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SOLID APPROACH
article from
Plane Talk, Ryan Aviation, March 2000
"When you make a bad landing, the problem usually has less to do with
the actual landing than it does the approach," states Robert N.
Rossier of Flight Training. Rossier stresses on the fact that landing
begins well before the touchdown.
The FAA Air
Transportation Operations Inspector's Handbook describes a stable approach
in "maintaining a stable speed, descent rate, vertical flight path,
and configuration during the final states of the landing approach."
This gives us a mental image of the aircraft's flight path and gives us
the ability to consistently assess the progress of the approach for
landing each step of the way. This is crucial if we have to make a
determination whether to land or go around.
A good way to judge
your approach is the spot landing method. Choose the spot on the runway
where you want to begin your flare, and note where that spot lies on your
windscreen. As you continue your descent, the spot should stay fixed at
that same spot on the windscreen. If the spot begins to rise on the
windscreen, you are overshooting, so add power and/or add flaps to steepen
the approach path.
The spot landing
technique takes practice to master, but it is tremendously useful. When
learning the techniques, be sure you are flying an appropriate approach by
cross-checking with a VASI or PAPI or an ILS glidescope for instrument
procedures. After a few sessions, you'll learn to recognize the picture
corresponding to the proper approach angle.
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