smokeyser

I've been watching some videos lately to get ready to fly my new plane, and I'm a bit confused about the proper way to land. A lot of pilots seem to cut throttle to idle on approach, steer the plane down to the ground, and then pull up at the last second to get rid of excess speed. The way I've been practicing on the simulator is more like how jets land on a carrier (yes, I've probably watched top gun a few too many times). Keep the nose up and slowly decrease throttle to glide in at the proper angle until the plane touches down.

So am I doing it wrong? Is there a danger or drawback to doing it that way? I get really nervous about having the nose pointed even slightly down, as it seems so much easier to overdo it and stall when I finally try to level out.

Alex7403

Please, you need an instructor!!!!!
you know just to have somebody who knows beside you just in case.....

Alex

mscic-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

It is really a lot easier if someone shows you how to do it instead of telling you how to do it. A lot of different scenarios come into play here, the biggest one being how big of a flying area do you have. In a nutshell, you want to set the airplane in a downwind course parallel with the runway about 50 ft high. Reduce the throttle to about a 1/3 to 1/4 (really depends on what you are flying). Allow the plane to lose altitude, enter into the base leg of pattern at about 200 yds from the end of the runway, then turn on final approach when lined up with runway. Reduce throttle to idle and let plane glide in over the end of the runway, losing altitude the whole time. Do not try to control the altitude with the elevator, increase throttle if you look short. When the plane is about a foot off of the ground, pitch the plane up with the elevator (flair) to stall the wing and set it down. Like I said, it is easier to have someone teach you than try to tell you or learn it on your own.

brett65

My Feedback: (18)

First off, whatever the instructor at the airfield tells you would be the best thing to follow. Mine taught me this: Cut throttle just before making final turn, exchange altitude for air speed while keeping plane almost perfectly level, flair it (up elevator) as plane reaches the touch down speed. It isn't as easy as just following those steps, it requires lots of practice to get the right approach altitude, angle, and learn the stall speed of the plane so that you know when to flair it.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

The planes landing on a carrier have a lot heavier wing loading than a model and they are powering up as they land incase the hook misses.

Put top gun out of your mind and find someone to help you out.

smokeyser

Thanks for the replies guys. I certainly don't intend to fly without an instructor. It just seems like not everyone does things the same way and I wasn't sure if I was practicing some bad habits on the simulator. I worry a lot because I've flown a hobbyzone super cub without an instructor a few times, and it seems like just letting the nose go down a few degrees while landing (electric motor with throttle full off) picks up so much speed that trying to flair picks the plane back up and usually stalls. And the thing glides so well that keeping it level (again with 0 throttle) results in gliding for more than a football field while losing almost no altitude. By the way, the plane in question is a sig mid star 40. I've been trying to practice as much as possible on a simulator before getting to the field, probably due to the almost uncontrollable excitement, and after watching some videos I was just afraid that I had been trying to learn to land improperly.

JohnW

My Feedback: (6)

Nose high approaches will probably burn you eventually. Since our main clues to airspeed are visual, if the approach is flown in a slightly nose down attitude, you can be pretty sure you are not on the verge of a stall. Once the runway is made, you would of course start to level off and flair to touchdown. This isn't exactly the pull up at the last second you mentioned, nor is it the nose high approach you mentioned. It is in between I think. Keep practicing, good luck, and ditto on getting that instructor.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

What John said!! Also go to A local private air strip and watch A plane that is something like what you may be flying, not A jet. Get the approch set in your minds eye so you will know what A desending turn looks like, your instructor may even use the term, I do when I'm teaching landings.

opjose

smokeyser

It all depends upon the plane itself and the situation...

You can EASILY kill the throttle on a good trainer and glide the plane in to a safe landing...

Try that on a BiPlane, and you'll end up with a pile of balsa.

The latter needs constant throttle rignt until just before the wheels touch down.

jetmech05

Always do as your instructor wants...but here is something to put in the back of your mind...on approach...throttle becomes altitude..and elevator becomes speed....ok ok I'll explain...if your on a nice approach, the aircraft is on a nice descent..do nothing but add throttle and she climbs out.....on the other hand... same situation and add up elevator the aircraft nose pitches up she slows and falls out of the sky...(stall) ok same approach down elevator the aircraft speeds up and impacts the ground short of the runway...but the key here is it sped up.....
so how do you apply this to a landing...if on approach you find yourself sinking a little to much for your liking then add a couple of clicks of throttle and take it right back off..you'll be surprised how this will help smooth out a landing that other wise would be a bouncer.....
elevator is to remind you not to flair too soon....or too late...your instructor will show you when he teaches you to land.
Oh yea one more thing never ever try and force a landing...if everything is going to sh**...add power go around and set back up....no good landings from bad approaches...very few bad landings from good approaches
Good Flyin

Flexserve

I like this... very to the point...

