Objective: To develop the students knowledge and skill in performing normal approaches, and landings so that they will be able to maintain safe and legal flight.
Note: This lesson does not cover traffic patterns, go-arounds, or crosswind, short field, or soft field landings.
Instructor Actions: Review the procedures with student on ground prior to flight and explain and demonstrate the procedures for the student toward the beginning of the flight. Then continue following the Demonstration-Performance Training Method (Explanation, Demonstration, Student Performance/Instructor Supervision, Evaluation). Or use the Telling and Doing Technique (Instructor Tells-Instructor Does, Student Tells-Instructor Does, Student Tells-Student Does).
Student Actions: Student will answer questions to display knowledge of this procedure when prompted by the instructor. The student will perform each step of the procedure. If the Telling and Doing Technique is used then the student will also “tell” (describe each step of) the procedure.
Elements:
- if already in the traffic pattern, we could say that the landing approach begins just past midpoint of the downwind leg (flying parallel to the landing runway)
- should begin at traffic pattern altitude (1,000’ AGL unless advised otherwise by the AFD or ATC)
- during this leg of the approach the landing gear should be extended (if retractable) and the before landing checklist should be completed
- decent should begin when abeam the numbers (of the landing runway)
- decent should begin by a power reduction and by turning the carburetor heat on.
- speed should be reduced enough, and the yoke pulled back so that a decent is established and airspeed is in the white arc at which time 10° of flaps should be added
- about 45° from the approach end of the runway the base turn should be entered (so that the ground track of the airplane is 90° (perpendicular) to the landing runway
- during the base leg the decent should continue and flaps can be lowered an additional 10° to the 20° mark
- the turn to final should be begun so that the plane rolls out lined up with the runway straight ahead
- the rest of the flaps can be lowered (extended) during the final leg with airspeed reduced
- an aiming point on the runway should be chosen and a stabilized decent made until just before that point - at which time the airplane is flared, by pulling the yoke back to achieve a landing attitude (a more level attitude)
- the airplane should touchdown smoothly, main gear first, with no drift, with the airplane’s longitudinal axis aligned with the runway centerline, at or within 400’ of the specified point (and within the first 1/3 of the runway) very close to stall speed
- after the main wheels touchdown back elevator pressure should be held so that a positive angle of attack is maintained for aerodynamic breaking.
- the nose wheel should be held off the runway as long as possible (until the airplane decelerates)
- the landing is not over until the airplane has decelerated to taxi speed and is clear of the runway
- appropriate checklist should be completed
Common Errors:
- flying the airplane into the ground
- bouncing
- ground loop
- not compensating correctly for wind
- poor directional control
- letting the nose wheel touch the runway too soon
Completion Standards: The lesson is complete when the student is able to demonstrate knowledge of the procedures by answering questions and by satisfactory performance of the procedures according to the expectations of the instructor based upon the standards of the PTS for the students stage in training.
Sources: AFH (2004 edition), page 7-1 to 8-33, figure 8-29. Private Pilot PTS (updated 2/22/2008), 1-11. AIM (2011 edition), page 4-3-3 to 4-3-6.
