GA, Airliner, crosswind, whatever.
Not a new simmer by any means but becoming a little tired of capping off very satisfying, long flights with very unsatisfying and lackluster landings.
Shooting ILS and engaging autoland is realistic and safe and satisfying in its own way, procedurally, but I’ve started trying to hand fly arrivals and approaches and I’m seeing big gaps in my skill set. If I’m ILS and have a glide slope to look at, generally I do okay, but I really wanna start butterin em.
Anyone start where I’m at now and find some bit of advice or practice that just made it all click?
Stay focussed on your touchdown point and keep it there in the same place on your windscreen.
3 Likes
Control your altitude with the throttle and your speed with pitch. It seems counter-intuitive, but it works when you get the hang of it.
1 Like
Every plane is different in some way. I would pick an aircraft and do a bunch of touch-n-go’s. Probably start in something like a C172. The difficult part, unless you’re in VR, is judging distance. Just the nature of looking at something on a flat screen.
You can use the VASI lights (red/white lights) to the side of the runway (if it has any) to judge your glide slope visually. Then aim to touch down @ less than 200fpm.
The approach speed, landing speed, flare, flaps, etc… will be dependant upon aircraft. So do some research for the plane you are using.
Looking down the runway, not right in front of you.
Much like driving a car, looking directly ahead, you over correct and get moving laterally too much. Focus further down and make minor corrections.
1 Like
Practice and more practice. 
2 Likes
These are all really thoughtful answers to a weird and esoteric question and I really appreciate the contributions! Thanks all.
Irl training there were 2 things that really stick out:
ANC. Aviate, Navigate, Communicate
In other words, fly the plane first, then worry about where you are and only then tell the radio about it.
Throttle for altitude, Pitch for speed. Although there are occasions when you might ignore this it’s a general rule that will help alot.
So these are not specific to landing but still useful.
For landing, as someone mentioned, keep the picture in view and don’t let it change, focus down the runway and use small adjustments.
Also as it’s a sim. Try some ILS approaches, might help to show you the correct picture.
Lots of practice and correct techniques
Practice not only makes perfect but permanent
1 Like
Remembering to breathe, relax, and to not try and rush things. Sometimes it’s easy to get eager to get on the ground. But doing that causes easy mistakes to happen. Have to just learn to ‘feel’ the plane, silly to say about a simulator I know, but it helps. Try to be more gentle and not so abrupt with your changes. Become one with the plane. 
2 Likes
That‘s the principle but in any aircraft heavier than a typical single engine prop you actually fly throttle for speed, pitch for descent rate and combine both. The reason is that a heavier airplane simply becomes too inert so the reaction is waaay too slow to control speed with pitch etc. The engines are powerful and have a much greater effect. In an airliner you push the theust levers forward if you become slower instead of pushing the nose down. Don‘t forget the principle though, it will safe your ■■■ if you have problems.
2 Likes
Small corrections on time rather than drastic corrections too late. You’ll get a better idea of what on time is the more you practice. That’s one of the reasons time put in is so important.
Believe it or not, learning to land tailwheel aircraft well in the sim probably benefited my landings in tricycle gear aircraft more than anything else. Not really sure why, but I think it has something to do with the differences in technique between stall landings and powered wheel landings. It forces you to pay far more attention to the characteristics of the aircraft you are flying, how it behaves at certain AOAs, speeds, crosswind, etc.
Throttle to adjust altitude, pitch to adjust speed mentioned above is also one I think about quite a lot.
1 Like
“Evaluating the your glidepath with runway geometry”.
Wise words from the OG, Rod Machado. (Rod was the flight instructor featured in FSX’s lessons)
1 Like
The biggest improvement i discovered was adding screens.
Three 1080p monitors, front and either side, make flying the traffic pattern (circuit) SO much easier.
In addition, an extra monitor or two underneath, running Air Manager instruments, make seeing the dials vastly easier.
With those bits sorted, actually flying the plane seems vastly easier, so you can concentrate on the task of getting a smooth landing.
Take some advice from Kurt Russell: just fly the plane😂
I’m pretty good with the flare and actually touching down. What I still have trouble with is judging when to adjust power and begin the descent. 9/10, I drag it in because I acted way too early 
Some really good tips here.
I’ll put some that I learned during primary training that stuck.
- Airspeed is king. Flying the proper speeds in the pattern or on an approach is paramount. You want to know your aircraft’s speeds for the approach, over the threshold and what speed will give you the minimal amount of energy when the mains touch. Especially important for GA aircraft, but applies to jets, too (where knowing and nailing VREF + whatever additive is very important).
- Perfect patterns lead to perfect landings. (also applies to perfect approaches lead to perfect landings). Try to fly the pattern as perfectly as you can. Know the speeds and altitudes for downwind, base, final. Don’t fly too wide or too tight. The more perfect you make your pattern (or approach), the better position you will be in to make a perfect landing.
- (has been mentioned before)… in GA aircraft, in general, pitch for airspeed, power for altitude. Doesn’t apply as much for jets, but in light, single engine piston, this rule is key.
- Don’t overcorrect. If you have followed the above steps and you are in a good position and on speed on final… don’t mess with it
I have seen too many people continue to jockey the throttle (TLs), apply large inputs to the elevator/alierons… it just messes things up. Oh… Be IN TRIM. Don’t fight the yoke. You should almost be able to fly final with your fingertips. Light control inputs only, please!
- As you approach the runway, shift your gaze from the aiming point to farther down the runway. As you get in to ground effect, your gaze should have shifted all the way down the runway. Do not look over the nose! Especially important at night (ask me how I know ).
- Don’t try to land the airplane… let the airplane stop flying. If you try to force the airplane down, you will have a bad day. If you are too fast, the airplane still wants to fly. You need to hold the airplane off the runway until it has lost the energy required for flight. If you do this (while looking far down the runway), and pull the power out at the correct time, holding the airplane off the ground until it just settles on the mains will produce good landings every time. Barreling in at a speed at which the airplane still wants to fly and then forcing it down is the way to either jam the nosegear through the firewall, bounce, porpoise, prop-strike or all four.
- Mentioned before, but - relax. Breathe. Too many people get stressed, tighten up and then end up overcontrolling and/or smashing it down to just get the whole thing over with. Just relax. (I swear your level of energy and mood translates in to how you fly in general, not just the landing phase of the flight).
- Practice. Again, has been mentioned, but bears repeating. It’s a sim! Practice a lot. You aren’t paying for gas or renting the airplane, so you have no excuse
Hope that helps! Sorry, this turned out to be a bit long. Just sort of going through my head trying to remember how it was taught to me a long time ago…
5 Likes
I was told a long time ago, “Try not to land”. IOW, hold it off till it stalls and just pops down on to the surface. Works for me.
1 Like
