Are you gliding when you touch down?

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.

Well, my power is off at touch down.
When I cut the power depends.

Normally I keep some power during final to prevent a too steep descent,
my flaps are very effective speed brakes.
Sometimes I need a steep descent so I cut the power early and dive
Stuka-like to the runway.

-Kees.

Every landing is different and you may or not carry power to touchdown,
or you may cut power while still on the downwind leg. Sometimes you
have to add power after you have touched down like with some planes on
skis. The snow slows you down so fast you have to add power to get a
strong airflow over the elevator to keep it down instead of nosing
over.
A carrier landing is done with full takeoff power in case of a "bolter"
or missed wire and you have to take off immediately. When the pilot
feels the sudden deceleration from a confirmed wire, he/she chops the
power and the rest of the landing process proceeds.

I cut the power anywhere from immediatly after taking off (Aborted
Takeoff) to just after taxing off the runway(Soft Field Landing)

In my Glider I cut the power typically at about 2000' AGL(Release from
the Towplane). It usually takes me about 3 hours to get around to
actually landing.

I power aircraft I normally cut the power on downwind abeam my touch
down point and they try to adjust my configuration (Flaps), glide path
and airspeed
to land at a specified spot on the Runway without having to add power
again.

But I use a different techniques for Short and Soft Field landings.
Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

It entirely depends on what you're trying to do with each landing. Standard
landing, wind no factor, I cut power on downwind and glide all the way in.
Strong headwind on landing, I'll carry a little power to extend the glide.
If I want to stay high for some reason, I'll cut power later in the pattern.
There have been times in the Taylorcraft when I've not cut power until on
final, still at 1000 feet, and managed to put her down on the numbers.

So, really, the question as it stands doesn't have much meaning beccause
there are so many variables.

Shawn
"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:

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

Depends on the type of landing. If I'm trying to make a soft landing, I will
carry power until after I'm solidly down. I'll do the same for landings in
strong crosswinds. If I'm trying for a short field landing, I'll cut the power
several hundred feet up, increase power at about 20' AGL, and cut it again just
before touchdown.

George Patterson
The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.

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