Many pilots think that stick time
and getting better at making
corrections are the main
requirements for better landings, so little
thought is given to how they land or
whether they are fl ying correctly.
As a consequence of fl ying without
a plan, i.e. reacting to the airplane,
most pilots end up making four to fi ve
times more control inputs than what
is required when the landing is set up
correctly. This type of fl ying demands
more effort and is why pilots get behind
their airplanes during the runway lineup
and landing fl are. Reactive fl ying is
also why certain fl iers struggle to land
on windier days or when fl ying a new
model.
A characteristic of good pilots is that
they seem to make landing look easy.
That’s because while most pilots are
continually making corrections, better
fl iers set up their landings so that fewer
adjustments are needed altogether,
thus allowing them plenty of time
to get ready for an easier, smoother
touchdown.
Most landing diffi culties are not
because of a lack of stick time or
inadequate refl exes, but are primarily
the result of reacting to the airplane
rather than proactively controlling the
airplane when setting up the landing.
Anticipate the Final Turn
As a rule, the ease of your landings
refl ects the quality of the fi nal base
leg turn that sets them up. Although
a person might have the ability to
salvage a landing after a poor turn, the
experience will be far more stressful.
The comfort that coincides a nice fi nal
turn tends to stay with the pilot all the
way to the ground.
In order to come out of the fi nal turn
over the runway’s extended centerline
(without needing to make many
adjustments), you must account for the
effect of the wind on the turn (Figure
1). You need to anticipate whether the
wind will cause the turn to become
wider or tighter and target where to
start the turn from with this in mind. To
come out of the fi nal turn aligned with
the runway, look to adjust from where
you start the turn, rather than adjusting
the turn itself (Figure 2).
Instead of blaming the wind for
blowing the airplane, anticipate a tighter
turn when turning into a crosswind and
start the turn closer to the runway’s
extended centerline in order to come
out lined up with the runway.
Turning with the wind will result in
a wider turn and necessitate fl ying out
wide before initiating the turn in order
to come out aligned with the runway.
When turning with the crosswind,
widen out the pattern to account for
the wider turn. When turning into
a crosswind, start the turn closer to
the centerline, anticipating a smallerdiameter
turn.
Correctly anticipating where to
start the fi nal turn from will reduce
the number of adjustments needed
to line up with the runway and thus
afford you more time to think about
throttle management and controlling the
touchdown location.
Maintain a Level Final Turn
Try to keep the fi nal base leg turn
reasonably level. Maintaining a turn
at an even speed and not climbing or
diving, minimizes anxiety during the
turn and prevents excess speed from
building up. A reasonably level turn also
eliminates the low altitude oscillations,
i.e. sharp altitude changes, which can
easily distract a pilot from maintaining a
good lineup.
If keeping your final turn level results
in high landing approaches, simply
start pulling the throttle back a little
earlier and/or enter the final turn lower
(Figure 3).
Consistent Lineups
In most flying environments, the
runway is directly in front of where
the pilots stand. Therefore, the most
effective method to consistently overfly
the runway centerline to use yourself as
the primary reference throughout the
approach, and try to guide the airplane
to a point slightly in front of you
(Figure 4).
Flying the airplane to a point
slightly in front of you will result
in your achieving the runway every
time, regardless of the model’s size or
orientation (crosswind crabs), and helps
limit the number of bad landings that
result from relying on hit-or-miss depth
perception.
Instead of trying to guestimate the
airplane’s position over the ground,
proficient fliers observe whether the
runway centerline is close, moderately
close, or farther away from where
they are standing, and then fly a
corresponding approach that brings
the airplane close, moderately close, or
farther away from themselves.
Object as a Whole
Another common landing mistake is
pointing the fuselage toward the runway
during the approach in a crosswind.
Although an airplane will crab into a
crosswind, it will continue to fly in a
straight line as long as the wings are
level (Figure 5). Instead of pointing the
fuselage where you want the airplane to
go, in a crosswind you must track where
the airplane as a whole is traveling
regardless of the fuselage.
People debate about how to use the
controls to correct for crosswind drift
during landing; if they knew to guide the
airplane as a whole (versus pointing it),
they wouldn’t have to correct for wind
drift in the first place (and would have
more time to improve in other areas)!
