Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

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mrmsktg
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Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

Post by mrmsktg »

Hello,

I fly Cessna 172 , I have an two issues with my landing
1- my instructor tells me that I land slightly side loaded, but the problem that every time I land I feel that I'm straight but apparently I'm not
2- 2nd issue is I land slightly off the centre line ( most of the time to the left of centre line) , again from my perspective I feel i'm on the center line .

any tips on how to make sure that my nose is straight, and I'm exactly on centre line ??

thanks in advance
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digits_
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Re: Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

Post by digits_ »

Talk to your instructor.

If (s)he can't help you with these issues, find another one ASAP.
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photofly
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Re: Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

Post by photofly »

mrmsktg wrote: Fri Oct 28, 2022 12:50 pm Hello,

I fly Cessna 172 , I have an two issues with my landing
1- my instructor tells me that I land slightly side loaded, but the problem that every time I land I feel that I'm straight but apparently I'm not
2- 2nd issue is I land slightly off the centre line ( most of the time to the left of centre line) , again from my perspective I feel i'm on the center line .

any tips on how to make sure that my nose is straight, and I'm exactly on centre line ??

thanks in advance
Since you're sitting on the left of centre, "straight" isn't over the bump in the middle of the cowl - straight is looking forward in front of your nose as you sit, to the left of the bump. It's a terribly strong visual illusion that you have to fight hard to fix, at first. It may help to put a stripe of coloured pvc tape down the cowl aligned with the longitudinal axis in front of you as you sit in the pilot seat. This is easier to do with some help. If you get the stripe in the right place then "all" you have to do is line the stripe up with the centreline.

As a second thing to do, pay close attention to where the centreline appears and what angle it appears to be at as you roll down the centreline on takeoff. That's the view you're trying to replicate.

If that doesn't help you land both straight, and on centre (and it takes a bit of practice) then just tell your instructor they built the runway a few feet too far to the right, and slightly crooked. It's not your fault.
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fish4life
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Re: Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

Post by fish4life »

Take note of where you are looking on landing I bet you are looking close to the front of the plane. If you can try look further down towards the end of the runway that will help you get straight
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mkelly
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Re: Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

Post by mkelly »

Use your peripheral vision to keep the control column parallel to the centreline.

And ensure you are not subconsciously using your left foot to brace/leverage yourself during the flare. This is very common for people in the left seat; they don’t even realize they’re doing it most of the time.
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Big Pistons Forever
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Re: Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

Post by Big Pistons Forever »

Try raising your seat, I got all my students to put the seat as high as possible to get the best view out the windshield. This definitely helps for students with inconsistent flare heights but also helps with runway alignment
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averageatbest
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Re: Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

Post by averageatbest »

mrmsktg wrote: Fri Oct 28, 2022 12:50 pm Hello,

I fly Cessna 172 , I have an two issues with my landing
1- my instructor tells me that I land slightly side loaded, but the problem that every time I land I feel that I'm straight but apparently I'm not
2- 2nd issue is I land slightly off the centre line ( most of the time to the left of centre line) , again from my perspective I feel i'm on the center line .

any tips on how to make sure that my nose is straight, and I'm exactly on centre line ??

thanks in advance
The way I used to assist my students who had similar challenges was to put them in the airplane while the nose gear was lined up with a line on the ground (engine off). I would then sit on the tail to raise the nose to a landing and flare attitude to show them what it looks like when you are lined up with the centerline.

You can ask your instructor to try that to help you get the sight picture.
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CpnCrunch
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Re: Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

Post by CpnCrunch »

Raising your seat, and looking far enough down the runway to gauge your movement and height, will likely help. Also, just lots of practice.

Regarding being "slightly off centre line": how far exactly? The PPL flight test guide says you should land within 15 feet from the "center" of the landing surface. Even the CPL flight test guide says you only need to be 10 feet from the centre.

Now, I'm not suggesting you land 15 feet from the centre (which won't work too well on a 30ft wide runway). But a foot off is really nothing to worry about.
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photofly
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Re: Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

Post by photofly »

I would certainly focus on prioritizing straight, over on-centre.
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tsgarp
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Re: Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

Post by tsgarp »

There are a couple of things to try:

1.) It sounds like you are landing and approaching with your nose pointed to far to the left. Take what you think looks straight and then put the nose a bit further to the right, especially at touchdown. It will look really wrong the first few times you do it. When you are established in what you think is straight, ask your instructor how it looks to them.

2.) Keep the center line aimed like it's going right up your nose. Pretend it's a line of coke and you're Pablo Escobar.....

3.) When you are lined up for take off, first confirm with you instructor that everything looks straight to them. Once your instructor has confirmed that you are straight, memorize that sight picture in terms of the angle the runway edges make with the cowling and where the centre line is. Those are the positions and angles you want for landing.
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digits_
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Re: Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

Post by digits_ »

Probably impractical at this stage, but you could fly to an airport that has centerline lights, so you can feel when your nosewheel hits them.

Make sure the lights are on the line though, sometimes they are offset a little bit.
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DanWEC
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Re: Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

Post by DanWEC »

Your instructor should be able to address this!

This is common, and whenever I had a student struggling with this we would simply spend a few minutes taxiing up and down the centreline of the runway, unrushed and uninterrupted. After a few cycles of driving, especially nearing the ends for perspective, the picture was locked in.
Might sound silly, and I never saw anyone else do it, but it was effective 100% of the time and never had to repeat it.
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tsgarp
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Re: Help - Landing side loaded / off the Centre line

Post by tsgarp »

Dan,

That sounds like a good technique. I’m going to give it a try sometime!
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