Flight Training - July 2013 - 49

INSTRUCTOR REPORT

A good instructor is always learning
INSTRUCTOR REPORT offers
insights for students and tips for CFIs.

TWO TOUCHDOWN
TECHNIQUES
‘Fly it on’ versus ‘hold it off’
» By Russell Smith

AS I SOUGHT
THE PERFECT
TOUCHDOWN,
MY TECHNIQUE
CHANGED. NO
LONGER WAS I
ALLOWING THE
AIRPLANE TO SETTLE
ONTO THE RUNWAY.
I HAD BEGUN TO
ACTUALLY FLY IT
ONTO THE RUNWAY.

WHEN I STARTED flying in 1966 at the age of
13, I flew a 1960 Cessna 150 with a straight
back, a square tail, manual flaps, a venturi tube
mounted on the side, and a coffee-grinder
radio. The single runway was short and very
narrow; if you did not land on the centerline,
you were in the grass.
My instructors had taught me to land using
a technique that is generally taught today, in
which the airplane is flown close to the runway,
with the tires a few inches above the ground,
and then held off until it settles onto Mother
Earth of its own accord as airspeed bleeds off.
It was the only method I knew, and I wanted to
perfect the technique. But, without knowing or
understanding, as I sought the perfect touchdown, my technique changed. No longer was I
allowing the airplane to settle onto the runway,
but I had begun to actually fly the airplane onto
the runway. It is a subtle difference: Coming

over the fence out of a stabilized approach was
the same; airspeeds were the same; touchdown
attitude was very close to the same; but I wasn’t
waiting for the touchdown any longer—I was
continuing my descent to the runway for those
last few inches of altitude.
The technique involves a continuous descent
with a decreasing rate from the beginning of the
leveling-off process—the flare—until touchdown
on the runway, with the rate of descent at touchdown approaching zero. The closer to zero, the
softer the contact of the wheels on the runway.
The landing must occur in the touchdown zone
or, in the case of a longer-than-required runway,
in the targeted touchdown zone.
A related landing concept is eyeball height
above the runway at touchdown, in the landing
attitude, as it varies from one aircraft type to
another. I make a point to notice the perspective
from the cockpit window during the taxi out

JULY 2013 FLIGHT TRAINING

/ 49



Flight Training - July 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - July 2013

Flight Training - July 2013
Contents
Member Benefits
Right Seat
Centerline
Letters
Spin Doctor
Success Story News
How It Works
News
After the Checkride
Asi News
Training Products
Final Exam
Flight Lesson
Checkride
Flying Carpet
Weigh In
Just Like the Real Thing
Glider Pilot for a Day
Technique
Weather
Go or No/go?
Career Advisor
Tech Talk
Two Touchdown Techniques
Keep Your Distance
Talk to Yourself
Advertiser Index
Debrief
Flight Training - July 2013 - Flight Training - July 2013
Flight Training - July 2013 - Cover2
Flight Training - July 2013 - Contents
Flight Training - July 2013 - 2
Flight Training - July 2013 - 3
Flight Training - July 2013 - Member Benefits
Flight Training - July 2013 - 5
Flight Training - July 2013 - Right Seat
Flight Training - July 2013 - 7
Flight Training - July 2013 - Centerline
Flight Training - July 2013 - 9
Flight Training - July 2013 - Letters
Flight Training - July 2013 - 11
Flight Training - July 2013 - Spin Doctor
Flight Training - July 2013 - 13
Flight Training - July 2013 - Success Story News
Flight Training - July 2013 - How It Works
Flight Training - July 2013 - News
Flight Training - July 2013 - After the Checkride
Flight Training - July 2013 - Asi News
Flight Training - July 2013 - 19
Flight Training - July 2013 - Training Products
Flight Training - July 2013 - 21
Flight Training - July 2013 - Final Exam
Flight Training - July 2013 - Flight Lesson
Flight Training - July 2013 - 24
Flight Training - July 2013 - Checkride
Flight Training - July 2013 - Flying Carpet
Flight Training - July 2013 - 27
Flight Training - July 2013 - Weigh In
Flight Training - July 2013 - 29
Flight Training - July 2013 - 30
Flight Training - July 2013 - 31
Flight Training - July 2013 - Just Like the Real Thing
Flight Training - July 2013 - 33
Flight Training - July 2013 - 34
Flight Training - July 2013 - 35
Flight Training - July 2013 - Glider Pilot for a Day
Flight Training - July 2013 - 37
Flight Training - July 2013 - 38
Flight Training - July 2013 - 39
Flight Training - July 2013 - Technique
Flight Training - July 2013 - 41
Flight Training - July 2013 - Weather
Flight Training - July 2013 - 43
Flight Training - July 2013 - 44
Flight Training - July 2013 - Go or No/go?
Flight Training - July 2013 - Career Advisor
Flight Training - July 2013 - 47
Flight Training - July 2013 - Tech Talk
Flight Training - July 2013 - Two Touchdown Techniques
Flight Training - July 2013 - Keep Your Distance
Flight Training - July 2013 - Talk to Yourself
Flight Training - July 2013 - 52
Flight Training - July 2013 - Advertiser Index
Flight Training - July 2013 - 54
Flight Training - July 2013 - 55
Flight Training - July 2013 - Debrief
Flight Training - July 2013 - Cover3
Flight Training - July 2013 - Cover4
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