Flight Training - May 2014 - 44
Takeoffs are optional;
LANDINGS ARE NECESSARY.
N
TRY TO KEEP
THE NUMBER OF
your landings
EQUAL TO THE
NUMBER OF YOUR
takeoffs.
44 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
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 probably will 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.
The basics remain true for all types,
however. Feel free to consider the specific
A GOOD
landing
IS ONE FROM WHICH YOU CAN
WALK AWAY.
A GREAT LANDING
IS ONE IN WHICH YOU CAN
USE THE AIRPLANE
again.
http://FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
Flight Training - May 2014
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - May 2014
Flight Training - May 2014
Contents
Right Seat
Member Benefits
Letters
Cub-Alikes
Success Stories
How it Works
AOPA Action Industry News
Events Training Products
After the Checkride
Milestones Final Exam
First Look
Fly-In Events
Advocacy
Air Safety Institute
Around the Patch
Flying Carpet
Flight Lesson
Checkride
Bahamas Bound
Flying Is the Second Greatest Thrill Known to Man
Which Way Is North?
Technique
Weather
Career Pilot
Accident Analysis
Career Pilot
Instructor Report
Career Advisor
Advertiser Index
Debrief
Flight Training - May 2014 - Flight Training - May 2014
Flight Training - May 2014 - Cover2
Flight Training - May 2014 - Contents
Flight Training - May 2014 - 2
Flight Training - May 2014 - 3
Flight Training - May 2014 - Right Seat
Flight Training - May 2014 - 5
Flight Training - May 2014 - Member Benefits
Flight Training - May 2014 - 7
Flight Training - May 2014 - Letters
Flight Training - May 2014 - 9
Flight Training - May 2014 - Cub-Alikes
Flight Training - May 2014 - 11
Flight Training - May 2014 - Success Stories
Flight Training - May 2014 - How it Works
Flight Training - May 2014 - AOPA Action Industry News
Flight Training - May 2014 - Events Training Products
Flight Training - May 2014 - After the Checkride
Flight Training - May 2014 - Milestones Final Exam
Flight Training - May 2014 - First Look
Flight Training - May 2014 - 19
Flight Training - May 2014 - 20
Flight Training - May 2014 - Fly-In Events
Flight Training - May 2014 - Advocacy
Flight Training - May 2014 - Air Safety Institute
Flight Training - May 2014 - 24
Flight Training - May 2014 - 25
Flight Training - May 2014 - Around the Patch
Flight Training - May 2014 - 27
Flight Training - May 2014 - Flying Carpet
Flight Training - May 2014 - 29
Flight Training - May 2014 - Flight Lesson
Flight Training - May 2014 - 31
Flight Training - May 2014 - Checkride
Flight Training - May 2014 - 33
Flight Training - May 2014 - Bahamas Bound
Flight Training - May 2014 - 35
Flight Training - May 2014 - 36
Flight Training - May 2014 - 37
Flight Training - May 2014 - 38
Flight Training - May 2014 - 39
Flight Training - May 2014 - 40
Flight Training - May 2014 - 41
Flight Training - May 2014 - Flying Is the Second Greatest Thrill Known to Man
Flight Training - May 2014 - 43
Flight Training - May 2014 - 44
Flight Training - May 2014 - 45
Flight Training - May 2014 - Which Way Is North?
Flight Training - May 2014 - 47
Flight Training - May 2014 - 48
Flight Training - May 2014 - 49
Flight Training - May 2014 - Technique
Flight Training - May 2014 - 51
Flight Training - May 2014 - Weather
Flight Training - May 2014 - 53
Flight Training - May 2014 - 54
Flight Training - May 2014 - Career Pilot
Flight Training - May 2014 - 56
Flight Training - May 2014 - Accident Analysis
Flight Training - May 2014 - Career Pilot
Flight Training - May 2014 - Instructor Report
Flight Training - May 2014 - Career Advisor
Flight Training - May 2014 - Advertiser Index
Flight Training - May 2014 - 62
Flight Training - May 2014 - 63
Flight Training - May 2014 - 64
Flight Training - May 2014 - 65
Flight Training - May 2014 - 66
Flight Training - May 2014 - 67
Flight Training - May 2014 - 68
Flight Training - May 2014 - 69
Flight Training - May 2014 - 70
Flight Training - May 2014 - 71
Flight Training - May 2014 - Debrief
Flight Training - May 2014 - Cover3
Flight Training - May 2014 - Cover4
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