Training and Safety Tip: Break it down
Pop quiz: Where does a good landing begin? Some pilots say it starts when the tires kiss the pavement.
Others say it’s at the flare. Others still, the descent on final. Or on base. Or downwind. Some even say a good landing starts 10 miles out from the airport.
Your instructor may have called this procedure flow a “stabilized approach,” and while it can be helpful to think of it as a flow, it is really a series of tasks—more like links in a chain. If you are having a hard time mastering the entire process, I suggest breaking it down one link at a time.
Here’s why: Learning to land can be overwhelming, and part of the reason is that there are so many distinct skills and procedures to master and stitch together—all in a brief window of time. So, if you are having problems with landings, make sure that you have mastered each phase—each link—before taking on the next.
Starting in the practice area, drill pattern entry—by itself—before practicing the art of configuring for landing. Practice entering the pattern at the right place, at the right distance from the runway, at the right altitude, and at the right speed until you consistently and comfortably nail it. Then move on to the configuration steps on downwind until they also become comfortable, repeatable, and precise. Next, work on your pattern turns and descents. But don’t land—one thing at a time. Go around after turning final—again and again and again. Repeat the first half of the descent until you are consistently at the right altitude, at the right airspeed, at the right distance from the numbers, and with the right vertical speed. Then maybe take it down to 300 feet. Then 200. Now 100. And so on.
By breaking it down and mastering each step before taking on the next, when you are ready to take on the final step, it won’t take you long to flare with flair.
