Are you gliding when you touch down?

Answers will vary by type of aircraft, since some glide better power
off than others. For my Arrow, it comes down so fast with 3 blade prop
in flat pitch and gear down that I usually carry a little power into
the flare unless it's a short runway. I have landed power off from
downwind, but it means an immediate 180 to final approach, no square
pattern.

On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 10:29:17 GMT, John Doe
wrote:

I guess my question is simply put this way, do you cut power
immediately before touching down? If not, when?

I suppose a carrier landing would be an extreme.

It depends on the airplane and the conditions.

I normally carry power into the flair, but it's at idle when I touch
down. (Unless it's windy and slippery)

As with many slippery airplanes I carry power into the flare so I
don't have to use most of the runway to stop. Power off landings in a
Bo use about twice the runway of a power on landing when done
properly.

Final is steep even with power. I don't believe in dragging it in.
Power off finals are 10 to 15 MPH faster (varies with model) than
power on finals as you need the extra speed to produce enough energy
to flare. That extra 10 to 15 MPH uses a lot more runway.

In a 172 I'd be at idle some where on down wind most of the time.
With the Cherokee I carried power to some where on final depending on
conditions.

In all three I use full flaps.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Only curious. Thank you.

I fly a Tripacer and I try to cut power abeam the numbers on downwind. I'm
satisfied with the landing if I grease it on the numbers without having to
add power. I always have the power to idle at the very latest somewhere on
short final. I never let the wheels touch with the engine anywhere above
idle.

mike regish

"John Doe" wrote in message
...
I guess my question is simply put this way, do you cut power
immediately before touching down? If not, when?

I suppose a carrier landing would be an extreme.

Only curious. Thank you.

"John Doe" wrote in message
...
I guess my question is simply put this way, do you cut power
immediately before touching down? If not, when?

I suppose a carrier landing would be an extreme.

Only curious. Thank you.

For standard landings, am I the only one who learned (in a C-172) 2100RPM 10
degree flaps on downwind, 1700/20 on base, 1700/30 or 40 on final, cut the
power over the threshold (maybe a little later) ?

I thought that was a standard pattern. Now, in my Beech, I do a similar
pattern, usually cutting the pattern either close to the threshold, or in
the flare. Any disadvantages to this approach?

Adam
N7966L
Beech Super III

Oops.
I meant cutting the power, not cutting the pattern


I thought that was a standard pattern. Now, in my Beech, I do a similar
pattern, usually cutting the pattern either close to the threshold, or in
the flare. Any disadvantages to this approach?

Adam
N7966L
Beech Super III

"mindenpilot" wrote in message
...

"John Doe" wrote in message
...
I guess my question is simply put this way, do you cut power
immediately before touching down? If not, when?

I suppose a carrier landing would be an extreme.

Only curious. Thank you.

For standard landings, am I the only one who learned (in a C-172) 2100RPM
10 degree flaps on downwind, 1700/20 on base, 1700/30 or 40 on final, cut
the power over the threshold (maybe a little later) ?

I thought that was a standard pattern. Now, in my Beech, I do a similar
pattern, usually cutting the pattern either close to the threshold, or in
the flare. Any disadvantages to this approach?

Adam
N7966L
Beech Super III


I was taught (C172SP)
- Abeam the numbers: 1500 rpm + flaps 10
- Base: 1500 + flaps 20
- Final: Flaps 30, pitch for 65-70kts, adjust power as needed for constant
GS
- Power off as I cross the runway end lights (add a very small amount of
power in the flare for a nice soft touchdown...but not if I'm a little hot
so as to avoid more float.)

"mindenpilot" wrote in message
For standard landings, am I the only one who learned (in a C-172) 2100RPM
10 degree flaps on downwind, 1700/20 on base, 1700/30 or 40 on final, cut
the power over the threshold (maybe a little later) ?

"Jay Beckman" wrote:
I was taught (C172SP)
- Abeam the numbers: 1500 rpm + flaps 10
- Base: 1500 + flaps 20
- Final: Flaps 30, pitch for 65-70kts, adjust power as needed
for constant GS
- Power off as I cross the runway end lights (add a very small
amount of power in the flare for a nice soft touchdown...but not
if I'm a little hot so as to avoid more float.)

I was taught (C152, little or no wind):
- 2100 rpm on downwind
- 1700 rpm abeam the numbers/10° flaps at white arc
- 1300-1500 rpm on base/20° flaps; pitch & trim for 60ish
- Final: adjust power only for GS; last 10° of flaps only as needed
- cut power when I know I have the runway made (not always in the same
specific place, and later with full flaps)

wrote in message
...
"mindenpilot" wrote in message
For standard landings, am I the only one who learned (in a C-172)
2100RPM
10 degree flaps on downwind, 1700/20 on base, 1700/30 or 40 on final,
cut
the power over the threshold (maybe a little later) ?

"Jay Beckman" wrote:
I was taught (C172SP)
- Abeam the numbers: 1500 rpm + flaps 10
- Base: 1500 + flaps 20
- Final: Flaps 30, pitch for 65-70kts, adjust power as needed
for constant GS
- Power off as I cross the runway end lights (add a very small
amount of power in the flare for a nice soft touchdown...but not
if I'm a little hot so as to avoid more float.)

I was taught (C152, little or no wind):
- 2100 rpm on downwind
- 1700 rpm abeam the numbers/10° flaps at white arc
- 1300-1500 rpm on base/20° flaps; pitch & trim for 60ish
- Final: adjust power only for GS; last 10° of flaps only as needed
- cut power when I know I have the runway made (not always in the same
specific place, and later with full flaps)

It sounds like we all have a similar way of landing.
I feel better.
I posted because everyone else was talking about cutting power on downwind.
How common is this?
Doesn't seem too many people were taught this way.

Adam

"mindenpilot" wrote:
I posted because everyone else was talking about
cutting power on downwind. How common is this?
Doesn't seem too many people were taught this way.

Isn't *everyone* taught HOW to make a power-off approach (cutting power
abeam the numbers) before soloing, just in case? I work at a flight
school and have never known anyone to teach routinely making *all*
approaches power-off, though.

On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 21:03:09 -0800, "mindenpilot"
wrote:

For standard landings, am I the only one who learned (in a C-172) 2100RPM 10
degree flaps on downwind, 1700/20 on base, 1700/30 or 40 on final, cut the
power over the threshold (maybe a little later) ?

My first instructor was a marine. He taught me to go to 1500 rpm
abreast the landing spot and fly the pattern thus, chopping power on
final. When he went off to the airlines, his more traditional
successor taught power-off landings.

No flaps in the Cub.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

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