Having trouble flaring?

[C.W.E.]

Although you express it differently, I'm not sure that we're necessarily doing things differently, .. Obviously 500 ft down the runway isn't exactly the horizon, but it isn't immediately in front of the nose, either,

How we express things can make a big difference when teaching something like height judgement HiFlyChick, and closure rate is very important in judging when to change the attitude in the final approach, just think of the timing difference between a Cessna 152 and a twin engine airplane approach speeds and the significance of closure rate becomes clear.

When you were a flight instructor did your teachers explain the importance of closure rate when judging when to start changing attitude?

Telling the student to look at the far end of the runway started back in the late eighties when for some unknown reason some instructor thought they had found something new and better to teach.

Unfortunately they did not take into consideration the simple fact that the further away you look the less shallow the angle becomes, therefore the more shallow your angle of sight becomes the more difficult it becomes to see a change in height.

[Peregrine]

I will have to stray the subject a bit.
Don't you find SR22, DA40, DA42, or PA44 flare a bit flat compared to C172?
I am nervous of the tail strike risk sometime.
How do you flare proof any landing? Thank You

I just started to fly the DA40, and yes they definitely do flare a lot flatter then the C172. What I was instructed to do is to get the plane just above the runway, then just establish the normal cruise attitude and wait for the airplane to settle onto the runway. When I set that up the way I liked and glanced at the AI it was showing just over 10 degrees nose up.

I found where I got myself into a mind game was deciding when to flare. While getting checked out I confidently waited until I was *just* above the runway before flaring, and I greased my first one just as well as i've ever landed anything. When I took it solo, I found I lost some of my nerve and was flaring too high, and found when the plane settled it would do a mini bounce off the mains and float for a few more seconds before settling down for good.

Take away is get it very close to the ground, then just gently bring it to the cruise attitude, hold that, and it lands like a dream.

[PilotDAR]

Take away is get it very close to the ground, then just gently bring it to the cruise attitude, hold that, and it lands like a dream

Well the nose may be a little higher than "cruise attitude", but otherwise, yes! Hold the plane in an attitude at your approach speed, in which it is not descending, while in ground effect, reduce power, and, without raising the nose more, as it slows, it will settle on gently.

[C.W.E.]

When I set that up the way I liked and glanced at the AI it was showing just over 10 degrees nose up.

You should not be looking at the attitude indicator during the landing, your attitude is determined outside reference.

[Peregrine]

When I set that up the way I liked and glanced at the AI it was showing just over 10 degrees nose up.

You should not be looking at the attitude indicator during the landing, your attitude is determined outside reference.

Just that one time I was curious what my "that should be about right" judgement translated to, don't read too much into it.
I would have thought it went without saying you don't have your eyes in the cockpit while flaring but apparently not.

[C.W.E.]

Just that one time I was curious what my "that should be about right" judgement translated to, don't read too much into it.
I would have thought it went without saying you don't have your eyes in the cockpit while flaring but apparently not.

No problem.

Of all the issues I found when I was doing advanced flight training the habit of excessive looking at the instruments during take off, climb out, approach and landing was the most difficult to correct.

And as the years passed the initial training just got worse and the habit did also.

Of course when the instructors are really still students experience wise that is to be expected.

[pelmet]

Another random internet bit of advice that makes sense, at least for those learning....

"I was taught to think of the landing in two parts. The first is the roundout, where you level the plane attitude parallel with the runway. The second part is to then to ease back on the yoke to keep the nose higher than the main wheels, and wait for the energy to dissipate and the plane to land."

Actually, you might want to make it three parts. Power off further back(you will figure out when but it could be earlier than you think it might be), then the above.....

[Beefitarian]

Fret not; keep flying. It will all come together. (But you do have to fly more than once a month...)

Aww, man... I'll never get it to come together.



I have been able to do it several times a year lately.