Show us your bad landings!

[Romeo Juliet Whiskey]

We all love a good landing, even better capturing a video of it and sharing it to the wider community. If your a student pilot and feeling disheartened by watching everyone else's nice landings, then this video might give you a bit of laugh. It shows the reality of learning to fly - lots of bad landings. Im talking about bounced landings, ballooning, veering of the runway!

 

 

 

 

Would love to hear about or watch a video of your bad landings and any lessons you learnt from them.

 

Rich

 

 

[facthunter]

I'm pretty impressed with your Instructor. You sure like the left side of the runway. The Jabiru will make a pilot of you. Have you ever heard the term, "milking the mouse"? Nev

 

 

[cooperplace]

love that instructor: he's very calm.

 

 

[Romeo Juliet Whiskey]

I'm pretty impressed with your Instructor. You sure like the left side of the runway. The Jabiru will make a pilot of you. Have you ever heard the term, "milking the mouse"? Nev

Yeah Bruce is one cool cucumber. I hate that damn left side of the runway! If I land to the right I'm much happier Agree about the Jab... I don't recall landing the Piper tomahawk as challenging as the Jab. You really have work those rudder pedals.

 

 

[mnewbery]

I discovered almost to my detriment that landing long in a Jabiru when it's heavily loaded is a really dumb idea. If I had a video of it, it would end with a wire fence very close to the spinner. Probably smoking brakes too. I definitely cracked a brake pad but apparently that is not hard to do.

 

So now I pick a spot to land and if I can't control my airspeed/view out the window combination within a couple of seconds it's an easy decision to go around.

 

Two seconds.

 

I used to leave it a lot longer but then I would be nearly touching down and trees at the end of the runway are the natural enemy of the dullard pilot. Wrong amount of airspeed, altitude and ideas all at the same time.

 

Bad approaches and landings beget good landings but only if you survive the the bad ones. My worst was four or five go-arounds in a row some dozens of hours after going solo. I've seen better pilots than me do the same thing in the same plane. To the observer on the ground it just looks like a low-ish pass. Which it is, just not intentional.

 

If I've got the time and petrol a go-around is always an option. Once I aborted a landing at the end of a long cross country because of an urgent and distracting need to pee.

 

Making a landing stick from an unstable or mis-aligned approach falls under the heading of "using superior skill instead of superior judgement". The pilot needs both and they aren't always found in a book.

 

I don't video my landings.

 

 

[Nightmare]

Yep, it sometimes seems there's a big magnet on that left side of the runway! I hear the echos of my instructor's voice, "Get those feet working!"

 

 

[Romeo Juliet Whiskey]

Yep, it sometimes seems there's a big magnet on that left side of the runway! I hear the echos of my instructor's voice, "Get those feet working!"

I remember in one of my lessons. after veering off to the left upon touchdown 3 times in a row, I said to the instructor "This next landing I'm going to deliberately put in more right rudder than what I think is necessary and see if the plane pulls to the right upon touch down". Sure enough rolled straight down the runway .... been landing straight ever since!

 

 

[Nico13]

Yep, I suffer with a bit of a heavy left foot but mainly on take off.

 

Experimented with removing the left foot from the pedal altogether on one take off and yep straight down the middle.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

I also suffer from lefthanditus. Left-handed to start with and often find the left side of the runway, but, sometimes, even when not expecting it, I get it so right. This video shows my landing without using my left hand at because it was holding a camera. Just goes to show that if the preparation is right, the finish will also be right. Enjoy, or not;-)

 

Dropbox - [email protected]

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Perhaps relevant:

 

While taxiing on Friday my right rudder pedal wasn't doing what I asked of it. I was all over the shop and the right brake wasn't much help keeping it in line. I carried on, putting it down to the tailwind. Next thing I'm off into the crop, bogged in black soil. Turns out the spring from the RH side of the tailwheel had been disconnected.

 

I'd checked it before first flight, but not after I'd propped the tailwheel onto my carrier to get an engine-level oil reading. That's when it must have caught on something and been dislodged.

 

 

[cooperplace]

when learning on the jab I used to land and the LH side, but somehow I've dropped that habit. Also I've now got it into my brain to dance on those pedals. I now enjoy landing the jab, even in gusty crosswinds (touch wood!). All credit is due to my instructors.

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

I also suffer from lefthanditis at times...never the other way though. Also I feel far more comfortable doing left hand circuits rather then right hand circuits...may have something to do with it. And if you think those are bad landings then don't frett thats nothing on some of the ones I have seen here locally. Yours could be described as a "arrival" rather than a landing

 

 

[facthunter]

A controlled crash is better than a lucky arrival. Nev

 

 

[Jayke]

This post has made me feel so much better about my lessons, I'm yet to land completely on my own control inputs. But it's not only that, it's all the little things that you stuff up on while learning. Shows the human side of things which I needed to see before this weekends flight! Last weekend left me feeling a bit discouraged haha.

 

Awesome post you seem to have come a long way

 

Jayke

 

 

[derekliston]

I'm impressed that you managed to post a video on this site, I have tried but never succeeded! I did an absolutely horrible landing today and I've been flying off and on since 1968. Took my CH701 for a bit of a run from Warwick to Pittsworth, found out the disadvantage of 'ultralight' was tossed about like a cork in a maelstrom including all the way down final. Appalling though safe enough landing but I confess I was just happy to be back on the ground. I do have a video of it just to remind myself from time to time!

