How to make a perfect night landing

Would be great to have all these videos in once place. Oh, yeah, like on a youtube channel, maybe?

BTW, my girlfriend liked the night video better because she couldn't see the underwear in your glove box.
 
You hear pilots tout how to make "perfect" landings usually with "every time" attached. Truth is, no one makes perfect landings every time. They are playing on our desire as pilots to make a perfect landing every time. The reality is sometimes they are imperfect. But still safe, right?
 
Just like the ever elusive perfect golf stroke :D
 
Aight


So you say fly the magic "blue donut" all the way to the ground, to avoid a pancake landing

image.jpg




And you get your donut
image.jpg



So according to your advice I should be mindlessly memorizing at the donut till I hear my wheels chirp, or rather impact, not how I fly, doubt the plane would like that type of landing, but ok, let's see.





image.jpg


WTF! Where my blue donut??? You said fly the donut all the way to the runway.

Well at least you didn't follow that bad advise.
 
I haven't had a donut since 1986 (FACT - I can relate the story in a NA thread if anyone cares to read it)

I've made that known to every CFI I've worked with so they don't tell me to watch a donut, since I'm adverse to them. It's a ****ing circle for crying out loud.
 
James331 said:
Aight


So you say fly the magic "blue donut" all the way to the ground, to avoid a pancake landing

image.jpg




And you get your donut
image.jpg



So according to your advice I should be mindlessly memorizing at the donut till I hear my wheels chirp, or rather impact, not how I fly, doubt the plane would like that type of landing, but ok, let's see.





image.jpg


WTF! Where my blue donut??? You said fly the donut all the way to the runway.

Well at least you didn't follow that bad advise.
Click to expand...
The pilot flying was a new student to AoA. I was holding the camera.
 
James331 said:
Aight


So you say fly the magic "blue donut" all the way to the ground, to avoid a pancake landing

image.jpg




And you get your donut
image.jpg



So according to your advice I should be mindlessly memorizing at the donut till I hear my wheels chirp, or rather impact, not how I fly, doubt the plane would like that type of landing, but ok, let's see.





image.jpg


WTF! Where my blue donut??? You said fly the donut all the way to the runway.

Well at least you didn't follow that bad advise.
Click to expand...

Lol! I was thinking the same thing. Even on the other vid with the experienced carrier pilot, that thing was full red in the flare and he still "greased" the landing. I think if you really flew the donut to the ground, you'd either plow it in like a true carrier landing, or you'd have to level off, and land fast.
 
Velocity173 said:
Lol! I was thinking the same thing. Even on the other vid with the experienced carrier pilot, that thing was full red in the flare and he still "greased" the landing. I think if you really flew the donut to the ground, you'd either plow it in like a true carrier landing, or you'd have to level off, and land fast.
Click to expand...

Yeah, carrier landing and flying AOA doesn't translate perfectly to GA flying. You'd really have to slow it down and put more drag out there for it to operate the same way. I think that would defeat the purpose the salesman is trying to push here.
 
So , so you teach to touch down at approach speed? Or, to bleed off to a slower touchdown speed at the flare? It seems like you are saying to touchdown at a higher speed than "at approximate stall speed"?
 
i hate that "positive command" and "reverse command" terminology. We taught/teach 'frontside' and 'backside' approach techniques - backside is throttle for flight path (or rate of descent) and pitch(or AOA) for speed, frontside is throttle for speed and pitch for flight path. The backside technique works on either side of that drag curve but the frontside technique only works (well or long-term) on the right side of the curve. If you're going to teach these methods and AOA for control it would be good to educate yourself on specific excess power (Ps) and flight path stability, which really describe what causes these characteristics and why nothing is really 'reversed'. Frontside/backside characteristics are a very different animal from flying AOA on approach, and carrier-based airplanes (at least before the advent of MAGIC CARPET ;)) may fall on either side of the bucket. If you're flying AOA and flare deep or high you'll plunk it in just as hard as if you're flying airspeed.

Nauga,
from just up the hill
 
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LongRoadBob said:
Please excuse a newbie, but what is meant by a donut here?
Click to expand...

On his AOA indicator there are two blue half circles. At the proper approach speed, they both light to get a full circle or donut.
 
Just because you've been teaching 26 years doesn't mean you're doing it correctly. If you are accurately representing how you teach people to fly the aoa there would not be a nice landing at the end. Furthermore you want to be in the Red at touchdown. Not at the most efficient l/d aoa.

Not only are you promoting your product but you're selling snake oil too.
 
My pitot tube, airspeed indicator and control response work just fine, day or night. No thanks.

Get to know your plane(with a CFI if needed). Through feel, control response, sound and a quick glance at the ASI, it will let you know when you are pushing the limits. Push it too far and practice the correct response. Unload the wings and wow, it starts flying again. Another light, buzzer or Betty may help until one gets overloaded or distracted by too many of those devices.
 
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Tarheelpilot said:
Just because you've been teaching 26 years doesn't mean you're doing it correctly. If you are accurately representing how you teach people to fly the aoa there would not be a nice landing at the end. Furthermore you want to be in the Red at touchdown. Not at the most efficient l/d aoa.

Not only are you promoting your product but you're selling snake oil too.
Click to expand...
If I showed how to make a perfect landing using an airspeed indicator, would that be promoting an airspeed indicator? I'm trying to show how a tool that the FAA now views as an important part of safety can be used.
They even made a video of it
 
I've held back, but my one word impression of AOA indicators for GA aircraft: unnecessary.

I'm not a Luddite, and if you have the money to spend on another gadget, go for it.

But the same money spent on training might garner even greater benefits, and skills that apply to planes not loaded with every conceivable gadget.

Maybe some pilots "need" an AOA indicator to fly safely. I don't.
 
denverpilot said:
I found a blue donut with a Google search. Apparently available on Amazon even.

ed7c62639af0cef1e2bb153f786a4957.jpg


Am I doing it right? LOL
Click to expand...

Disclaimer: Hehe...

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Maui Cirrus CFII said:
If I showed how to make a perfect landing using an airspeed indicator, would that be promoting an airspeed indicator? I'm trying to show how a tool that the FAA now views as an important part of safety can be used.
They even made a video of it
Click to expand...

Ok fine. You really are not trying to sell anything.:rolleyes:

You're full of **** about flying a constant aoa all the way to the ground resulting in a perfect smooth landing. I don't care how many aoa videos the FAA has produced. That has no bearing on what you are saying.
 
I think the second blue donut can be purchased at Wal-Mart and can be used on or off landing strips.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Now, if they can come up with an experimental rudder pedal shaker to keep me coordinated during my base-final turns.
 
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