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Teaching Landings : General Aviation: 100 Years of Safety Experience

Downloaded from What’s a landing? A landing is the successful transition of an aircraft from flying … to a stop on the surface where the pilot intended.

Downloaded from What’s a good landing? Helpful definitions: If you can walk away, it’s a good landing. If you can reuse the airplane, it’s a great landing. Alternate definition: Airplane on ground. Crew alive. Mission success.

Downloaded from Why am I here? Reduce the number of landing accidents, and Reduce the number of fatalities Exchange ideas Improve teaching

Downloaded from Landings Number Four on the NTSB List Landings are 30.3% of Accidents... and are 4.7% of Fatal Accidents compared to Climb phase accidents are 2.9% of Total... and are 4.7% of Fatal Accidents

Downloaded from How dangerous is landing? Year 2009 per 2010 Nall report: 348 landing accidents Only 6 were fatal. TOO MANY FATALITIES!!! TOO MANY ACCIDENTS!!!

Downloaded from Why fatalities? -- NTSB Year 2006 per NTSB 2010 report: Botched crosswind approach, hit tree on go- around at approach end Bounce, PIO, V MC roll on go-around (multi- engine) Botched water landing (seaplane) Wheels-down water landing (seaplane) Broken crankshaft, off-field

Downloaded from Who’s most likely to have an accident?

Downloaded from Which is more important, long life or check ride? Saving lives should be our first concern. It’s more important to teach safety than to prepare for the check ride. Do we agree?

Downloaded from Skill Retention Scores Private Pilot TaskCheckride8 mo16 mo24 mo Approach Stall Forced Landing Traffic Pattern (Uncontrolled Field) Landing (Uncontrolled Field) Short Field Landing Crosswind Landing Go-Around Landing (Controlled Field)

Downloaded from Forum Priorities Primarily, we’ll talk about preventing landing accidents. How to teach the necessary skills so they won’t be forgotten. Afterwards, we can talk about making beautiful landings.

Downloaded from If landing is safe, what is dangerous? A badly executed approach A botched go-around In 2008 one fatal undershoot In 2008 three fatal overshoots

Downloaded from Two elements of landing Directional Control Energy Management

Downloaded from What are the results of bad Directional Control? Directional Control problems lead to bent airplanes and bruised egos, but generally, not to fatalities. We’ll return to this topic

Downloaded from What is energy management? Use of Throttle Elevator To get the aircraft down to runway At the right place At the right speed

Downloaded from What are the principles of energy management? Landing will not occur if the airplane is going too fast. Arrival will be rough if the airplane is going too slow. Damage is related to kinetic energy.

Downloaded from What does it look like? “... a constant angle glidepath towards a predetermined point on the landing runway.” “... during a stabilized approach the apparent runway shape does not change.” What is a Stabilized Approach? Reference Airplane Flying Handbook page 8-8.

Downloaded from Where should you aim? Aim 1/6 of the way down the runway The descent angle should be controlled throughout the approach so that the airplane will land in the center of the first third of the runway.

Downloaded from What is the right approach speed? What the manufacturer suggests Or in its absence, 1.3 x V SO

Downloaded from What is the right approach speed in gusty conditions? What the manufacturer suggests Or in its absence 1.3 x stall speed plus Half the gust factor

Downloaded from Do you agree? If you fly a stabilized approach at the right speed, you are unlikely to hurt yourself.

Downloaded from What do bounces and PIO have in common? Are they the result of a preoccupation with landing? … rather than maintaining a landing attitude at the runway ?

Downloaded from Secrets to the Perfect Landing There are three secrets to a perfect landing. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.

Downloaded from How many crosswind approach techniques are there? The Airplane Flying Handbook describes two: Wing-low (sideslip) method Crab method Which do you teach? Why?

Downloaded from How many crosswind touchdown techniques are there? The Airplane Flying Handbook describes one: Wing-low (sideslip) Even if using a crab, the approach must be converted to wing-low before touchdown.

Downloaded from What about special situations? When, if ever, do you retract flaps on a short-field landing? What is different in an engine-out situation?

Downloaded from What about particular airplanes? What is different about retractable landing gear? Do we need to talk about conventional gear? Any ski plane instructors here? Any seaplane instructors here?

Downloaded from Any closing advice? Every takeoff is optional; landings are mandatory. NOT SO. Every landing is optional, unless you are on fire or out of gas. If in doubt, GO AROUND.

Downloaded from Summary Retention of pilot skills Energy management Stabilized approach Different crosswind techniques Landings :

Downloaded from Best in Flight Morristown Thanks Thank you to Robert Hadow, BEST in FLIGHT, for his insight, time, and expertise in developing this Forum. Please give credit to these organizations when using the presentation or material from the presentation.