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Old 10-04-2010 | 09:47 PM
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Villa
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From: Wilson, NC,
Default RE: Plane does not want to land

If the plane is at a proper low idle, what does it do if you add some up elevator? It will come down. You need to practice this at a safe high altitude since the plane may snap roll. Once you learn to drop the plane without snap roll you can practice a landing. During the approach, use up elevator and idle to drop the plane, (shorten the landing point) and throttle to extend the landing point. If you merely hold the glide path, you are not flying the plane, you are following the plane. It will land wherever it hits. Pick a spot on the runway and try to touch down near it. It is difficult to be precise, but not difficult to be close. Broaden your definition of close. Some planes can accept more final flair than others. My Canard seems to handle about 10 degrees flair well just before touchdown. I had a Flying Lawnmower that needed about 15 to 20 degrees final flair. During the flair the whole plane acts as an air brake, so you need to be very close to the ground. The air speed seemed to drop about 50% in a heart beat.