“There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to [landing an airplane]. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
—Life, the Universe and Everything
Landing tips I learned from my (virtual and real) flight instructors:
- Adjusting your seat to the same sight picture every time can make a big difference.
- Learning to relax, having a light grip, and learning to fly in trim—not fly the trim wheel—are also very important.
- On downwind, abeam your intended point of touchdown, get on the proper airspeed as specified in the POH and use flaps as needed.
- On final, track the extended centerline. Heels on the floor.
- Don’t just land somewhere on the runway—pick an aiming point. Then, don’t let it move up or down in the windshield.
- Mark a spot on the windscreen with a grease pencil and align it with your aiming point.
- Practice not landing with your instructor. Try some low approaches, flying in ground effect.
- Think of an approach to landing as a go-around interrupted by a landing. Then if it doesn’t feel right, just go around.
Douglas Adams’ words from one of his most celebrated science fiction novels, while originally referring more broadly to flying, sum up many students’ feelings on landing perfectly. To help get the knack, there are many resources available on the Internet. Some are free; some aren’t. And while there is nothing like practicing real takeoffs and landings with your instructor, getting a broad education on the art of landing is immensely helpful. Here are 10 of the best online resources.
- The FAA safety program has an online library of documents and videos. In the Aviation Learning Center, Maneuvering: Approach and Landing and Normal Approach and Landing are worth reviewing.
- View the AOPA Online Safetycast “The Ups and Downs of Takeoffs and Landings” with Bruce Landsberg. You can also read the Mastering Takeoffs and Landings Safety Advisor.
- AOPA Flight Training Contributing Editor Budd Davisson’s Web site includes his article, “100 Secrets to Perfect Landings”. It’s definitely worth reading.
- The online book See How it Flies by John Denker is a great primer on aerodynamics. Denker has worked as an engineer and CFI. This book has 20 chapters and more than 280 color illustrations. It is full of details and amusing thoughts. Denker offers a pilot-oriented explanation of how wings really work.
- Jason Miller’s The Finer Points of Flying is a series of short video podcasts. “Common Errors: Takeoff & Climb Out,” and “Traffic Pattern Tip 3: Spot Landings” are two of the better ones related to landing.
- Aerocasts from the University of North Dakota are available for free. These include “Stabilized Approaches,” “UND Standardization: The Airport Traffic Pattern,” “UND Standardization: Short-Field Approach and Landing,” and “UND Video Safety Bulletin #2: Runway Tail-Strike Risk.”
- John and Martha King, two of the best-known flight instructors in the world, operate King Schools. The DVD titled Takeoffs and Landings Made Easy is a must for anyone who wants to improve takeoff and landing skills.
- Both Sporty’s Pilot Shop and Jeppesen also offer great DVDs. The Sporty’s DVD on takeoffs and landings is hosted by Barry Schiff, contributing writer to AOPA Flight Training’s sister publication, AOPA Pilot.
- Master CFI Russell Still offers an online book called The Art and Science of Better Landings. It is available on his Web site, where you can also find podcasts.
- The flare is often taught as a trial-and-error process. For those of us who have difficulty picking up visual cues to height, this becomes tedious. We rely on the Goldilocks technique of too high, too low, and “don’t worry you’ll get the hang of it” just right when learning to flare. Capt. David Jacobson’s premise is, “Landing an aeroplane may now be regarded as a skill that can be learned. Pilots are provided with a predictable and consistent visual eye path from final approach through to touchdown.” The downloadable files include a presentation, presentation notes, and two landing video clips with five-second freezes at key points.
Rob Krajcik is a student pilot and basic ground instructor. He lives in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Rob Krajcik
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