Instead of trying to guess the
airplane’s track over the ground, project
where the airplane as a whole is traveling
(relative to yourself) and you will be
able to recognize deviations during the
approach before they become otherwise
obvious (Figure 6). The tiny corrections
needed to perfect the centerline when it
comes into view will then be negligible.
Proficient pilots guide the airplane
as a whole to the desired touchdown
location irrespective of the wind
and where the fuselage is pointing.
Projecting where the airplane is heading
in reference to yourself is the most
effective way to detect deviations during
the approach.
When neither a deviation toward
or away from you is recognized, and
the path of the airplane as a whole is
projected to arrive slightly out in front
of you, the model will be near the
centerline at touchdown.
Pilots eager to land tend to focus
so much on the throttle during the
landing setup that they only make half
efforts to get the airplane lined up with
the runway (Figure 7). Referred to as
POWT (preoccupation with throttle),
this is the reason why so many pilots
miss the runway centerline by as much
as 50 or more feet and/or 30° (although
these errors are obvious to everyone
watching).
By focusing entirely on a timely exit
of the turn and establishing a good
lineup with the runway before tinkering
with the throttle, you will actually have
more time to consider your throttle
adjustments in the absence of needing to
make a lot of course corrections during
the approach.
Height and POWT often distract
pilots from establishing a good lineup
with the runway, thus allowing
deviations to grow until they require
more aggressive corrections within the
last moments before touchdown (usually
blamed on the wind). Establishing a
good lineup before tinkering with the
throttle will result in needing fewer
corrections during the approach and
therefore increase the amount of time to
contemplate throttle.
Conclusion
As a general rule, diffi culty in a certain
area, seldom has to do with needing
more practice in that area, but needing
to do a better job in the areas that are
providing you diffi culty. Most landing
diffi culties are the result of not starting
the fi nal base leg turn in the right spot,
thus increasing your workload, and/
or needing to pay more attention to
keeping the fi nal turn reasonably level
and thus preventing a buildup of speed
and anxiety.
Knowing this, you are well on
your way to mastering your landings
regardless of the wind or what model
you are fl ying. Happy landings!
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/10
Page Numbers: 27,28,29,30
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/10
Page Numbers: 27,28,29,30
Many pilots think that stick time
and getting better at making
corrections are the main
requirements for better landings, so little
thought is given to how they land or
whether they are fl ying correctly.
As a consequence of fl ying without
a plan, i.e. reacting to the airplane,
most pilots end up making four to fi ve
times more control inputs than what
is required when the landing is set up
correctly. This type of fl ying demands
more effort and is why pilots get behind
their airplanes during the runway lineup
and landing fl are. Reactive fl ying is
also why certain fl iers struggle to land
on windier days or when fl ying a new
model.
A characteristic of good pilots is that
they seem to make landing look easy.
That’s because while most pilots are
continually making corrections, better
fl iers set up their landings so that fewer
adjustments are needed altogether,
thus allowing them plenty of time
to get ready for an easier, smoother
touchdown.
Most landing diffi culties are not
because of a lack of stick time or
inadequate refl exes, but are primarily
the result of reacting to the airplane
rather than proactively controlling the
airplane when setting up the landing.
Anticipate the Final Turn
As a rule, the ease of your landings
refl ects the quality of the fi nal base
leg turn that sets them up. Although
a person might have the ability to
salvage a landing after a poor turn, the
experience will be far more stressful.
The comfort that coincides a nice fi nal
turn tends to stay with the pilot all the
way to the ground.
In order to come out of the fi nal turn
over the runway’s extended centerline
(without needing to make many
adjustments), you must account for the
effect of the wind on the turn (Figure
1). You need to anticipate whether the
wind will cause the turn to become
wider or tighter and target where to
start the turn from with this in mind. To
come out of the fi nal turn aligned with
the runway, look to adjust from where
you start the turn, rather than adjusting
the turn itself (Figure 2).
Instead of blaming the wind for
blowing the airplane, anticipate a tighter
turn when turning into a crosswind and
start the turn closer to the runway’s
extended centerline in order to come
out lined up with the runway.
Turning with the wind will result in
a wider turn and necessitate fl ying out
wide before initiating the turn in order
to come out aligned with the runway.
