Having trouble flaring?

[pelmet]

For most small airplanes, I think this pretty much sums it up.....

" Pulling back on the yoke is NOT a continuous, smooth pull. It is done in increments. Pull back and let it stabilize, pull back a little more, stabilize, pull back a little more..."

Try it.

[pianokeys]

+1, can attest to this working on the 172 and the DA20.

[photofly]

If you're having trouble landing a C172, I can suggest finding a competent instructor to teach you how. Rather than experimenting with random techniques you read about on the internet.

[Aviatard]

Ninety percent of everything is crap. Ninety nine percent of what you read on the internet is crap.

[JasonE]

If you're having trouble landing a C172, I can suggest finding a competent instructor to teach you how. Rather than experimenting with random techniques you read about on the internet.

This. Never undervalue good instruction. Never be afraid to ask for instruction if you need it.

[lownslow]

This is just a random technique you’re reading about on the internet, but if your landings suck the first thing to try is to sit higher. In most modern (post-1955) light single engine trainers you should be able to see the top of the cowl.

[Schooner69A]

Flaring is the easy part.

Landing: now, that's a bit more complicated...

The secret to good landings is lots of them. Thousands of them.

With every landing comes information. Some positive, some negative. But negative information is still information.

There is the saying: "A good landing starts with a good approach". That may be a requirement for average pilots, but a very experienced pilot can stick handle an aircraft onto the ground off the worst GD approaches you've ever seen. And make it look easy (It is a basic requirement of a competent instructor)

And ability to do the above comes from many, many landings executed under a variety of conditions. And when you have acquired that ability, the 'flare' problem will have taken care of itself.

Because how much to flare, when to flare, the rate of flare, and the duration of the flare all depend upon the conditions of the day. And that knowledge comes with practice.


Fret not; keep flying. It will all come together. (But you do have to fly more than once a month...)

[C.W.E.]

Flaring is nothing more than being able to judge closure rate with your intended flare point and being able to accurately judge your height.

Sadly it is far to often not taught properly during initial flight training.

When I was teaching advanced flight training it was one of the most common weakness I found and thus the first thing I would teach.

( The most common flying fault I found was airspeed chasing. Which of course is due to improper teaching during basic training. )

By the way it does not take long to teach if taught properly.

[trey kule]

One of the biggest errors I have noticed with (licensed) pilots, is their approach speed is to fast. Makes things a bit more of a challange when you get close to the runway.

In any event, as was wisely suggested by others, the internet is not the place to get advice.

[PilotDAR]

Once you have entered the flare, you will do only one of three things with the controls: Gently pull as required to flare and slow, pause as may be needed if you pulled too much, or a gust hit you, or, fly as required because you chose to overshoot. You will not push, and you certainly will not alternately pull and push - unless you've added power for a go around!

[pelmet]

"Pulling back on the yoke is NOT a continuous, smooth pull. It is done in increments. Pull back and let it stabilize, pull back a little more, stabilize, pull back a little more..."

Try it.

Like everyone, I have had my share of bad landings, but....I am flying quite a few different types these days and have been doing quite good landings this year including two on a Slingsby last week and a Sling 2 today(look them up, they may have strange names but are real airplanes). As you get more experienced, you find you flare and land without really thinking much about it and as a non-instructor, when asked how to land, the answer seems to be...I don't know, I just do it. But I have noticed that I have been using the quoted technique above that someone else recommended.

Interestingly, on the taildraggers, I try not to land when in the flare for a three-pointer. Initial flare, then as soon as I feel sink, I pull a bit more to stop it. Then once there is a bit more sink, a bit more pull to stop it. Eventually the stick is all the way aft and a nice three pointer is the result. So in a way, for some aircraft, the best landings happen when you do your best not to touchdown at all until you can't stop it from touching down.

For those having trouble with the tricycle gear stuff, try the quote statement above next time(not the taildragger technique with full aft stick) and report here how it worked for you. Maybe that random internet technique advice will work for you.

[pianokeys]

If you're having trouble landing a C172, I can suggest finding a competent instructor to teach you how. Rather than experimenting with random techniques you read about on the internet.

