How do I get better at landings?
Posted by throwaway302534704@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 64 comments
I have over 40 hours and nearly 100 landings. My CFI says they're not consistent and that's what's holding me back.
Aggressive_aussi@reddit
1-Stable approach 2-use rudders to maintain center of the runway 3-little movements with the ailerons on short final 4-as you are on top of the runway and close !cut the power and fly it straight and level (don’t force the landing) ! You will have to start raising the nose gradually to maintain straight and level 5-the plane will touch down
Odegh12@reddit
Pitch is for airspeed Power is for Altitude
Downwind to base 80-85kts (1800rpm) Base 70kts (1500-1700rpm) Final 65kts (1500rpm ish)
Keep the aiming point at eye level If you feel you need to push down to get it back, pull the power back a tad (maybe 100-200 rpm)
If you feel you need to climb, put power in (100-200rpm)
Keep the airspeed consistent till you are over the aiming point, then pull power. And increase AOA to about wings level or 2.5-5 deg pitch(depending the plane). And hold until you loose all that energy and then touch ground
oh_helloghost@reddit
Trim. Seat position. Trim. Eyes down the runway. And trim.
drowsydame3000@reddit
Can you explain a little about trim during landing. I haven’t really been doing anything with that if I’m just doing pattern work and my CFI hasn’t told me to use it for landings
bhalter80@reddit
The worse trimmed the airplane is on final the more for w you're putting into it to keep it on the descent path.
That means you're using big muscles instead of small ones and you're always adjusting. If you trim the airplane well on final you have light inputs, you use small muscles and have very good fine control.
drowsydame3000@reddit
Thank you !
oh_helloghost@reddit
Learning to land a plane is hard enough even when you do everything absolutely right. There are so many variables at play through approach and landing which means that student pilots aren’t just learning 1 single thing, they are trying to learn multiple things all at the same time.
One really common mistake student pilots make on approaches and landing is they forget to trim the aircraft. From the downwind to touchdown, you are flying a range of speeds and flap settings and the aircraft will need to be trimmed several times.
If you are not properly trimming the aircraft throughout the approach, the control pressures required to maintain your desired approach profile are gonna be different every time and therefore, you are giving yourself an extra variable to deal with.
Next time you are on final, fully configured and on speed, ask yourself, could I take my hand of the yoke now and know the plane would maintain this attitude? If the answer is no, trim!
Prefect_99@reddit
The real person to ask is the one you are paying... To teach you.
Which they are apparently not.
AngryCamelTeeth@reddit
Not consistent where? I assume the last 5 seconds over the runway? But how is everything else in the pattern?
Also the best time to practice landings is at sun up or sun down. Mid day forget it. Everyone is inconsistent at 3pm. Thermals off the ground plus a windsock that is basically doing circles means you’re not greasing them.
No-Business9493@reddit
I respectfully disagree. Students who only fly in the perfect calm of sunrise are far worse at landing the airplane in any conditions that... aren't that.
bernyng1994@reddit
My first time ever practicing landings was with a crosswind 😂😂😂
AngryCamelTeeth@reddit
I should have clarified by saying start there. Removing those variables helps build consistency and confidence.
No-Business9493@reddit
Ok, that's fair enough. Agreed.
ResponsibilityOld164@reddit
I love flying at the crack of dawn. Quieter and weather is often more cooperative. Less people to deal with haha
anactualspacecadet@reddit
Well one time the gear was up!
spacecadet2399@reddit
The rule of thumb I was taught as a student, and that I taught my students when I was a CFI, is that the 100 landing mark is when you *start* to gain proficiency.
It's no surprise that you're not consistent yet at 100 landings. Just keep doing them. You're not going to be 100% consistent really in forever, so that's probably not what your CFI's waiting for, but you're going to need to be at least consistently *safe* to pass your checkride. That's the main benchmark on the PPL checkride.
8349932@reddit
Figure out what type of bad landing your having-- too much backpressure nearing the ground, too little, too much speed, dragging it in, etc. Then stop doing that.
eSUP80@reddit
It’s never one thing wrong and seldom the same issue repeatedly
8349932@reddit
My remark was mostly tongue in cheek, because “my landings aren’t consistent” tells us nothing with which to offer advice.
Some of those problems are intertwined but something like inconsistent speed is probably ultimate culprit as it affects so many facets of landing.
No_Mastodon8524@reddit
Stop hitting the ground! Seriously. Keep it flying as long as you can and let the airplane settle into the ground
bgrant902@reddit
Like everyone says, do it more.
Make sure you understand the concept of flying it until it can’t fly anymore rather than landing it. Make sure you understand that the round out and flare are two totally different steps. Make sure you focus your eyes on the end of the runway and know when you see runway zoom. Make sure airspeed remains king and pull power over the threshold. They’re never going to be 100% consistent because no landing is the same, but if you get these things down then you’re likely going to be set.
TraxenT-TR@reddit
Fly with a different CFI who can provide a different perspective.
We had this old guy at the school who used to do landing clinics and it would help a lot cause sometimes a different perspective would be all it would take to fix landings.
Another big thing for me I saw was seat positioning. Make sure you are not too high and not too low. Also correct distance away from yoke to be comfortable.
drdsheen@reddit
Underrated comment
YourSpanishMomTaco@reddit
https://youtu.be/oY6HU-EsAFc?t=139
TraxenT-TR@reddit
I never had a dream landing in the airbus until I literally lowered myself a bit and then adjusted my forward and back positioning a tad. Now (knock on wood) most of my landings are very solid.
Perspective truly is everything in life lol
Diamondinthetough@reddit
I never understood the flare until I started putting my seat to the max height in Cessna 172
ApartInevitable6344@reddit
Actual conversation with my CFI….
