So what makes a good landing?

[kaz3g]

C'mon all you gurus... what makes a good landing? How do you get it to happen? What do you do if things start to go astray?

 

kaz

 

 

[gareth lacey]

panic?

 

 

[rgmwa]

C'mon all you gurus... what makes a good landing? How do you get it to happen? What do you do if things start to go astray?kaz

I'd be happy to offer some advice, but I'm still trying to make a good landing!

 

rgmwa

 

 

[gareth lacey]

nah ,i dont really panic just a bit stressed about getting it all to work cfi leaves me do do it and has only had to grab twice

 

so will get better with more flying

 

cheers Gareth

 

 

[Admin]

Planning...fail to plan, plan to fail

 

From the outset even before turning final is when a good landing starts...in my humble opinion

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

'handing over' always worked well for me. :)

 

 

[fly_tornado]

There are a million articles on the net how to grease a landing. This is one of the better ones I found

 

http://www.planeandpilotmag.com/proficiency/pilot-skills/greasing-it-on-20-tips-to-get-er-done.html

 

 

[naremman]

Kaz, if you have mastered that Auster that immediately puts you in the exalted category. It should be you telling us how to achieve terrific touchdowns!!

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

There are a million articles on the net how to grease a landing. This is one of the better ones I foundhttp://www.planeandpilotmag.com/proficiency/pilot-skills/greasing-it-on-20-tips-to-get-er-done.html

Just about one for every landing ever made

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Simple , a good stable approach !............then I always close my eyes and wait for the bump, so can't help you much there...................................................Maj...

 

 

[kgwilson]

As the saying goes, they are all good if you can walk away afterwards but they are great if you can use the aeroplane again.

 

 

[kaz3g]

There are a million articles on the net how to grease a landing. This is one of the better ones I foundhttp://www.planeandpilotmag.com/proficiency/pilot-skills/greasing-it-on-20-tips-to-get-er-done.html

Hi FT and Ian

 

Good article and good advice... early planning and a good circuit make for a good landing.

 

I personally find it's more helpful looking towards the end of the runway and just allowing my peripheral vision to pick up what's happening either side of me. Perhaps it's a means of reassurance that the runway is still there before I pull the stick back and lose sight of everything out front in the flare? The absence of forward vision in the landing roll is a tad disconcerting on narrow runways.

 

Yes, Austers can be wheeled on (very gently) but they were really meant to be 3-pointed to get the max STOL effect especially on rough ground.

 

kaz

 

 

[kaz3g]

Kaz, if you have mastered that Auster that immediately puts you in the exalted category. It should be you telling us how to achieve terrific touchdowns!!

I wish!

 

Anytime I think I've got it all completely together, she does something to show me she is only putting up with me and should not be taken for granted.

 

kaz (definitely un-exalted)

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

My old boss would always say "the difference between a good landing and a bad landing is about four inches"

 

I think there are only three things you need for a good landing - rudder, rudder and more rudder!

 

PS: I'm a nose dragger driver too!

 

 

[Wayne T Mathews]

I wish!Anytime I think I've got it all completely together, she does something to show me she is only putting up with me and should not be taken for granted.

 

kaz (definitely un-exalted)

You know, I think it may be a CG Taylor design thing Kaz, for I swear there're times when my Old J3 looks over her shoulder and asks me, "Do you really want to do that again Stupid?"

 

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

I think there are only three things you need for a good landing - rudder, rudder and more rudder!

Could you please explain what you mean by this Howard? I think you made cryptic reference to this in the past, an explanation would be helpful if indeed there is some hidden inference here beyond the obvious normal use of a rudder.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Check out these landings and stol ops at the Valdez STOL comps......

 

Google :......valdez stol comp 2011

 

 

[facthunter]

A good landing will be achieved when you hold the plane off the ground about 4 mms and spin the wheels up with the grass and then lower it down gently. The last bit must be done gently., I stress.

 

Why do I never bother to read how to do greasy landings? Because there is no simple way to do it.. Every landing is different in some degree. You make it happen by doing the required little ( sometimes big) corrections as they arise. The landing is the culmination of a lot of learned tasks. The standard circuit leads you to the approach, to the flare and touchdown. The better the whole sequence is performed the better the outcome. I really believe a lot of pilots just don't put in the effort, and look for some "magic". Well we could all do with some of that, if it was available.

 

Some golfer said" The more I practice my golf shots the luckier I get at golf"... Flying's sort of similar. Skill Judgement and practice. Nev

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Could you please explain what you mean by this Howard? I think you made cryptic reference to this in the past, an explanation would be helpful if indeed there is some hidden inference here beyond the obvious normal use of a rudder.

Being a nose dragger driver in some of the most benign aircraft ever flown, it took me 15 years to discover what the pedals were for! Since then I have noticed a lot of very experienced pilots who also rarely, if ever use rudder too. Since discovering the use of rudder (about 14 years ago) my landings have become works of art!

In short what I am advocating would probably be called 'normal use of rudder' for our tail draggy friends!

 

 

[kaz3g]

You know, I think it may be a CG Taylor design thing Kaz, for I swear there're times when my Old J3 looks over her shoulder and asks me, "Do you really want to do that again Stupid?"

I think you might be right, Wayne. The tendency to have the tail get out into the passing lane seems a more common phenomenon than we sometimes care to admit. But I've got to say nothing seems to be able to combine both the swing and the bounce like an Auster. That big wingspan (36') and the bungees can do it anytime.

 

I really like your Cub.

 

kaz

 

 

[Thirsty]

In your flare try your very best not to land! ie hold it off as long as you can and if you aren't very high above the runway the landing will be good.

 

 

[rgmwa]

In your flare try your very best not to land! ie hold it off as long as you can and if you aren't very high above the runway the landing will be good.

I agree. I usually make three good landings after flaring.

 

The first at 6', the second at 3' and on a good day the last one at 3".

 

rgmwa

 

 

[turboplanner]

A good landing will be achieved when you hold the plane off the ground about 4 mms and spin the wheels up with the grass and then lower it down gently. The last bit must be done gently., I stress.Why do I never bother to read how to do greasy landings? Because there is no simple way to do it.. Every landing is different in some degree. You make it happen by doing the required little ( sometimes big) corrections as they arise. The landing is the culmination of a lot of learned tasks. The standard circuit leads you to the approach, to the flare and touchdown. The better the whole sequence is performed the better the outcome. I really believe a lot of pilots just don't put in the effort, and look for some "magic". Well we could all do with some of that, if it was available.

Some golfer said" The more I practice my golf shots the luckier I get at golf"... Flying's sort of similar. Skill Judgement and practice. Nev

That's a harsh landing FH. Rather than spin the wheels up on the grass, I use boundary layer turbulence to get them going, then just settle a mm at a time.

 

 

[rdarby]

I find getting the nose up just a little more than I think it should be in the flare actually slows me down enough to land softly. Get the instructor to sit you in the plane and push the tail down till it's the attitude you should see when you land. Then learn to land taking into account all the othe factors that change the attitude.

 

 

[naremman]

I wish!Anytime I think I've got it all completely together, she does something to show me she is only putting up with me and should not be taken for granted.

 

kaz (definitely un-exalted)

You are the epitomy of an honest pilot Kaz. Most of us can put a succession of presentable landings together, then have a clanger that has us checking to see that we have not dislodged any teeth fillings!!

 

My instructor gave me two pointers when I was learning; Firstly, "look at a duck or pelican landing and see if you can do the same". Secondly, "every flight should end in the perfect stall, three inches above the deck".