Mastering Landings Course

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This course will help pilots of all levels master landings in whatever airplane they are flying.


Flight Chapters

Chapter 1: Understanding Procedures

Pre-Takeoff Briefing

I often tell students that if you can't get in front of the airplane before it even starts moving, we've got problems. The pre-takeoff briefing is an opportunity to do just that. This lesson will teach you to standardize the process.

Takeoff Callouts

Takeoff callouts are a way to bring redundancy to a single pilot environment and tie your actions during takeoff directly to the briefing you just performed. This lesson teaches you standard takeoff callouts used by professional operators.

The Lindbergh Reference

For every flying problem in an airplane, there is a solution called "where you look and when you look there". There is no visual reference in a Cessna more powerful than the area I've dubbed "The Lindbergh Reference".

Chapter 2: The 5 Phases of Landing

Overview

Landings should be thought of in 5 distinct phases: the approach, the roundout, the flare, the touchdown, and the rollout. In this lesson you will see the whole process before we break it down into each phase.

Approach

A stabilized approach will provide consistent conditions to set up a proper round out and subsequent landing technique. In this lesson you will learn the specifics of how to achieve this and the common errors I see on the flight line.

The Round Out

The round out timing and technique is one of the more dynamic parts of the landing. In this lesson you will learn how to identify the perfect time to to start the roundout and some of the common errors I typically see.

The Flare

The flare is the process of transferring the weight of the airplane from the wings to the main wheels. Without a proper flare you will not properly protect the nose wheel of the airplane.

The Touchdown

The proper touchdown has the longitudinal axis of the airplane aligned with and over the centerline of the runway. It's the touchdown that will take you from the flare to roll-out in a safe and controlled manner

The Rollout

In the rollout it is important to keep your corrections in until a safe taxi speed and then transition to taxi. In flying there is an 'old school" saying: "you should fly the airplane all the way to the touchdown.

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Chapter 3: Slips and Crosswind Landings

180º Power Off Accuracy Approach

It is very important to be able to accurately glide to a known spot on the ground. This is important for every landing and will also condition your understanding of your airplanes power out capabilities.

Side Slip

A side slip is a maneuver in which the aircraft is banked and the rudder is applied in opposite directions to allow the plane to move laterally while keeping the nose aligned with the runway or flight path.

Forward Slip to a Landing

A forward slip is an uncoordinated flight maneuver that exposes more form drag to the relative wind as the airplane moves forward along the flight path. Forward slips are used to lose altitude more rapidly without gaining airspeed.

Crosswind Landing

Landing in a crosswind takes a number of techniques: crabs, slips, and constant analysis of your aimpoint, drift, and alignment.

The Go-Around

A go-around, or rejected landing, is an alternative to any landing and should be considered the default. It's very difficult to salvage a bad landing, just go around. This lesson covers that procedure.

Experience is the difference.

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