Me: “What am I doing wrong? How can I show you consistent landings so I can get signed off for a solo?” CFI: “Right now you’re flying 1-3 times a week; to fix your landings quicker, we need to see you flying 3-5 times a week.”
The more times you ride a bike, the more natural it comes.
blueridgeblah@reddit
Highly underrated and under used. Review the, free from the FAA, Airplane Flying Handbook section on landings.
https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/airplane_handbook/10_afh_ch9.pdf
KindaSortaGood@reddit
Got my PPL at 120 hours with like... 300 landings?
Extreme-Initial-9@reddit
I just got over this hump as a student pilot (though I have years worth of getting better at landing ahead) on the Cessna 152. I found that adding some nose up trim after configuring for landing is very helpful. This also helped with ensuring that I had enough back pressure on the actual landing.
Once I get to round out I focus on the end of the runway and try to keep the plane flying as long as possible. Sitting up straight to make sure I can see over the nose and the end of the runway was big for me too lol.
At this point your power will be at idle and as the plane loses speed/energy it will start settling down. But to keep on flying you add more back pressure causing the nose to point up and creating the flare part of your landing. As you slow down the elevator looses effectiveness so you just progressively more back pressure until you get close to stall speed( ideally hear the horn go off at the very end) and then land nicely on the mains.
anactualspacecadet@reddit
Did you ask your CFI this question?
miianwilson@reddit
It will be something you work on your whole life. I go through stretches with good landings and have some bad streaks too. Currently I’m about 7 years into a slump, I expect to come out of it any day now.
Historical-Pin1069@reddit
Holding you back from what? Solo?
AK_Dude69@reddit
Old habit, but I started sitting as low as possible in the Navajo way back when to get my feet as close as I could to the heater. Forced me to look at the end of the runway.
Same trick has worked in every plane I’ve flown since. In my 182 the other thing I’ve noticed is paying attention to the envelope; it’s hard to hold it off long enough for a greaser if I’m too far forward CG. May be a component if you’re dual in a Cessna with your cfi.
You’ll figure it out, just fly more and actively pay attention to differences in the situation.
MNSoaring@reddit
Read “contact flying” by Jim Dulin. His “brisk walk” approach technique on final is very helpful
TxAggieMike@reddit
This book?
https://a.co/d/dxAxif9
MNSoaring@reddit
Correct
TxAggieMike@reddit
Awesome. I’m going to check this out.
xstell132@reddit
Are your approaches consistent? If not, start there.
StandardBeyond5410@reddit
Ask your CFI what you’re doing wrong (eg. are you having a problem with airspeed control, tracking centreline, flaring too early or too late, etc) without this kind of feedback, it’s difficult to fix a problem that’s nebulous.
TinyAd6315@reddit
When the scanning stops, the staring starts (read this in AOPA).
Don't stare down the runway, look up and down to your instruments and back outside. Do not stare.
Mithster18@reddit
Given the amount of info you've given us. Be better.
srbmfodder@reddit
I got over 3000 hours and I still don't have consistent landings. The only landings I had consistent ones were in a helicopter where I could control nearly every aspect of the touchdown.
LimpRichard010@reddit
Have you tried not sucking at it?
Dont-Snk93@reddit
Getting into the mindset of flying the airplane in ground effect until it doesn't fly anymore vs just landing the plane helped me
LootenantTwiddlederp@reddit
Yes. This definitely helped me as well. My CFI had me fly in ground effect from one end of the runway to the other. Then he had me come around again and try to land. That’s when it clicked. Try and stay in ground effect until the plane stops flying.
Dont-Snk93@reddit
May not be as ideal in a cessna though I've heard they float more. In a piper its not hard to get her to sink right down on the thousand footers.
Single_Cut2649@reddit
This really helped me https://youtu.be/iIW91SOSvVg?si=6zx_182Hfz2uTaVc
Jwylde2@reddit
Stop using “pitch = airspeed/power = altitude” and learn attitude flying.
confusedguy1212@reddit
Just practice. There’s no other magic.
When you’re a couple inches from the ground make a conscious effort to look at the far end of the runway. Unbeknown to you, your peripheral vision will give you a feeling in your stomach of how much you’re sinking to aid in touching down.
neobud@reddit
What plane are you in?
mrmrnx@reddit
Git gud
skyHawk3613@reddit
Practice
saml01@reddit
What airplane?
throwaway302534704@reddit (OP)
717
poser765@reddit
What’s the quickest way to Carnegie Hall?
Practice practice practice.
throwaway302534704@reddit (OP)
Buy a ticket and drive?
makgross@reddit
That’s the only way to Carnegie Hall.
Frost_907@reddit
Ask your CFI if you can practice slow flight over a runway a few times. Get the airplane into ground effect and then use power to keep the wheels off the ground, this gives you more time to practice maneuvering the airplane for that final phase of landing.
Used to do this with my students and 9/10 times there would be noticeable improvement with their landings afterwards.
Professional_Read413@reddit
If you figure it out let me know.
WolverineStriking730@reddit
Land more.
Exotic_Army7887@reddit
Come back when you have 4000 hours and 1000 landings.
Your CFI is right...We've all been there, every single one of us. Everyone is inconsistent at 40 hours. Keep practicing.
appenz@reddit
I am at (checks FF) about 1k landings, and my CFI also claims I am not consistent in the (for me new) PC-12. Often left of center, beta could come in faster, sometimes flare too high (although that trailing-link landing gear makes any landing feel smooth).
Practice, watch a few videos, manage speed carefully, aim right/left/short/long depending on what common mistake you make, look at the end of the runway.
Lots of people claim there is one simple trick, but at least for me it's mostly about practice.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
I have over 40 hours and nearly 100 landings. My CFI says they're not consistent and that's what's holding me back.
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