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Bad Landings
Bad landings appear to happen at the last moment, but if you look back honestly and carefully you can see the problem began minutes or miles before the threshold. ...and that is what the FAA and NTSB will do.

Certification Short Field Landing
The primary criteria for landing distance used in certification has to do with ability to go-around from an aborted landing. A light aircraft must be able to climb at least 200 feet per minute (fpm). There are no 'rollout distance' requirements as for commercial aircraft. The shortest landing distance over a 50-foot obstacle is based on a 'firm' landing. Preferred threshold crossing altitude is 50'. This means that touchdown will be 1000' down the runway, hence the 1000' markers on IFR runways.

POH Short Field Landing
We have a set of factors so closely interrelated that to adjust one requires adjustment of all the others. Flaps, speed, and power only in combination can give the best clearance over the 50' FAA tree to the flare and ground roll. The approach will clear any obstacles. With full flaps, the correct speed and some power the C-150 will approach at about 11 degrees. The approach is as 1.2 times stall speed to touchdown speed of 1.15 times stall speed, and touchdown at 1.1 stall speed for the weight of the aircraft. Weight, speed, cleanup, and braking applied determines the ground roll. Flare will result in little or no floating during roundout if a precise Vref approach speed is used. Speed will allow stopping in shortest possible distance without loss of directional control or damage to the aircraft.

In strong winds a no-flap configuration is recommended. Don't ever allow a touchdown to occur if there is an uncorrected sidewise component in your touchdown. Go-around.

PTS Short Field Landing
The test short field has nine objective items. The first four apply to pilot knowledge of aircraft performance, the wind and landing conditions, airspeed and configuration, and the stabilized approach. The next four are related to the landing performance during roundout, flare, touchdown, accuracy, braking and directional control. Item nine is the checklist.

As with any landing, the short field landing is a matter of energy control. The less energy used in the landing the shorter it will be. Excess energy is an accumulative negative influence. If, for any reason, you are not at the desired speed, configuration, and glide path needed for your short field approach, GO-AROUND. A well-performed go-around is an exercise in good judgment and should be a plus on any flight test. Be prepared for distraction during the critical phase of a short field landing.

On the flight test talk to the examiner to prove that you understand the requirements, the function of flaps, and why you make the final application of flaps when you do. A short field landing is FIRM. You are not trying for softness. The aircraft is designed for firm landings without damage. This does not mean that the landing should not be a smooth transition from roundout, to flare, to touchdown, cleanup and brakes. Closing the throttle to get your touchdown, raising the flaps, and applying the brakes occur in rapid sequence to get on the ground and stopped as quickly as safety allows.

Variations on Short Fields
Some pilots and some planes are not well adapted to short field landings. As a pilot you should memorize or have on your lapboard the figures for your aircraft's short field performance in standard conditions. Include touchdown over 50" FAA tree and rollout. Having the data handy does not mean in the POH behind the seat. Remember POH figures are for gross. 10% reduction in weight allows a 5% reduction in approach speed. A 10% reduction in touchdown speed results is over 20% reduction in rollout distance. If weights and speeds increase the rollout distance is significantly longer. A 10-knot tail wind doubles the rollout distance. This does fall under FAR 91.103.

A problem area associated with short field approaches is some form of approach path misjudgment. The misjudgment may be of wind direction, airspeed, flaps, terrain, pilot skill or aircraft capability. The go-around option exists for all of these situations either individually or in aggregate. The only time a go-around is a poor choice is when it is initiated too late. You should go-around early and make appropriate changes in your approach next time.

A short field landing begins with the arrival at the pattern altitude and turning down wind far enough away from the airport to fly a normal pattern. My advice to students is to turn downwind twice as far away as it seems you should and you will be about right. The optical effects of a narrow short runway, the tension associated with landing at a strange and small airport, and previously mentioned misjudgment factors combine to make the landing destabilized, uncomfortable, and unsafe. Go around.

Can you correct major errors in arrival and pattern? Yes, but not easily. Far more likely you are going to be making steep turns, low speeds, and worse. The solution begins at the beginning. Plan your arrival and pattern so that it fits a 5000' runway. Use the same power changes, flap additions, and airspeeds you have always used. Only on final, short final, touchdown and rollout will procedures be any different than normal.

