How to make short field landings

motoadve

motoadve

Pre-takeoff checklist
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motoadve
I am not an instructor, this are just techniques I learned on my own, I never had proper backcountry instruction, I hope they can help someone.

 
Start with an airplane that can fly really slooow. Bonanzas and Cirrus need not apply.
 
MauleSkinner said:
No, hold the brakes really hard and land normally. o_O
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I was on an ERJ once where that happened. Locked em up so good the FA was ready to do an evac from the burnt rubber/brakepad smell and asking me to be ready (I was in 1A), the pilot quickly came on the PA and apologized for having big feet. A few of us got it, everyone else was more confused than before.
 
Fly with the stall horn blaring as slow as you dare before you round out. That horn just give me the creeps to be honest.
 
I was gonna say land right before the 3 wire... but a barn works.
 
Performance calc, Proper airspeed for the aircraft weight, maintaining the aim point, practice.
 
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1) install catch net at destination.
2) fly into catch net at Vso * 1.05
 
Be extra careful if it’s short *AND* soft. Keep the nose wheel light, if so equipped. ;)
 
Ok... the real answer to short field landings is touching down as slow as possible. It’s that simple. The trick to doing that WHERE you want is comfort flying slow.

I was only half kidding about the 3 wire. In actuality, we fly “AOA” approaches in the Navy. Right at l/d max (what, 5 percent above stall?) all the way to the ground. In order to flare you only have power. Technically you have a little ground effect too... But there’s none of this trying to gauge everything so as to bleed off the speed right where you want kind of thing.

So your pitch maintains the speed, your power setting sets the glide path. The steeper the glide path the shorter the roll out to a degree.

In the Navy, we were completely configured and “on speed” before we even started the turn from down wind. In fact, during “bounces” (touch and go’s) we flew the ENTIRE pattern configured and on speed. All that time at that speed makes it nearly an automatic reflex.
 
Tools said:
I was only half kidding about the 3 wire. In actuality, we fly “AOA” approaches in the Navy. Right at l/d max (what, 5 percent above stall?) all the way to the ground. In order to flare you only have power. Technically you have a little ground effect too... But there’s none of this trying to gauge everything so as to bleed off the speed right where you want kind of thing.
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One of our club 172s has indexers up on the glare shield just like we had in the Prowler. My first flight in it I flew an on-speed doughnut right to touchdown. The bounce was epic. :eek: Um, yea flare.... gotta flare.
 
Don’t be afraid of the old slip!
 
Bwahahaha!! Ya... flash back eh?

On a separate note, I learned to flare by keeping my left eye on the capt in 727s. When he’d start to look nervous and sit up straight, I’d flare.
 
Tools said:
On a separate note, I learned to flare by keeping my left eye on the capt in 727s. When he’d start to look nervous and sit up straight, I’d flare.
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I close my eyes. When I hear a gasp, I pull back.
 
Tools said:
Bwahahaha!! Ya... flash back eh?

On a separate note, I learned to flare by keeping my left eye on the capt in 727s. When he’d start to look nervous and sit up straight, I’d flare.
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Wasn't the trick with the three-hole to push the yoke forward just before touchdown so you didn't drive the gear into the runway?
 
Well, yes. It’s a finer point that came waaaay later. I was just trying to NOT knock the masks down... which I’ve “heard” is possible.
 
The trick is to just land as slow as possible. :rolleyes:
 
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