As stated by others..very much depends on aircraft too... some are unforgiving when approaching stall speed. Hopefully you have a trainer aircraft that has "glide" capabilities. With some EDFs for example flairing will cause you to go into stall immediately on landing (Nose pitches straight up and recovery is next to impossible so close to the ground). landing is basically the aircraft approaching stall throughout the whole process and it becomes a balancing act.

joshua2

Like what alex7403 said, use an instructor. The way I land is (Note: I fly foamies) is to just cut the throttle and let it glide in. This may not work with heavier planes.

bkdavy

My Feedback: (1)

I teach my students to get the plane descending with the nose level (sinking). If it takes 1/4 throttle to do that, it takes 1/4 throttle. If it does it at idle, you land at idle. The sooner you establish that attitude, the easier it will be to bring the plane in. Once you've established that attitude, follow the elevator controls speed, throttle controls altitude mantra. The key is to make sure the plane does not approach the runway with the nose down. If you do, when the plane hits the runway and goes nose up, the plane will bounce off the runway. If the nose is level or up, the plane will sink onto the runway and not bounce.

And listen to your instructor, no matter what anyone here says.

Brad

JPMacG

My Feedback: (2)

If you want some interesting and enjoyable reading, go to your local small airport with a flight school and get yourself a copy of a student pilot's flight instruction manual. Most of it is just as applicable to models as to full scale airplanes.

Also, yes, get yourself an instructor.

hogflyer

There a lot of factors to determine what type of approach you'll make. The plane, conditions, runway, obstacles, experience, etc. all play into the scenario. One thing to remember when making an approach - if you dive for the runway you will gain airspeed, but if let the nose get above the horizon (above level) then you run the risk of a stall. An airplane can stall at any airspeed and any attitude as once the critical airspeed (stall speed for that condition) is reached. While landing on the sim can teach you some basic motions and give you and idea of what is happening, there is nothing that can replace actual experience with the actual plane in different conditions.

Your instructor will be the one to teach you how to land and is the one you need to pay attention to. After you get some solo experience then you can play around with different approaches.

Hogflyer

brett65

My Feedback: (18)

Unless you have no power and you are deadsticking (dead engine), in this case you have no choice but to make the best of it. It would be good practice to kill the engine on your sim and practice your gliding, and what you would do depending on where you were when it died. Remember exchange altitude for airspeed.

red head

As said by others: get an instructor to help, you will be amazed how much you will pick up.

Now in regards to your statement about the cub and your THROTTLE MANAGEMENT. What I read is that you try to go to FULL throttle on the approach, SORRY but the reason the stick goes back and forth is so you can control the engine / motor speed which will control your approach speed. Try it, I think you will see how it works. THROTTLE MANAGEMENT !!!! ENJOY !!! RED

dignlivn

I'll agree with jetmech05, also get an
instuctor ! Then your hooked.

Bob

smokeyser

hahaha. I should have known. Sounds like while there are a few general rules to follow, no amount of reading or practice on a sim is going to teach me how to land any particular plane. It's beginning to look like they're all a bit different. I was hoping to give it a try today, but spent all night with the instructor working on engine problems. But I've definitely been paying close attention to how the instructor lands (he makes it look completely effortless with his final turn at 10 feet up and moving at walking speed). Hopefully tomorrow we'll get things running well and he can start giving me some hands on experience.

On a side note, with the super cub, I very rarely fly the thing at full throttle. Usually I'm at 1/2 throttle while flying, and the little electric engine completely turned off as I make the final turn to land. The thing is just so light and it glides so well unpowered that it's hard to bring down. But I suppose I should just leave that plane alone for a while until I've had some time with an experienced instructor to learn to do things properly. Throttle management definitely effects more things than I first thought. In fact, after a bit of chatting at the field, it seems to effect pretty much every aspect of flight. Everything changes as airspeed changes. So much to learn...

Anyways, thanks for all the great info guys!

Josh

carrellh

Nothing wrong with flying the Super Cub. Even though it lands differently than your Mid Star will, it can still teach you things. One of my biggest issues for the first few flights (with instructor) was moving the sticks too much. The plane was rolling and pitching more than necessary and I had to learn to move the sticks in tiny increments. You can definitely practice that with the Super Cub.

