![\"iStock](\"images\/iStock_000002370117Small.jpg\")
What is a \u201cgood landing\u201d? Easy, one you can walk away from.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
When was the last time you let perfectly good runway slip by as you searched for that sweet touchdown? Did it occur to you that if you are still flying, then you are not stopping?<\/p>\n
Consider the certification parameters. The test pilot, in order to produce the data in the Landing Distance Chart, did it this way:<\/p>\n
LANDING<\/p>\n
1. Thrust was set to establish a 3\u00b0 approach with the airspeed stabilized at VREF prior to reaching 50 ft above the runway surface.<\/p>\n
2. Both thrust levers were moved to the idle position as the airplane passed 50 ft above the runway surface.<\/p>\n
3. At touchdown, maximum braking was immediately initiated.<\/p>\n
4. Maximum braking was maintained to a full stop.<\/p>\n
That description is the way you brief your \u201cNormal Landing\u201d too, right? If you are not willing to fly the aircraft like the test pilot who generated the data for landing, then using that data as a reference for the performance you expect to achieve is a bit far fetched.<\/p>\n
Why is the certification profile so aggressive? One reason is that it allows for very little \u201ctechnique\u201d to accomplish. It is pretty much a by-the-numbers procedure. As far as the manufacturer is concerned, the shorter the landing distance, the better\u2014that sells airplanes.<\/p>\n
After Southwest Airlines ran off the end of the runway at Midway in 2005, the FAA followed with Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) 06-12. The take-away from this SAFO is this: \u201cAlways add 15% to whatever landing data you come up with, because you are not in the habit of operating the aircraft like the test pilot who generated the data.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ATP PTS has been changed recently to define the touchdown zone. Basically, it begins 750 feet from the approach end of the runway and extends 750 feet from there to 1,500 feet from the approach end. Not putting the wheels down in that area is considered a failed event for any landing. In addition, the pilot must demonstrate a \u201ccharted plus 25%\u201d stop effort.<\/p>\n
Sure, on a 10,000 foot runway, \u201cWhat is the big deal? We touched so smooth, the passengers barely knew we were down.\u201d Let\u2019s call that the \u201cB\u201d game. If all you ever practice is your \u201cB\u201d game, you may get a little mud on your loafers when you step out of the jet on a day that you needed your \u201cA\u201d game.<\/p>\n
What sort of conditions have you encountered that require the \u201cA\u201d game? The answer varies. How often do you practice your \u201cA\u201d game, and is it always there when you need it?<\/p>\n
Today, most initial and recurrent turbine training is done in the simulator, not in the jet. The training syllabus does not emphasize maximum effort stops, and flight simulators cannot replicate the deceleration forces that would be felt. Simulators also don\u2019t replicate well what use of the anti-skid system feels like. We often see in accident reports the crew citing the anti-skid system not functioning properly, when in reality it functioned just as designed. It is the lack of experience and training with what the anti-skid system feels like during a maximum effort stop.<\/p>\n
We don\u2019t emphasize energy awareness on the landing roll out. A technique like having the PM calling out the touchdown point and runway distance remaining and airspeed during rollout would be one way of raising awareness. But, what about those runways that don\u2019t have distance remaining markers?<\/p>\n
How about using standard markings on the approach end for a touchdown reference and on the departure end for speed versus remaining distance on an instrument runway as a guide?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What is a \u201cgood landing\u201d? Easy, one you can walk away from.<\/p>\n
What is a great landing? One that will allow the aircraft to be used again.<\/p>\n
The flying public defines a good landing as one in which you touch down like a feather. Our passengers will judge every landing, and the chances of a runway excursion, even with a poor technique, is rare. That can lead to us being more touchdown rate aware, rather than touchdown point aware. Our crew debrief should include an assessment of touchdown point.<\/p>\n
The \u201cbest\u201d touchdown would be one that was just shy of a bounce if you are trying to dissipate energy (for a visualization, think Navy Carrier Landing).<\/p>\n
Is there a transcendental influence that overrides the physics of landing because of the metaphysics of landing? In other words, does the flying public\u2019s definition of a good landing (a soft one), carry forward into the cockpit to the extent that pilots forget the physics of landing?<\/p>\n
Many overrun runway excursions are attributed, in part, to the pilot\u2019s lack of awareness of the energy state of the aircraft compared to the runway remaining. Perhaps those pilots were landing like they normally do on a long, dry runway, going for the greaser and not paying attention to speed and runway remaining.<\/p>\n
Is a stabilized approach really the key to reducing the number of overrun excursions, or can it be pushed down one level to a concept called a \u201cStabilized Landing?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sure, a stabilized approach is a worthy goal, but the reality is that most (97% according to industry researchers) of the approaches that could be categorized as unstable are continued to landing and very few of those result in an overrun.<\/p>\n
Why? There are several things that contribute, but the pilot is aware and compensates for the instability of the approach and\/or there is a long runway that helps mitigate the risk.<\/p>\n
Another, and perhaps more disturbing, trend is the aircraft that fly a stabilized approach and still experience an overrun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aircrewacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aircrewacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aircrewacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aircrewacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aircrewacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.aircrewacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":662,"href":"https:\/\/www.aircrewacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212\/revisions\/662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aircrewacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aircrewacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aircrewacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}