Finish strong

In a standard, uninterrupted pattern, landing configuration should be set by the time the aircraft rolls out on final approach. On final, at the reference speed of 1.3 V_S0, the pilot focuses on runway alignment and determining where the flare will be initiated if there is no change in pitch, power, or flap setting—a location known as the aiming point.

During a stabilized approach, the aiming point appears stationary on the windscreen, not moving either up or down from the pilot’s perspective. By noting the position and movement of the aiming point, a student can determine whether the aircraft will overshoot, undershoot, or nail the desired landing spot. Instructors should demonstrate the aiming-point concept, emphasize the sight picture of a good approach, and show how the aiming point can be moved by adjusting power on approach.

Flare: After roundout at about 10 to 20 feet above the runway, the flare is initiated in anticipation of touching down within the next 100 to 200 feet. Emphasize controlling airspeed within plus or minus 5 knots of reference airspeed (1.3 V_S0) during the approach, flare initiation at the proper height, and smooth application of pitch control during the transition from flare initiation to touchdown.

While the FAA’s guidance recommends the height of 10 to 20 feet for flare initiation, a student’s perception of what that looks like is subjective. The CFI should demonstrate flare height and ask the student what visual cues he or she will use to duplicate that height. On subsequent landing drills, ask the student at what height the flare was started; chances are the student will repeat your instruction of 10 to 20 feet. If an adjustment in flare height is needed, teach initiating the flare five feet higher or lower based upon the student’s perception of when the flaring was started.

Initially, only slight back-pressure is needed to initiate the flare, and finesse is required. Too light a touch results in premature ground contact and over-controlling causes the aircraft to balloon away from the runway. The objective is to have a flight path that smoothly snuggles up to the runway and touches down just as the aircraft stalls.

Flaring should involve gradually increasing or pausing back-pressure, but never reverting to a pitch-down control input. A useful instructional technique is to tell the student to apply sufficient back-pressure on the yoke to prevent the aircraft from making ground contact for as long as possible without gaining altitude or porpoising up and down during the flare. Emphasize that as the aircraft slows during the flare, more back-pressure is needed until touchdown occurs. Reversing pitch inputs during the flare is likely to produce a pilot-induced oscillation (PIO), and the pilot should abort the landing and immediately go around if a PIO occurs.

Perceiving height is difficult when looking directly over the aircraft’s nose. Better results are achieved when the student looks slightly to the left of the nose and downward at a shallow angle. Looking too close to the aircraft results in flaring too high and looking too far ahead results in premature ground contact. Also, a pilot’s ability to keep runway features in focus depends upon the aircraft’s speed as it approaches the aiming point. As the speed diminishes in the flare, the pilot should move his or her focus closer to the aircraft for better depth perception.

Touchdown: At the point of ground contact, pitch input should be (or nearly be) full nose-up. The aircraft will be in a nose-up attitude with the nosewheel not touching the runway. The same technique applies to tailwheel aircraft, except the main gear and tailwheel will contact the runway simultaneously for a conventional full-stall landing. After ground contact, full nose-up pitch should be maintained to hold the aircraft’s weight on the main gear (main and tailwheel for tailwheel aircraft). If ground contact occurs prematurely, full aft control pressure should be delayed to prevent the aircraft from lifting off the runway due to excessive touchdown speed.

Rollout: Pilots must remain vigilant until the aircraft has returned to the ramp and is either tied down or hangared. Full aft control column (or stick) should be maintained while the aircraft completes its landing roll and held in that position until the aircraft exits the runway. Repositioning flaps and completing other after-landing checklist items should also be deferred until then—full focus must be on maintaining directional control during the rollout.

Tricycle-gear aircraft have an advantage during rollout because a nosewheel-main gear configuration possesses natural stability—physics dictates that the rollout will be straight ahead. Not so with conventional gear aircraft—the tailwheel wants to replace the nosewheel’s position, inviting a ground loop.

After clearing the runway and slowing to taxi speed, flight controls should be positioned in relation to the surface wind.

Aborting after touchdown: Unlike a touch-and-go, which is the planned response to a successful landing, an abort after touchdown is recovery from an unsatisfactory landing or failure to maintain full directional control during the early phase of rollout. All landings present the possibility of an abort; plan accordingly. Takeoff power should be applied to achieve up-and-away flight in the fashion of normal takeoffs, and compensation for engine torque and slipstream rotation is needed to maintain directional control. With planning, however, the abort maneuver will be like traditional touch-and-go exercises.