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Stabilized Approaches

Plane and Pilot

Back in the early days of jet airliners, pilots long experienced in more forgiving two- and four-engine, piston-powered prop planes found themselves running out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas on the final approach to landing. Several of these unstabilized approaches resulted in major aircraft damage or worse. And one more thing.

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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. Perfect the approach phase by managing the aircraft’s energy and using references to improve positioning throughout the pattern. The easiest way to achieve this is by flying a stabilized approach.

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

Pilot Institute

It only takes a 10% increase in approach speed to increase the landing roll by 20%. These obstacles frequently affect the approach and missed approach paths. Plan your approach path carefully to eliminate large pitch and power changes. Full flaps are generally used since they lower approach speed and increase drag.

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How stress and anxiety affect pilots

Air Facts

As the graphs obtained directly from the watches suggest, prior to any flight, there is a rise in the heart rate above the underlying “resting” threshold. The more challenging the flight conditions–low ceilings, rain, crosswinds, high density, etc–the higher the anxiety level. Results from a crosswind landing.

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How to Make a Perfect Soft Field Landing Every Time

Pilot Institute

As you approach the airport, monitor UNICOM for landing or departing traffic. Another performance factor is the approach speed. The slower the approach, the shorter the landing distance. Many aircraft have specific recommended normal and short-field approach speeds. It will allow you to fine-tune your approach.

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White-Knuckle Affair

Plane and Pilot

Once there, he put us in a slight right turn toward our first fuel stop 60 miles ahead, continuously fighting the stick as the gusting left crosswind did its best to push us off course. Wilkins guided the craft along the invisible roller coaster, working to keep the wings level while maintaining a crab as the Cub climbed the first 500 feet.

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What matters for VFR proficiency: better landings

Air Facts

Consider the Cherokee pilot in Wisconsin who approached too fast: “The pilot reported that during the landing at the destination airport, the airplane floated down the runway, landed long, and did not slow as expected. Neither one is good. IATA has made this a focus in recent years, with some positive results to show for it.

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