Landing help
 

Hey all,

I need some help with my landings. I have searched and read all the posts here that I could find. I also read some landing tips/advice and how to's on the net. Most gave some great information about what to do. But it seems none cover what to do to if it doesn't work haha. Questions like how high, how far out, how fast seem to get an "it depends" answer. I can accept that to be true, but it doesn't help me land any better.

I am a newish pilot. I soloed in early June, and have been flying my Avistar solo since then. The main problem I seem to be having is that when I get to the runway, I am not parallel to it. I seem to be coming across it diagonally. Of course, I can't tell that until I get there. I know this is something that experience will fix, but it is getting really frustrating for me. Granted, it's not off by much but enough to get in the grass on the rollout, or I hit the grass and come across the runway. Also it seems that I am either too high, too far out, or too fast. But again, I can't tell that until I get to the edge of the runway. I know that they are all related, meaning if you are really high then you need to be farther out, etc. But I am having trouble with finding that balance. What I need is some digital glasses that will draw rings in the sky for me to fly through hahaha.

Anyone have any tips on downwind, base, and final alingment? Would a simulator help me? Or is this just one of those things I will have to fight through?

Thanks in advance!

E.

RE: Landing help
 

First, most of the things you mention will come with experience. Be patient.

When I land, I fly a regular pattern. Downwind leg parallel to the runway, base led at 90 degrees, then the final. Do it the same way every time, unless you have an emergency.

Get a more experienced pilot to fly landings and you follow him. Use similar planes. He will be in the right place, and it will teach you how your plane looks when it's right. Don't fly in relationship to the background. If you go to a different field, you'll be in trouble. Fly the plane.

When you turn base, fly the plane towards yourself. If you're standing within 20' of the runway, you'll be close to being right over it at the threshold.

Practice fake landings until you can get parallel. Just make landing patterns with a low flyby.

Hope this helps.

Dr.1

RE: Landing help
 

One trick I have used is to fly a rectangular pattern on landing approach. On the base leg, perpendicular to the length of the runway, do not turn to final until the plane is over your shoulder, when you are standing with your shoulders parallel to the runway.

It may seem to be past the runway, but it'll be in line.

RE: Landing help
 

What Dr1Driver and Pettit had to say is good advice. I'm an instructor at our field and I see pilots with your problem all them time, and there is one thing you can do to fix it. Practice, practice, and practice. I know that sounds like I'm preaching, but you would be suprised. The only thing seperating a pilot that just soloed and one that can hit the same spot on the runway every time is practice. I recommend to pilots that I've soloed to go out and do nothing but touch and go's for at least a tank of fuel every trip to the field, if not more. I promise that if you do this in no time at all you'll be nailing your landings each and every time. Trust me on this

Hope this helps

Ken

RE: Landing help
 

This is what I was taught, and it works great for me. Give it a shot while you're practicing, practicing, practicing. ;)

RE: Landing help
 

The methods mentioned work well. Since everyone is different, some methods work better for some than others, so with that in mind, here's another way of doing it...

First: As you make your turn to the base leg, note your distance and altitude. Starting right will help you get the right altitude and airspeed at the end.

Second: As you turn to final, glance at the surroundings. Notice where your plane is in reference to a landmark. Like, "ok, I'm just over that tree on the horizon". If you come in across the runway toward you, next time try turning just PAST that tree on the horizon.

RE: Landing help
 

Minn,
We had a small tree about 150 yards out from the end of our runway that I did just what you say. I used it as a landmard for my approaches. Then on a field maintenance day one guy got a wild hair and cut the tree down. For almost 3 months after that I had a terrible time landing because I didn't have my reference anymore!!!! :D:D:D

Ken

RE: Landing help
 

Simple fix, grab the guy that cut the tree down and whenever you fly, make him stand where the tree was.

All great advice. The best thing I can say is have an experinced pilot fly your plane with you standing there. Ask him to explain everything he is looking at while on approach. He'll probably surprise himself when he explains it because he will probably have not thought about it in a long time. Once this is done then ask to him get you on a buddy box and talk you through the whole process. You'll be surprised.

A few onnths ago, someone post a question here about what you look for at certain times during a flight and the results made for some pretty cool reading. I'll try to find the thread and post a link to it in a few minutes.

RE: Landing help
 

Here is the thread I was talking about. Read it all the way through, pretty interesting points on certain aspects of flying RC

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2963536

RE: Landing help
 

Here's a tip I picked up a while back form the LHS owner...it's helped me quite a bit, especially when 'my tree' didn't come to the new field with me. :)

Before flying, walk to the center of the runway. Pick a landmark of some sort on each end that is in line with the center.

Now go back to your flying position. Hold up an arm, and point at the landmark on that end. Do the same for the other arm. What you're trying to get imprinted in your mind is the angle of your arm to your body. You should be able to stand at your poition eyes closed, raise an arm, and find it pointing directly at your landmark.

Once you get the right angle down you can go to any field or fly from any position, and know that you're pointing at some landmark on the runway's centerline.

If you'll then bank out of final on that point, with the airplane appearing to be heading straight for you, you'll be line up straight, on the center line, every time. :)

HTH

RE: Landing help
 

i had probs in this regard also, but my main prob in getting practice, was I relegated to flying only once a week
on trainer nights, and only getting in a measly 2 or 3 flights in , due to having many other students vying for instructors
so , I was very slow in climbing the experience ladder cause of that, ( our club also has a strict wings program)
which is good i guess for safety, buy ive noticed lately its turning off a few students, who pay full membership
but only fly once a week, and not get enough practice in, i however stuck with it ,

RE: Landing help
 

Actually I make my approach by flying the plane right at myself vs trying to line it up while it is far off in the distance, when it begins to cross the end of the runway I turn it a little bit and land on the runway. My plane is always farther away than I think it is, by flying it to me I can see where it really is as it aproaches the end of the runway.
Good luck,