When turning with the crosswind,
widen out the pattern to account for
the wider turn. When turning into
a crosswind, start the turn closer to
the centerline, anticipating a smallerdiameter
turn.
Correctly anticipating where to
start the fi nal turn from will reduce
the number of adjustments needed
to line up with the runway and thus
afford you more time to think about
throttle management and controlling the
touchdown location.
Maintain a Level Final Turn
Try to keep the fi nal base leg turn
reasonably level. Maintaining a turn
at an even speed and not climbing or
diving, minimizes anxiety during the
turn and prevents excess speed from
building up. A reasonably level turn also
eliminates the low altitude oscillations,
i.e. sharp altitude changes, which can
easily distract a pilot from maintaining a
good lineup.
If keeping your final turn level results
in high landing approaches, simply
start pulling the throttle back a little
earlier and/or enter the final turn lower
(Figure 3).
Consistent Lineups
In most flying environments, the
runway is directly in front of where
the pilots stand. Therefore, the most
effective method to consistently overfly
the runway centerline to use yourself as
the primary reference throughout the
approach, and try to guide the airplane
to a point slightly in front of you
(Figure 4).
Flying the airplane to a point
slightly in front of you will result
in your achieving the runway every
time, regardless of the model’s size or
orientation (crosswind crabs), and helps
limit the number of bad landings that
result from relying on hit-or-miss depth
perception.
Instead of trying to guestimate the
airplane’s position over the ground,
proficient fliers observe whether the
runway centerline is close, moderately
close, or farther away from where
they are standing, and then fly a
corresponding approach that brings
the airplane close, moderately close, or
farther away from themselves.
Object as a Whole
Another common landing mistake is
pointing the fuselage toward the runway
during the approach in a crosswind.
Although an airplane will crab into a
crosswind, it will continue to fly in a
straight line as long as the wings are
level (Figure 5). Instead of pointing the
fuselage where you want the airplane to
go, in a crosswind you must track where
the airplane as a whole is traveling
regardless of the fuselage.
People debate about how to use the
controls to correct for crosswind drift
during landing; if they knew to guide the
airplane as a whole (versus pointing it),
they wouldn’t have to correct for wind
drift in the first place (and would have
more time to improve in other areas)!
Instead of trying to guess the
airplane’s track over the ground, project
where the airplane as a whole is traveling
(relative to yourself) and you will be
able to recognize deviations during the
approach before they become otherwise
obvious (Figure 6). The tiny corrections
needed to perfect the centerline when it
comes into view will then be negligible.
Proficient pilots guide the airplane
as a whole to the desired touchdown
location irrespective of the wind
and where the fuselage is pointing.
Projecting where the airplane is heading
in reference to yourself is the most
effective way to detect deviations during
the approach.
When neither a deviation toward
or away from you is recognized, and
the path of the airplane as a whole is
projected to arrive slightly out in front
of you, the model will be near the
centerline at touchdown.
Pilots eager to land tend to focus
so much on the throttle during the
landing setup that they only make half
efforts to get the airplane lined up with
the runway (Figure 7). Referred to as
POWT (preoccupation with throttle),
this is the reason why so many pilots
miss the runway centerline by as much
as 50 or more feet and/or 30° (although
these errors are obvious to everyone
watching).
By focusing entirely on a timely exit
of the turn and establishing a good
lineup with the runway before tinkering
with the throttle, you will actually have
more time to consider your throttle
adjustments in the absence of needing to
make a lot of course corrections during
the approach.
Height and POWT often distract
pilots from establishing a good lineup
with the runway, thus allowing
deviations to grow until they require
more aggressive corrections within the
last moments before touchdown (usually
blamed on the wind). Establishing a
good lineup before tinkering with the
throttle will result in needing fewer
corrections during the approach and
therefore increase the amount of time to
contemplate throttle.
Conclusion
As a general rule, diffi culty in a certain
area, seldom has to do with needing
more practice in that area, but needing
to do a better job in the areas that are
providing you diffi culty. Most landing
diffi culties are the result of not starting
the fi nal base leg turn in the right spot,
thus increasing your workload, and/
or needing to pay more attention to
keeping the fi nal turn reasonably level
and thus preventing a buildup of speed
and anxiety.
Knowing this, you are well on
your way to mastering your landings
regardless of the wind or what model
you are fl ying. Happy landings!