 

 

[rrogerramjet]

First landings...

 

Seemed easy, til I discovered CFI was easing me in with controls on the side. First solo was a sweaty panic, with no help I managed to pull a sweet greasy....all 3 at once. And I still do that occassionallyy....gotta pull back on that stick!

 

Ballooning...

 

Did it once, never again, 2nd bounce - a go around straight up. Lesson learnt...if you aint coming in nice get out of there!

 

Crosswinds....

 

Went up one arvo for some quick circuits and emergecy practice, wind came up to 20kn gusts and for all my 3 attempts couldnt stick it on the runway, I just wasnt comfortable, a better pilot may have pulled it off - go around! (multiple)

 

As I'd made my decision to use the cross runway, CFI on ground radioed me to suggest using cross runway. I was 10 seconds ahead of him. :) Pulled off absolute perfect landing, best ever to this day, straight into 20-25kn gusts.

 

Lesson learnt... find another option (whilst fuel remains)

 

Now....

 

Over threshold, stall warning, hold her up, drop the back 2 and feel it settle in...niiice. And mostly consistent.

 

Circuits might seem boring but they get you back on the ground alive!

 

Thanks for the vid tips, I need to buy some kit to show you my 'bad landings' !

 

Fly safe

 

Ramjet

 

 

[SSCBD]

Definition of a Acceptable Landing --- As long as you can crawl out, and get to a fridge and open a can of beer. (From a Seaplane Company).

 

 

[Right Rudder]

No comment

 

Right rudder

 

 

[scre80]

Reminds me of when I first started. We all bounce it!!! Great that you had a calm instructor, mine was like that too, not sure how come they can be that calm.

 

If you move on to a J-230, you will learn about the right rudder more on takeoff.

 

 

[rrogerramjet]

Im on j230 now for RA. absolutely, yes. Moreso with the new Senesich? prop installed.

 

Try a 172xp which turns up so much torque there is actually a lever you set for right rudder on takeoff!

 

Then you pull left aileron as you roll to keep the whole thing level, very interesting.

 

Fly safe

 

Ramjet

 

 

[Flying Officer Kite]

Interesting and reassuring thread. Thought I was the only student finding it difficult not to drift left on landing, but from the comments above it seems it's something many do in the early stages of training. I've occasionally managed to follow the centerline, but then spoilt it by misjudging the flare. Very frustrating and I'm losing patience with myself quicker than my calm and patient instructor is. But today, coming up to my 16th hour, I'm determined to get it right!

 

- Mike

 

 

[facthunter]

Normally to have something change YOU have to DO something or some external "thing" changes. IF you are drifting sideways, Lower the wing towards the side you are drifting FROM. IF you are doing a powered approach closing the throttle may require an alteration to the rudder to compensate for the loss of the "wind " from the propeller to the rudder which is a corkscrew path causing a yaw which you compensate for with rudder or trim. when climbing, particularly, when the effect is greatest or when you first apply full power for take off. Very noticeable in a taildragger with a BIG engine. Nev

 

 

[cscotthendry]

OK, warts and all, here's my contribution.

 

This was at Broken Hill. We flew from William Creek to BHI non-stop and with very strong tailwinds (~50kt). The wind on the ground at BHI was 24kt gusting to 32KT straight across the main runway. The cross strip was not an option as it was closed due to heavy rain the night before.

 

When I finally got all three wheels on the ground, the plane weathercocked into wind and tried to spear off the runway. I instinctively corrected with aileron (car driving habits die hard) instead of the rudder. That resulted in the right wing coming up. As soo as I'd done it I realised it was wrong and tried to correct with opposite aileron. All that did was lift the left wing and then we were flying again. We instantly ran out of airspeed and stalled back onto the runway from about two feet in the air.

 

 

 

[Romeo Juliet Whiskey]

OK, warts and all, here's my contribution.This was at Broken Hill. We flew from William Creek to BHI non-stop and with very strong tailwinds (~50kt). The wind on the ground at BHI was 24kt gusting to 32KT straight across the main runway. The cross strip was not an option as it was closed due to heavy rain the night before.

When I finally got all three wheels on the ground, the plane weathercocked into wind and tried to spear off the runway. I instinctively corrected with aileron (car driving habits die hard) instead of the rudder. That resulted in the right wing coming up. As soo as I'd done it I realised it was wrong and tried to correct with opposite aileron. All that did was lift the left wing and then we were flying again. We instantly ran out of airspeed and stalled back onto the runway from about two feet in the air.

 

Thanks for sharing Scott. That sure looked like a tough one! That bloody fly!!! worse possible time too!

 

 

[Romeo Juliet Whiskey]

This post has made me feel so much better about my lessons, I'm yet to land completely on my own control inputs. But it's not only that, it's all the little things that you stuff up on while learning. Shows the human side of things which I needed to see before this weekends flight! Last weekend left me feeling a bit discouraged haha.Awesome post you seem to have come a long way

Jayke

Just keep at it Jayke and it will all come together. Its important to realise that every pilot goes through the same process and your not the only one. