"Orval Fairbairn" wrote in message
news
In article ,
Tim923 wrote:

I don't have an aviation background. What is the typical angle of
landing/approach for commercial airliners? There's an illusion for
novices, and it seems like the angle is much greater, even 30 degrees
or more, but I remember hearing it is much less, like under 10. At
what angle would the passengers complain of a rough landing.

They follow a three degree glideslope to landing. They do, however,
flare for landing, which raises the deck angle at touchdown.

Hi Orval;

My airliner experience is somewhat limited to say the least. I did put a
stretch DC8 down once as a "guest of the line", but that's about it :-))

Although the glide slope angle is correct, the deck angle for a normal
approach should be somewhat higher than the 3 degree glide slope and will be
related to angle of attack on the wing, which for an airliner should be a
function of the GW, airspeed, and configuration for the approach.
In a fighter like the Viper for example, on approach, the Hud will show a
difference between the FPM (flight path marker....the extension of the
velocity vector or where the airplane is actually going) and the GC (gun
cross.....the actual line through the airplane's nose or longitidudinal
axis.)
The difference between these two indicators is the AOA on the wing. Normal
approach AOA for the Viper is on speed between 12.75 and 13.25 degrees. You
fly the approach at 13 max. For an airliner using GW and a computed airspeed
for that GW on approach, I would be looking for the deck angle to be
somewhat higher and stabilized above that 3 degree glide slope.
Dudley