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/10
Page Numbers: 27,28,29,30
Many pilots think that stick time
and getting better at making
corrections are the main
requirements for better landings, so little
thought is given to how they land or
whether they are fl ying correctly.
As a consequence of fl ying without
a plan, i.e. reacting to the airplane,
most pilots end up making four to fi ve
times more control inputs than what
is required when the landing is set up
correctly. This type of fl ying demands
more effort and is why pilots get behind
their airplanes during the runway lineup
and landing fl are. Reactive fl ying is
also why certain fl iers struggle to land
on windier days or when fl ying a new
model.
A characteristic of good pilots is that
they seem to make landing look easy.
That’s because while most pilots are
continually making corrections, better
fl iers set up their landings so that fewer
adjustments are needed altogether,
thus allowing them plenty of time
to get ready for an easier, smoother
touchdown.
Most landing diffi culties are not
because of a lack of stick time or
inadequate refl exes, but are primarily
the result of reacting to the airplane
rather than proactively controlling the
airplane when setting up the landing.
Anticipate the Final Turn
As a rule, the ease of your landings
refl ects the quality of the fi nal base
leg turn that sets them up. Although
a person might have the ability to
salvage a landing after a poor turn, the
experience will be far more stressful.
The comfort that coincides a nice fi nal
turn tends to stay with the pilot all the
way to the ground.
In order to come out of the fi nal turn
over the runway’s extended centerline
(without needing to make many
adjustments), you must account for the
effect of the wind on the turn (Figure
1). You need to anticipate whether the
wind will cause the turn to become
wider or tighter and target where to
start the turn from with this in mind. To
come out of the fi nal turn aligned with
the runway, look to adjust from where
you start the turn, rather than adjusting
the turn itself (Figure 2).
Instead of blaming the wind for
blowing the airplane, anticipate a tighter
turn when turning into a crosswind and
start the turn closer to the runway’s
extended centerline in order to come
out lined up with the runway.
Turning with the wind will result in
a wider turn and necessitate fl ying out
wide before initiating the turn in order
to come out aligned with the runway.
When turning with the crosswind,
widen out the pattern to account for
the wider turn. When turning into
a crosswind, start the turn closer to
the centerline, anticipating a smallerdiameter
turn.
Correctly anticipating where to
start the fi nal turn from will reduce
the number of adjustments needed
to line up with the runway and thus
afford you more time to think about
throttle management and controlling the
touchdown location.
Maintain a Level Final Turn
Try to keep the fi nal base leg turn
reasonably level. Maintaining a turn
at an even speed and not climbing or
diving, minimizes anxiety during the
turn and prevents excess speed from
building up. A reasonably level turn also
eliminates the low altitude oscillations,
i.e. sharp altitude changes, which can
easily distract a pilot from maintaining a
good lineup.
If keeping your final turn level results
in high landing approaches, simply
start pulling the throttle back a little
earlier and/or enter the final turn lower
(Figure 3).
Consistent Lineups
In most flying environments, the
runway is directly in front of where
the pilots stand. Therefore, the most
effective method to consistently overfly
the runway centerline to use yourself as
the primary reference throughout the
approach, and try to guide the airplane
to a point slightly in front of you
(Figure 4).
Flying the airplane to a point
slightly in front of you will result
in your achieving the runway every
time, regardless of the model’s size or
orientation (crosswind crabs), and helps
limit the number of bad landings that
result from relying on hit-or-miss depth
perception.
Instead of trying to guestimate the
airplane’s position over the ground,
proficient fliers observe whether the
runway centerline is close, moderately
close, or farther away from where
they are standing, and then fly a
corresponding approach that brings
the airplane close, moderately close, or
farther away from themselves.
Object as a Whole
Another common landing mistake is
pointing the fuselage toward the runway
during the approach in a crosswind.
Although an airplane will crab into a
crosswind, it will continue to fly in a
straight line as long as the wings are
level (Figure 5). Instead of pointing the
fuselage where you want the airplane to
go, in a crosswind you must track where
the airplane as a whole is traveling
regardless of the fuselage.
People debate about how to use the
controls to correct for crosswind drift
during landing; if they knew to guide the
airplane as a whole (versus pointing it),
they wouldn’t have to correct for wind
drift in the first place (and would have
more time to improve in other areas)!