Axel40

You know, there is so much good advice here and it's all good depending on the size of your runway, the plane and so on.

One tip I can offer you, (apart from the usual get someone to instruct you/show you etc) is this.

On approach, you really do not want to see the underside of your wing BUT you don't want to be diving in either If you can find that attitude where you *just* have the plane not showing it's bottom you should be fine, the rest is all throttle management.

A hell of a lot depends on the size of your landing strip as well.

Damn these things are fun, aren't they

flyX

no...no don't cut throttle before the final truns....that's how you'll stall the model and crash it.
Air speed gets bleed off during banking.

Just download the FMS free sim...then fly the pitt, if you don't have enough airspeed and try to trun..it'll actaully stall
and go into a spin.lmao
Not bad for a freebie

Lower it after you complete turn.
Get into a habit of making procedure turns a little further out. This will buy to time to adjust the model
for straight and level flight.

Get into a habit of flying the model around the field a couple of times at a slower speed.
This will give your brain time to adjust to the slower speed perception.
Plus if you can fly a model at slower airspeed (slugish controls)...you won't trip if you need to bail.lol
plus it'll help you from over shooting. Some trainers or models such as the 4* will fly for ever.lmao

It's easier to throttle manage or air speed manage when the wings are level.
example...if you're on a dead stick...sometimes you have to push the model down...go gain air speed=lift

My instructor taught me to add slight nose down trim for landings .
It's easy to let off pressure...then to push.

JohnW

My Feedback: (6)

"no...no don't cut throttle before the final truns....that's how you'll stall the model and crash it." - Well, not exactly, but point understood. To expand on this a bit, use the throttle you need to make the approach. It will probably be slightly different every time. You cannot assume that since cutting throttle on the last final turn worked into a perfect landing, that it will work the same way the next time.

bruce88123

EVERY approach and landing will be slightly different. It will simply take time and experience to get it right every time. Say.......... about 5 years or so. Seriously, slight differences in wind speed, direction, gusts, plane altitude and other things will change every approach slightly. Get a grip on the basics and maintain enough speed not to stall and you will be OK.

ceecrb1

Trust me there is very little else to be said... it all comes down to a few things (or learning in this maner worked for me..)
A, watch the instructor landing YOUR plane... usually i'd expect any instructor to give a commentary while they are landing explaining everything.
B, I reccomend doing as I did.. just flying circuits over the landing "path" withought lowering altitude, after 2-3 flights of this you will KNOW by feel where to turn the plane to line up on dead centre of your runway every time and there is lowered danger of crashing!! Do this high enough so that if there IS a deadstick, the plane can glide and the instructor can take control and land.
C. Land with the instructor present usually starting with a very long "finals" giving you time to line up and get a feel for the way the plane will start to sink.
D. Learn to land and start performing as many touch-n-goes as you can IF the club is quite (its a little rude to hog the runway).

Every club, day flight will be slightly different.. eg our club has an orange grove 15mts from the head of the runway.. so we have to skim along the top of the groves and drop at the last minute.... a little nerve wracking at first as technically the "ground" (or hittable objects) is 1mt bellow the plane for most of the approach. Ironically at my site you know your dead centre when the plane flys between two branches..... if you hit one, your off coarse. (its not our land we cant get too them to cut them....)

Best advice I can give is be patient.. if the landing doesnt feel right, accelerate, go round and try again... its like sex, dont force what wont go it will only end in pain.
Try to learn each stage of the process one by one, untill you can do each stage without the instructor guiding you (generally its a basic sign your getting it right, as is the instructor wandering of to talk to others...) Also.. take the plane HIGH and stall it a few times.. learn to fly as slow as you can, while controling it!! then you will learn to FEEL your stall speed and so, know when to nudge the accelerator a little while on a landing approach...

I used to slope soar and, trust me, on top of a mountain with a few acres to land in is REALLY easy.. its PLACING the plane in the right position that is more difficult than making the touchdown I find....

You will find yourself getting nervous, but dont, either way the plane will come down and be loaded into your car. you WILL crash one day. you WILL be buying other planes. the quicker you get used to the idea, the more relaxed it becomes! In the last 4 months I have lost 2 planes, one due to radio problems and one to a deadstick on finals, it didnt reach the runway.... these things happen. there is nothing you can do about it so no point worrying about it or being nervous cause it "could" happen.
My deadstick was being piloted by a spanish F3A champion. If he couldnt get it in, no-one else could, so it just has to be "accepted"