| There are just three fundamental skills you need to | | | | in a landing configuration. |
| know to land an airplane safely and consistently. | | | | Pick a point on the horizon, hold it steady, and very |
| They are airspeed control, projected glide control, | | | | slowly change your angle of bank without letting the |
| and controlled slow flight. You can learn each | | | | point move. Repeat this exercise while transitioning |
| separately. But you use them all to land safely and | | | | from an approach glide to level slow flight. Add |
| consistently. | | | | power as required to maintain a constant altitude |
| The most fundamental and easiest to learn is | | | | while keeping that point steady. Now you are ready |
| airspeed control. You should start with it. Then you | | | | to start landing practice. |
| should master slow Dutch roll thoroughly at various | | | | You learned how to keep the airplane from turning |
| airspeeds, aircraft configurations and angles of bank. | | | | left or right in various angles of bank while flying in a |
| Concurrently you can learn to control the projected | | | | landing configuration at speeds just above a stall by |
| glide point while maintaining a constant airspeed. | | | | practicing SDR. This is a very good description of the |
| Airspeed control and projected glide control bring the | | | | technique used to land an airplane. If you have a |
| pilot to the right place at the right airspeed to start | | | | simulator, you don't need an instructor. That is the |
| the transition from the approach glide to the landing | | | | nice thing about simulators; you botch up and try |
| phase. | | | | again. Airplanes are not so forgiving. |
| Control airspeed with the elevator; fine-tune airspeed | | | | In either airplane or simulator, here is how to learn to |
| with power, flaps and landing gear. Monitor airspeed | | | | land. You have successfully flown the approach so |
| with the airspeed indicator, and then adjust your | | | | you are about one wing span above the runway, |
| pitch attitude with the elevator to change your | | | | over its center line and at just the right airspeed. |
| airspeed. If you add to the airplane's drag, you will be | | | | From now on PGP and airspeed need not concern |
| forced to pitch down to maintain constant airspeed. | | | | you. Looking forward and from side to side like you |
| The opposite is true, as well. If you add power, you | | | | were driving on the open road, you start raising your |
| must lift your nose some, and so forth. Once you | | | | nose to slow the airplane's descent. Using your rudder |
| have learned to control your airspeed in various flap, | | | | pedals you keep the nose pointed at the far end of |
| landing gear, and power settings you are ready to | | | | the runway. Using your ailerons you keep the airplane |
| move on to controlling either your projected glide | | | | centered over the runway. Use your pitch attitude |
| point (PGP) or mastering slow Dutch rolls (SDR). | | | | first, and then throttle, to keep the airplane off the |
| Controlling PGP is only slightly more difficult than | | | | runway. |
| controlling airspeed. During a constant airspeed | | | | You are NOT going to land! This is just an exercise. |
| approach, you will see a point on the ground that is | | | | The objective is to get as close to the runway, at as |
| staying absolutely still in your field of view. This is | | | | slow airspeed as possible, without touching it. You are |
| where you would be if you continued your approach | | | | now doing that SDR in level slow flight that you did |
| glide. This is your PGP. If you keep your airspeed | | | | earlier. Just to prove you have mastered the |
| steady, your PGP will move farther away from you | | | | situation, slide the airplane from side to side just |
| when you add power and it will come closer to you | | | | above the runway without touching but as close as |
| when you reduce the engine's power setting. More | | | | you can get. Be certain that you continue to keep |
| drag brings PGP closer; less drag pushes it away. | | | | the airplane pointed at the far end of the runway |
| There is really not much to controlling PGP, but when | | | | and the airplane's body parallel to the runway. As you |
| a pilot runs off the far end of the runway almost | | | | approach the end of the runway, smoothly apply full |
| certainly poor PGP control, poor airspeed control, or | | | | power and execute a go around. Each time you do |
| both was the problem. You have to control them | | | | this, fly the airplane as slowly as you can. Keep that |
| both to arrive at the right place and the right | | | | stall warning screaming. It is really a fun thing to do. |
| airspeed to execute a good landing. | | | | As you develop skill with this maneuver, try touching |
| Ironically, once you have flown the proper approach, | | | | the runway but without landing. Touch it very gently |
| you no longer need to control either airspeed or PGP. | | | | but at as low a speed as you can. At some point |
| A new set of skills is required to execute the landing | | | | you will realize that you could just touch the runway |
| itself. Fortunately you can learn most of these skills | | | | very gently at a very slow airspeed, then close the |
| with one exercise conducted at a nice comfortable | | | | throttle and you will land. Easy, wasn't it? |
| attitude. You learn it by doing SDR in slow flight and | | | | |