How different? You will fly final at a slower speed than normal. How much slower will depend on the POH and your gross weight. At a slower speed your approach angle will be steeper and give an apparent more rapid descent. This descent if properly trimmed can be easily controlled. Be judicious with power and trim off pressures caused by small power changes. Beware the constant decelerating approach. If low, use full power corrections held for a few seconds. One very useful option in making a short field arrival is to pre-plan that you will make a go-around on the first approach regardless.

Short Shorts on Short Field Landings
--Airports with short runways are the mother lode of general aviation. Use 'em or lose 'em.
--Whifferdill is being in very slow level flight just before diving to the runway, a quick flare and landing
--Whifferdill kills selection of airspeed control but may be better in wind shear conditions.
--Whifferdill does make distance less between obstacle and flare point. Variable is unknown speed.
--Constant angle steep descent at minimum speed to clear obstacle with power on or off is preferred
--Recommended speed is 1.2 Vref instead of 1.3. Throttle ready for wind effects
--Vref is reduction of speed by half percentage the actual weight is below the POH gross weight figure.
--Vref results in less float, better braking, and lower touchdown speed
--A short field is one twice the required distance given in the aircraft POH
--Airlines require full stop from 50' above obstacle inside 60 percent of effective runway length.
--Any excess speed over Vref will MORE than double the required runway length.
--Pilots tend to fly at higher speeds than are really necessary. Effects vary with aircraft type.
--Excess over Vref by 10 knots is 17 feet per second and results in over 1000 feet of float.
--POH's landing is maximum effort perfectly performed by perfect pilot and aircraft. No margins.
--If the airport runway length is giving you concerns, go somewhere else.
--A delayed go-around is prelude to an accident
--The relative risk of runway length to the safety of the landing is a constant

Soft-Field Landing
The soft field landing presumes that you have an unlimited length of runway or at least plenty of room for your rollout, with field conditions that will bring the aircraft to a semi-abrupt stop. Rough or soft field conditions require that the aircraft be held off the surface with power to reduce your ground speed as slow as possible. If the landing is made so that the nose wheel touches, it is assumed that the plane will pitch forward and over on its back. The student's problem is to land in such a manner that the nose wheel will not touch or stick. The aircraft speed should be as low as conditions allow. The nosewheel should be held off the ground with power. Stay off the brakes since this will cause the aircraft to pitch forward on to the nose wheel. The touchdown point is not judged for this type of landing. The idea is to land as slowly as possible and to keep the nosewheel off the ground as long as you can. Use power to keep the aircraft rolling nose-high until ground conditions allow the nose wheel to be lowered. Soft fields can be just grass turf or three inches of mud. The takeoff and landing process is different in each case but not much different.

The landing may be accomplished from a normal approach with full flaps and by raising the nose in flare sufficient so that when power is taken off the plane is still airborne. Then, just before touchdown, power is added sufficient to keep the nose wheel off the ground. 1300 RPM is about right. More power will start the plane flying again. Flaps are removed at touchdown and power and yoke held to keep nose wheel off the ground. Hold the elevator full back throughout all soft field ground operations. If desired, bursts of power can be used to keep the nosewheel from lowering until a firm surface is reached. Avoid any used of brakes. From the normal approach to landing into the flare the most common student error in soft field landing is failing to add power just before to touchdown. The landing is expected to be along the centerline with no side-loads occurring on the landing gear.

Another technique that avoids the timing of power application is to complete the entire approach and landing with the power left at 1300. With practice it can be done with 1200 up to 1500 rpm. With a very smooth and gradual application of yoke, a very nose high touchdown is possible. Ground effect allows the aircraft to get the nose well up, especially with power left on. As the nose rises, rudder must be applied and runway alignment maintained with aileron. On ground contact the yoke is held back while flaps are removed. This will increase the effectiveness of the elevators and the nose wheel will remain clear of the runway until power is reduced.

The soft-field landing technique is a rather extreme extension of what it takes to make a good normal landing. In both, you would fly the approach so that, on final; you have a constant airspeed and full flaps. Low-wing aircraft flaps can be damaged on rough fields so it is advised to raise them as soon as possible. With those constants of airspeed and flaps settings, set power becomes your variable to adjust the glidepath in a soft field landing. See Practical Test Standards for test specifics.

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