Truth, but pelmets advice has merit. I was taught this trick by two different instructors.

Eyes to the end of the runway helps too when youre in the flare.

[pelmet]

The reason it works(assuming it is done properly which might mean each flare is possibly different) is because you are analyzing and flaring at the same time. You start a bit of the flare and see that it is enough at that point and stop. Then as the aircraft trajectory continues, you see that more flare is required(maybe a little, maybe a lot), with each pull there is analysis based on sight picture(and perhaps other factors) and then a judgement is made on what to do next(big pull, more little pull, add a bit of power perhaps, even push in some aircraft). Doing just a standard complete pull and then holding may work but I suspect everything has to be just right in terms of when it is started and outside factors affecting the aircraft in a dynamic environment.

I really just made this stuff up now and I am not an instructor so perhaps a second opinion from an instructor would be helpful but......it is working for me although there may be other factors that I am unaware of that are involved. To be honest, I think in the jet stuff, I am doing more of a single pull on the control column and waiting, so this advice is once gain....for small aircraft keeping in mind that it may not apply to all and other variables such as CG and weight can alter what is required.

[PilotDAR]

I don't enter a corner in my car, by steering, then straightening, steering again and evaluating, then repeat. I can't argue that it might work, but it's unsmooth. I use my experience to estimate the amount of steering required, and then refine as I progress through the turn. If you're flying the plane solo, I suppose it's up to you how smooth a ride you'd like. If you're flying passengers, they'd like a smooth ride. It's our duty as pilots to provide the most smooth ride we are able, to keep aviation in a good light with non pilots. I always aim to be smooth in my control inputs.

It is rare that a pilot could enter the flare and with one smooth application of control complete the flare, and kiss it on, some adjustment of the controls will be needed. But don't intend to produce a notchy ride, just observe, and correct if and as needed.

[photofly]

There are lots of things people can get wrong with their landings. It's just a little premature to suggest, as this thread seems to, that whatever your problem is, this one bit of advice will fix it.

Pulling back on the yoke is NOT a continuous, smooth pull.

I'd rather see a continuous raising of the nose, so I'm not sure why anyone would say it's NOT that. Sure, if you're wildly overcontrolling, then perhaps the advice of a sequence of small elevator movements might help with the problem. But I think one would need to see what the problem actually was, before making a suggestion - instructor or not.

[pelmet]

Remember, this is not some sort of recommendation for "notchy" inputs. As an example, it could be as simple as the initial input, followed by realizing that it was too early an input and therefore smoothly slowing the input for a certain amount of time followed by more input as required.

My advice to those having trouble with their landings is......you will find that there are a large number of opinions on what is a good technique.

My suggestion is to try my recommendation. If it doesn’t work, try something else in your search for what works for you.

[C.W.E.]

Eyes to the end of the runway helps too when youre in the flare.

This advice has been around for years and I have never been able to figure out just what advantage looking into the far distance gives you for judging your relation to the the runway either in closure rate or height.

Can you please explain it to me?

[clairvoyant]

I will have to stray the subject a bit.
Don't you find SR22, DA40, DA42, or PA44 flare a bit flat compared to C172?
I am nervous of the tail strike risk sometime.
How do you flare proof any landing? Thank You

[digits_]

Eyes to the end of the runway helps too when youre in the flare.

This advice has been around for years and I have never been able to figure out just what advantage looking into the far distance gives you for judging your relation the the runway either in closure rate or height.

Can you please explain it to me?

You don't see the runway rushing by as fast. You are not distracted/nervous by the fast movement of the runway. I can see how it might help for some people. Tried it a few times myself, and it does work, but I'm not a big fan. Another thing: by focusing on the far end of the runway, you see more of your surroundings. Could be helpful to spot wildlife or other obstacles that could move in on the runway that was all clear just a few seconds earlier. That could be a consideration for new pilots suffering from tunnel vision during a landing in unfamiliar conditions.

In the end, use whatever works best for you.

And then throw it all out of the window when you start flying tailwheel planes

[gwagen]

Stop trying to flare a 172 like the space shuttle.

Arrest the decent and hold it off for long as you can. Anticipate the drops, use your derrière gyro.