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35 years ago: How a United Airlines crew landed an ‘unflyable’ DC-10

Aerotime

The primary flight controls on the DC-10 (ailerons, rudder, elevators, spoilers) were all operated by hydraulic pressure and the first officer was quick to realize that his controls were unresponsive to his inputs. Touchdown At 16:00 the airplane touched down on the runway threshold to the left of the centerline.

Runway 294
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Wingtip Vortices and Wake Turbulence

Pilot Institute

When the aircraft encounters a vortex and its strong enough to induce roll, the pilot counters it by using the ailerons against the roll and tries to fly out of the wake as soon as possible. If the aircrafts wingspan is long enough, its ailerons will extend beyond the vortex diameter, and counter control would still be possible.

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White-Knuckle Affair

Plane and Pilot

Hearing no other traffic in the area, Wilkins opted for a relatively straight-in approach to Runway 22, once again dancing on the rudder pedals and wrestling the ailerons as the gusty winds threatened to shove us off the pavement. It was only after exiting the runway that we noticed the B-52 ahead of us awaiting its own taxi instructions.

Runway 98
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How to Land an Airplane

Pilot Institute

Brief that you will use the right rudder to align the aircraft straight with the runway and the left aileron to counteract drift. Descent Point Nominate a descent point that will give you a constant 3° profile to the threshold. Approach Speed When crossing the threshold, you must ensure you fly the correct approach speed.

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Mastering Short Field Landings (A Step-by-Step Guide)

Pilot Institute

If it prevents you from landing close to the threshold, a short runway becomes even shorter. The aiming point at an actual short field should be as close to the threshold as is safe. If you are below 5 knots of your target threshold speed, execute a go-around. Downwind Phase Complete the before-landing checklist.

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How to Improve Your Landings

Pilot Institute

Key Takeaways Start by setting up your approach correctly to ensure you arrive at the threshold perfectly every time. You can only begin improving the touchdown if you’ve mastered positioning your aircraft above the runway threshold correctly. Keep the ailerons into the wind. So, what is a stabilized approach?

Descent 52
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Groundhog Day at Alton Bay

Photographic Logbook

Alton Bay's floating bandstand about 100 feet south of the runway threshold. Braking was less effective there than at Alton Bay and, with full aileron into the wind and backpressure on the controls, we coasted to a stop in the final tenth of the runway. He certainly had a point. Such a cool airplane! A 1956 Cessna 182.

Runway 89