Instead of trying to guess the
airplane’s track over the ground, project
where the airplane as a whole is traveling
(relative to yourself) and you will be
able to recognize deviations during the
approach before they become otherwise
obvious (Figure 6). The tiny corrections
needed to perfect the centerline when it
comes into view will then be negligible.
Proficient pilots guide the airplane
as a whole to the desired touchdown
location irrespective of the wind
and where the fuselage is pointing.
Projecting where the airplane is heading
in reference to yourself is the most
effective way to detect deviations during
the approach.
When neither a deviation toward
or away from you is recognized, and
the path of the airplane as a whole is
projected to arrive slightly out in front
of you, the model will be near the
centerline at touchdown.
Pilots eager to land tend to focus
so much on the throttle during the
landing setup that they only make half
efforts to get the airplane lined up with
the runway (Figure 7). Referred to as
POWT (preoccupation with throttle),
this is the reason why so many pilots
miss the runway centerline by as much
as 50 or more feet and/or 30° (although
these errors are obvious to everyone
watching).
By focusing entirely on a timely exit
of the turn and establishing a good
lineup with the runway before tinkering
with the throttle, you will actually have
more time to consider your throttle
adjustments in the absence of needing to
make a lot of course corrections during
the approach.
Height and POWT often distract
pilots from establishing a good lineup
with the runway, thus allowing
deviations to grow until they require
more aggressive corrections within the
last moments before touchdown (usually
blamed on the wind). Establishing a
good lineup before tinkering with the
throttle will result in needing fewer
corrections during the approach and
therefore increase the amount of time to
contemplate throttle.
Conclusion
As a general rule, diffi culty in a certain
area, seldom has to do with needing
more practice in that area, but needing
to do a better job in the areas that are
providing you diffi culty. Most landing
diffi culties are the result of not starting
the fi nal base leg turn in the right spot,
thus increasing your workload, and/
or needing to pay more attention to
keeping the fi nal turn reasonably level
and thus preventing a buildup of speed
and anxiety.
Knowing this, you are well on
your way to mastering your landings
regardless of the wind or what model
you are fl ying. Happy landings!
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/10
Page Numbers: 27,28,29,30
Many pilots think that stick time
and getting better at making
corrections are the main
requirements for better landings, so little
thought is given to how they land or
whether they are fl ying correctly.
As a consequence of fl ying without
a plan, i.e. reacting to the airplane,
most pilots end up making four to fi ve
times more control inputs than what
is required when the landing is set up
correctly. This type of fl ying demands
more effort and is why pilots get behind
their airplanes during the runway lineup
and landing fl are. Reactive fl ying is
also why certain fl iers struggle to land
on windier days or when fl ying a new
model.
A characteristic of good pilots is that
they seem to make landing look easy.
That’s because while most pilots are
continually making corrections, better
fl iers set up their landings so that fewer
adjustments are needed altogether,
thus allowing them plenty of time
to get ready for an easier, smoother
touchdown.
Most landing diffi culties are not
because of a lack of stick time or
inadequate refl exes, but are primarily
the result of reacting to the airplane
rather than proactively controlling the
airplane when setting up the landing.
Anticipate the Final Turn
As a rule, the ease of your landings
refl ects the quality of the fi nal base
leg turn that sets them up. Although
a person might have the ability to
salvage a landing after a poor turn, the
experience will be far more stressful.
The comfort that coincides a nice fi nal
turn tends to stay with the pilot all the
way to the ground.
In order to come out of the fi nal turn
over the runway’s extended centerline
(without needing to make many
adjustments), you must account for the
effect of the wind on the turn (Figure
1). You need to anticipate whether the
wind will cause the turn to become
wider or tighter and target where to
start the turn from with this in mind. To
come out of the fi nal turn aligned with
the runway, look to adjust from where
you start the turn, rather than adjusting
the turn itself (Figure 2).
Instead of blaming the wind for
blowing the airplane, anticipate a tighter
turn when turning into a crosswind and
start the turn closer to the runway’s
extended centerline in order to come
out lined up with the runway.
Turning with the wind will result in
a wider turn and necessitate fl ying out
wide before initiating the turn in order
to come out aligned with the runway.
