Soft-field landing in C172

Magnus wrote in message ...
Just curious how you guys perform this maneuver. From what I've been
taught you should flare with a little power still in to soften the
touchdown, and then keep rolling to avoid digging yourself into the
runway surface.

I just think that it should be possible to land anyway, without any
power like you normally land. Just keep the plane airborne as long as
possible and keep the nosewheel up as long as you can. Keeping power in
just eats up a lot of runway it seems.

I mean, how often do you happen to find a rough and long field.
Ususally if a soft-field landing is required, it's a pretty short field
too out in the bush somewhere.

Approach like a short-field and flare as long as possible to soften the
touchdown would be my way of doing it.
Hi
Well, I can think of quite a few landing areas that are long and soft
as well as some strips that can be "soft field" with heavy rain, or
fresh snow. Have you ever landed on a beach? Hmmm...a beach with fresh
snow..but even that is possibleg
A precision spot landing (which I think EVERY landing should be) with
power to literally slow fly the aircraft to touchdown and decreasing
power as the surface dictates. If its grass, sometimes you have no way
of knowing how tall the grass is until you settle in it. Same with
mud, snow, water. Sand can have soft and hard spots within inches.
Numerous times I have landed on soft or unknown surfaces at remote
strips and will always opt for the "slow fly touchdown" before I
commit myself. On at least one occasion in Mozambique I had to use
additional power to keep from gong on my nose in standing water on the
only strip available to me way out in the bush. I was crop dusting
with a Piper Pawnee at the time. The water coming off the wheels bent
both flaps in a shallow V. If I had not used power to stay right side
up, I'd have ended up on my nose for sure or at the very least got the
prop.
Could go on and on describing similar landings with a variety of
aircraft including helicopters. That reminds me of the time when I was
taking off over a rice paddy and the power sagged a little........but
thats for another time!! gggg
Ol Shy & Bashful