Flying is the second greatest thrill known to man, landing is the first

Which single task that every pilot performs is more critically reviewed and universally dreaded than any other? It’s the landing. Most people who fly in the backseats have no idea what a coordinated turn is, or whether the pilot in command is within the tolerances set out by the practical test standards for altitude or heading—but a 5-year-old can tell the difference between a squeaker and a slam-dunk. Whether you’re a new student or a veteran, the landing continues to be the task that raises your heart rate, focuses your mind, and holds your attention right down to the ground.

Some pilots take great pride in their landings. They grade themselves harder than any passengers they’ve ever carried or airport-based observer they’ve ever had. Others count the landings as a success if all the parts stay on the airframe..

This somewhat casual approach to landings tends to come from a sense of confusion about the task. There are pilots who believe that landings are something of a mystery. As they see it, the good ones are lucky breaks; the bad ones are going to happen.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Making good landings— consistently good landings—has nothing to do with luck. It only requires three simple steps that any pilot can learn to master quickly. Following these steps will produce landings that are more controlled, more consistent, and less jarring.

The steps are easy to remember. In order, they go like this:

1. Set your configuration.

2. Set your power.

3. Pitch for airspeed.

That’s it. If you can learn to do these three things in order, your landings will improve and your confidence will soar. Nothing makes a pilot feel better and more in control than a good, smooth landing at the end of a flight. The real talent for landing develops when you learn to understand why these steps are so important. With that knowledge firmly in place and with plenty of practice, you will improve dramatically. In fact, you might do so well that you’ll be ready to enter and maybe even win the local spot landing contest next time around.

First, the big picture. We can make two assumptions about most pilots who are setting up for a landing. They are more than likely flying an airplane with fixed gear. And, unless they’re flying an older airplane that doesn’t have flaps installed, they will probably be using flaps to land.

Even if the airplane has retractable gear, you will be landing with it extended and locked in the down position. So we know the basic configuration of the landing airplane. Gear is down and welded or down and locked, as appropriate to the specific airplane. Flaps are deployed as well.

Of course in typical use of flaps the pilot deploys them incrementally. That’s as it should be. But it requires the pilot to take note of the fact that adding flaps affects the airplane’s lift and drag throughout the approach.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at each step critically and learn why each of them matters so much. For our example, let’s assume we are flying a Cessna 152, one of the most popular general aviation trainers ever built. The basics remain true for all types, however. Feel free to consider the specific configuration, power, and speeds appropriate to the airplane you fly most often.

Set your configuration. If we’re flying downwind in the 152, we pull on the carburetor heat and reduce power when we’re abeam the numbers. This is also where we’ll put in the first notch of flaps. Two turns down on the trim wheel will set us up for a stable descent as the airplane begins to slow to our desired approach speed of 65 knots.

At 45 degrees past the threshold, we’ll turn onto the base leg of the pattern. As soon as we roll out to be wings level again, we can add the second notch of flaps.

We will judge our turn to final so that when we roll out the airplane will be lined up with the runway’s centerline. That’s where we will make a decision about whether we want to use full flaps or land with only two notches deployed. It’s perfectly fine to land with a lesser flap setting, especially when the wind is higher. In calmer winds, full flaps may be the appropriate choice. Either way, make the decision based on the circumstances and deploy flaps shortly after rolling wings level on final.

You can see the trend. The key is to fly methodically, configuring the airplane in a specific way at a specific point in each approach to landing. By consistently configuring the airplane the same way at the same point on each approach, our approach to landing becomes predictable. That predictability helps us turn each landing into a non-event where the wheels touch the ground where we intended. And they do it softly, without jarring our passengers.

Set your power. When you pass the numbers on downwind you will reduce power and put in the first notch of flaps. As you work with your flight instructor, pick a setting that works for you and stick with it. Somewhere around 1,500 rpm is a good starting point. The airplane will perform differently if you pick 1,400 rpm than it will if you pick 1,700 rpm. Neither setting is right and neither setting is wrong. Just make sure you use that same power reduction for each landing you do. Selecting that specific power setting every time will give you predictable performance on each approach.

Pitch for airspeed. A perennial argument among pilots is whether pitch controls airspeed, or power controls airspeed. The truth is, they both do. But you can’t fly predictably and smoothly while trying to control airspeed with two variables at the same time. So pitch for airspeed. With the airplane configured properly, trimmed appropriately, and with the power set, your pitch inputs will be small and your airspeed should remain steady throughout the approach.

Of course, you won’t be perfect. That’s to be expected, and any small deviations from what you planned become easy to correct.

If you’re too low, a measured increase in power combined with a slight pitch up to maintain airspeed will slow your descent rate while maintaining the same forward speed. Conversely, if you’re too high on final you can reduce the power somewhat and pitch down to maintain your target airspeed. The result will be a stable approach with a steeper descent, while maintaining a consistent airspeed.

Those three steps will make all the difference in the quality and consistency of your landings. By configuring the airplane the same way at the same point in your approach to landing, setting your power, and pitching for a specific target airspeed each time you set up to land, you will be able to duplicate the same performance profile time after time, regardless of whether you’re at your home field or a brand-new destination. That’s the secret. If you’re coming down to the flare at a consistently predictable 65 knots, with 20 degrees of flap deployed every time, you’ll be able to perfect that last 10 feet of your descent in no time. Even when you land with full flaps, the approach to touchdown will be so stable and familiar to you that it will enhance your ability to show your piloting prowess when you squeak the tires onto the pavement right where you intended to, rather than floating 500 feet down the runway, feeling for the ground every moment along the way as you watch the trees at the far end get bigger and closer.