Landing Rehabilitation
M
by Harold Green
Copyright 2021. All rights reserved!
ost of us who have been flying for a while have found ourselves with landing problems. All at once we are either flying the silly thing too close to the ground before suddenly rotating with an attendant porpoising, or we stall out several feet in the air, testing the integrity of the landing gear. And Harold Green sometimes we misjudge the touch-down point. So, what can cause this? There is no elegant research which I am aware of that provides a foundation for landing issues. The following is just one instructor’s perspective on the issue. Note that ground control after landing is one of the principal causes of accidents but will be left as the subject for another article. One of the most common causes of landing problems is a change in eyeglasses. Sometimes a seemingly insignificant change in the center of the lens can affect our depth perception. The effect is a change in the apparent height of the aircraft above the runway, and a change in the perceived MidwestFlyerMag2021.qxp_Layout 1 2/10/21 2:27 PM Page 1
Pilot Proficiency touchdown point. Along those same lines, the first time a pilot wears bifocals can have a significant change in his depth perception. Some of us learned early on that progressive lenses prevent an erroneous horizon line, particularly in instrument flight, as well as upon landing. That demarcation line can cause a grave error in perceived bank angle, changing with the angle of one’s head. The brain interprets the visual information and produces an image of what will happen based not just on what we are focused on, but peripheral images as well. That includes the rate of change of that information. Thus, when watching the runway, or any other view ahead, the brain puts together a picture, including the cowling, the windshield supports, the instrument panel eyebrow and any other elements which the brain picks out and their relationship with one another. All components are put together, along with the apparent change in the ground view, to form an estimate of the aircraft’s future position. Once a pilot learns to maintain the proper visual image or perspective, landings become acceptable or at least better. Therefore, whatever you do to change your position relative to any of these elements will affect your prediction of aircraft track. Things that produce changes include the height or position of the seat, the number of cushions one uses, a change in the height of the instrument panel brow, etc. So, if your landings have gone south on you, review all of the above.
LALBY THE NUMBERS
LAKELAND LINDER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 3900 DON EMERSON DR. • STE 210 LAKELAND, FLORIDA 33811 P 863-834-3298 • F 863-834-3274 FLYLAKELAND.COM
APRIL/MAY 2021 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE 13
