angle of approach or landing range question

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.

It is typically 3 to 3.5 degrees.

Rod

"Tim923" wrote in message
...
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.

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.

Unless the terrain or noise considerations require otherwise,
the standard approach glide angle is 3 degrees (about 1 to 20).

--

Tauno Voipio
tauno voipio (at) iki fi

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.

"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

"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
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.

Most airliner pax will feel their seats tipped back between 2 and 10 degrees
on downwind, -1 to 6 degrees on final, and 2 to 10 degrees at touchdown.
Airspeed is usually adjusted to maintain a similar deck angle for each
approach, however, individual techniques of pilots and/or autopilots will
vary.

If you land a stretch -8 and hit anywhere near the runway environment, you
are doing good ;-)

D.

"Capt.Doug" wrote in message
...
"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
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.

Most airliner pax will feel their seats tipped back between 2 and 10
degrees
on downwind, -1 to 6 degrees on final, and 2 to 10 degrees at touchdown.
Airspeed is usually adjusted to maintain a similar deck angle for each
approach, however, individual techniques of pilots and/or autopilots will
vary.

If you land a stretch -8 and hit anywhere near the runway environment, you
are doing good ;-)

I have to admit; that bird was about the laziest airplane on approach I've
ever been in :-)) About halfway down the slope I managed to get ahead of it
somewhere in the vicinity of where I had to be to satisfy the FD109. It was
the flattest touchdown I've ever made. Had the chief pilot of the line in
the right seat. (Just a crew on board for a ferry flight) At least he didn't
seem all that scared :-))
Dudley Henriques

"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
I have to admit; that bird was about the laziest airplane on approach I've
ever been in :-)) About halfway down the slope I managed to get ahead of
it
somewhere in the vicinity of where I had to be to satisfy the FD109. It
was
the flattest touchdown I've ever made. Had the chief pilot of the line in
the right seat. (Just a crew on board for a ferry flight) At least he
didn't
seem all that scared :-))

I got to watch some sim evaluations for job interview candidates once. It
was wonderfully entertaining. The candidates came from regionals flying
glass cockpit CRJs. They were used to sprightly performance with good power.
Their scanning skills were diminished because of the glass and the
autothrottles. The evals took place in the stretch DC-8 sim. One of
candidates actually landed close to the runway. All of them went out of box
with a ghostly shade of gray. Very humbling.

D.

Orval Fairbairn wrote:
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.

The deck angle isn't the same as the glideslope during a lot of
the approach (and the same goes for takeoff). That's a common
misconception that non-pilots have...that the airplane is always
flying along it's longitudinal axis.

In article ,
Ron Natalie wrote:

Orval Fairbairn wrote:
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.

The deck angle isn't the same as the glideslope during a lot of
the approach (and the same goes for takeoff). That's a common
misconception that non-pilots have...that the airplane is always
flying along it's longitudinal axis.

I wasn't sure what the poster wanted -- whether he meant glide angle (as
seen from an observer on the ground) or the deck angle (as seen by a
passenger aboard). I think that he meant deck angle.