’s the problem? Especially if you get more accurate landings with your own seat settings...
I remember once being told I was *maybe* sitting a bit low and that *possibly* on a marginal CAT IIIB (DH) I *might* miss seeing a light. My reply was to thank them for the observation and that I would bear it in mind next time I did a marginal CAT IIIB (DH) approach.
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But, after a while they started looking over the nose again and the landings got worse. Luckily they realized this and managed to correct the urge to look for the ground.
I've seen this technique used, and sometimes it works. I noticed some students then lifting themselves up at 50' to see over the nose; to compensate. The worse case comes, similar to the F15 error, where they lose sight of the TDZ at 50' and push. Ouch.
I've seen this technique used, and sometimes it works. I noticed some students then lifting themselves up at 50' to see over the nose; to compensate. The worse case comes, similar to the F15 error, where they lose sight of the TDZ at 50' and push. Ouch.
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Airbus have a device on the centre window pillar to set both pilots' eyes in the correct 'design eye position' - in terms of height and forward/aft. You simply adjust your seat so that a red and white ball exactly line up when you look at them. Do Boeings not have this?
Eye alignment device seen 12 seconds after the start of this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TImK-oNY6-s
Dutch Roller
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Just passed 10.000 hours on the 737 and I am positive that the guys and gals on the manufacturing line are playing a trick on us and use different rail positions for the pilot seats on every single 737 they produce.
During a dinner at Boeing with some hotshot engineers I mentioned this as a joke...they were not amused...
During a dinner at Boeing with some hotshot engineers I mentioned this as a joke...they were not amused...