When turning with the crosswind,
widen out the pattern to account for
the wider turn. When turning into
a crosswind, start the turn closer to
the centerline, anticipating a smallerdiameter
turn.
Correctly anticipating where to
start the fi nal turn from will reduce
the number of adjustments needed
to line up with the runway and thus
afford you more time to think about
throttle management and controlling the
touchdown location.
Maintain a Level Final Turn
Try to keep the fi nal base leg turn
reasonably level. Maintaining a turn
at an even speed and not climbing or
diving, minimizes anxiety during the
turn and prevents excess speed from
building up. A reasonably level turn also
eliminates the low altitude oscillations,
i.e. sharp altitude changes, which can
easily distract a pilot from maintaining a
good lineup.
If keeping your final turn level results
in high landing approaches, simply
start pulling the throttle back a little
earlier and/or enter the final turn lower
(Figure 3).
Consistent Lineups
In most flying environments, the
runway is directly in front of where
the pilots stand. Therefore, the most
effective method to consistently overfly
the runway centerline to use yourself as
the primary reference throughout the
approach, and try to guide the airplane
to a point slightly in front of you
(Figure 4).
Flying the airplane to a point
slightly in front of you will result
in your achieving the runway every
time, regardless of the model’s size or
orientation (crosswind crabs), and helps
limit the number of bad landings that
result from relying on hit-or-miss depth
perception.
Instead of trying to guestimate the
airplane’s position over the ground,
proficient fliers observe whether the
runway centerline is close, moderately
close, or farther away from where
they are standing, and then fly a
corresponding approach that brings
the airplane close, moderately close, or
farther away from themselves.
Object as a Whole
Another common landing mistake is
pointing the fuselage toward the runway
during the approach in a crosswind.
Although an airplane will crab into a
crosswind, it will continue to fly in a
straight line as long as the wings are
level (Figure 5). Instead of pointing the
fuselage where you want the airplane to
go, in a crosswind you must track where
the airplane as a whole is traveling
regardless of the fuselage.
People debate about how to use the
controls to correct for crosswind drift
during landing; if they knew to guide the
airplane as a whole (versus pointing it),
they wouldn’t have to correct for wind
drift in the first place (and would have
more time to improve in other areas)!
Instead of trying to guess the
airplane’s track over the ground, project
where the airplane as a whole is traveling
(relative to yourself) and you will be
able to recognize deviations during the
approach before they become otherwise
obvious (Figure 6). The tiny corrections
needed to perfect the centerline when it
comes into view will then be negligible.
Proficient pilots guide the airplane
as a whole to the desired touchdown
location irrespective of the wind
and where the fuselage is pointing.
Projecting where the airplane is heading
in reference to yourself is the most
effective way to detect deviations during
the approach.
When neither a deviation toward
or away from you is recognized, and
the path of the airplane as a whole is
projected to arrive slightly out in front
of you, the model will be near the
centerline at touchdown.
Pilots eager to land tend to focus
so much on the throttle during the
landing setup that they only make half
efforts to get the airplane lined up with
the runway (Figure 7). Referred to as
POWT (preoccupation with throttle),
this is the reason why so many pilots
miss the runway centerline by as much
as 50 or more feet and/or 30° (although
these errors are obvious to everyone
watching).
By focusing entirely on a timely exit
of the turn and establishing a good
lineup with the runway before tinkering
with the throttle, you will actually have
more time to consider your throttle
adjustments in the absence of needing to
make a lot of course corrections during
the approach.
Height and POWT often distract
pilots from establishing a good lineup
with the runway, thus allowing
deviations to grow until they require
more aggressive corrections within the
last moments before touchdown (usually
blamed on the wind). Establishing a
good lineup before tinkering with the
throttle will result in needing fewer
corrections during the approach and
therefore increase the amount of time to
contemplate throttle.
Conclusion
As a general rule, diffi culty in a certain
area, seldom has to do with needing
more practice in that area, but needing
to do a better job in the areas that are
providing you diffi culty. Most landing
diffi culties are the result of not starting
the fi nal base leg turn in the right spot,
thus increasing your workload, and/
or needing to pay more attention to
keeping the fi nal turn reasonably level
and thus preventing a buildup of speed
and anxiety.
Knowing this, you are well on
your way to mastering your landings
regardless of the wind or what model
you are fl ying. Happy landings!