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

Are you asking about the angle of decent? That's about 3 degrees.
Or are you asking about the deck angle (how high the nose is).

The quality of the landing has nothing to do with it because the plane
"flares" i.e. levels off to some degree before touching down. The angle
the for the last 2 feet is probably something like 0.5 degrees although
only an autopilot programmer would really know. Pilots don't flare by
measing angle of decent at touch down.

-Robert

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.

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...

Pilots don't flare by easing angle of descent at touch down.

Hi Gary;
I'm sure you know this and don't need me to mention it, but just for a
slight addition to your comment can I respectfully add a caveat?
I've always found that you have to be REAL careful with this area. It works
somewhat in the general aviation scenario when getting into the
idiocyncrices of the "flare" so to speak, but after that, a general
statement on landing can cause some confusion as pilots move up to higher
performance airplanes.
The problem is that easing rate of descent is EXACTLY how you land both
airliners and high performance jets, especially aircraft with long fuselage
to wing mass ratios and airplanes where tail strikes are an issue at
touchdown.
Dudley Henriques

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...
Are you asking about the angle of decent? That's about 3 degrees.
Or are you asking about the deck angle (how high the nose is).

The quality of the landing has nothing to do with it because the plane
"flares" i.e. levels off to some degree before touching down. The angle
the for the last 2 feet is probably something like 0.5 degrees although
only an autopilot programmer would really know. Pilots don't flare by
measing angle of decent at touch down.


....and occasionally they don't flare at all!

Oops, we must be on the ground.

-------------------------------------------------
DW

Dudley Henriques wrote:
"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...

Pilots don't flare by easing angle of descent at touch down.

Hi Gary;
I'm sure you know this and don't need me to mention it, but just for a
slight addition to your comment can I respectfully add a caveat?
I've always found that you have to be REAL careful with this area. It works
somewhat in the general aviation scenario when getting into the
idiocyncrices of the "flare" so to speak, but after that, a general
statement on landing can cause some confusion as pilots move up to higher
performance airplanes.
The problem is that easing rate of descent is EXACTLY how you land both
airliners and high performance jets, especially aircraft with long fuselage
to wing mass ratios and airplanes where tail strikes are an issue at
touchdown.

Sorry, I probably could have worded that better. What I meant to say is
that pilots aren't going to know that angle, in terms of degrees at
flare. That's not how we land, we don't pull back while watching some
soft of indicator of approach slope. Only an autopilot programmer would
know that.

-Robert

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
ups.com...

Dudley Henriques wrote:
"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...

Pilots don't flare by easing angle of descent at touch down.

Hi Gary;
I'm sure you know this and don't need me to mention it, but just for a
slight addition to your comment can I respectfully add a caveat?
I've always found that you have to be REAL careful with this area. It
works
somewhat in the general aviation scenario when getting into the
idiocyncrices of the "flare" so to speak, but after that, a general
statement on landing can cause some confusion as pilots move up to higher
performance airplanes.
The problem is that easing rate of descent is EXACTLY how you land both
airliners and high performance jets, especially aircraft with long
fuselage
to wing mass ratios and airplanes where tail strikes are an issue at
touchdown.

Sorry, I probably could have worded that better. What I meant to say is
that pilots aren't going to know that angle, in terms of degrees at
flare. That's not how we land, we don't pull back while watching some
soft of indicator of approach slope. Only an autopilot programmer would
know that.

-Robert

That's the way I would approach it as well. I'll check with my wife and find
out if both of us are right :-)))
Dudley