5 Tips to ensure consistent landings
Every pilot has to overcome the challenge of landing an aircraft, often early in training when learning to fly. Although it's not overly complicated, and many pilots have heard the common "any landing you can walk away from is a good landing!" adage, it can be daunting to learn with all the variables. Using these tips and techniques in your training as a private pilot every day can have you perfect your landings in no time.
1 - Energy and Power Management
Thinking ahead about your descent point and keeping in mind the distances needed based on the size of your aircraft can help you prepare for a stable landing. A stabilized approach to landing involves avoiding significant power changes during the landing patterns. If you do have to make power changes, make small constant corrections to keep your descent stable until landing.
2 - Fly the Correct Approach Speed
Fine-tuning your approach speed to the aircraft's recommended pattern speeds for the final approach. Always refer to Section 4 of your Pilot’s Operating handbook to obtain the desired approach speeds.
Ensuring your speed and aircraft configurations is correct when on downwind and turning base is vital to ensuring a stable approach every time.
3 - Know your Landing Attitude
During the approach phase of your landing be sure to constantly monitor your aiming point. You may even hear your instructor saying something like ‘Aiming point, attitude, airspeed’. Maintaining this work cycle or similar will allow you to ensure you are using your aiming point to monitor your profile.
In the last phase of the approach during the round out and flare make sure your eyes are watching the end of the runway. If your eyes have a tendency to dip during the flare you may even choose to make your eyeline further towards the aerodrome fence or tree line. Knowing your flare attitude will help you ensure consistent landings every time. If you need practice ask your local instructor to go with you to demonstrate the correct landing attitudes.
4 - Understand the Wind Direction
Understanding the wind patterns and direction is essential in every leg of the landing pattern. Overshooting the final is more commonly caused by wind. If you have a tailwind, you may have a high groundspeed at the base, which means you will need to start your rollout earlier.
If you encounter strong crosswinds, you will want to increase your aileron deflection into the wind as you decelerate to help keep your wings level. You should use the rudder to keep the nose aligned with the runway to control your plane.
If you are flying at slower speeds like the speeds you need to land, you are more likely to be tossed off course by gusty winds. If the wind conditions are gusty, use fewer flaps and approach faster to smooth out the landing at a slighter faster speed.
A good technique when you are increasing your wind awareness is to do a self-briefing on approach to an aerodrome including the wind direction and likely crosswind.
5 - Practice
Practice makes perfect, and the more you focus on practicing perfecting your landing, the easier and better your landings will go. Don't be afraid to practice in adverse conditions. You need to be prepared for anything as a pilot. Ask your instructor to go up with you if you feel less than confident.
It takes time to perfect your landing, and no pilot has ever gotten it perfect on the first try. If you can focus on tips and techniques and anticipate the aircraft's movements along with your response, you will be able to perfect your landing and boost your confidence as you continue to learn to fly.
About TEAM
TEAM Aviation is a flying school based in SEQ specialising in private aviation using modern, safe and advanced Cirrus Aircraft. If you are interested in learning to fly contact TEAM Aviation to learn more.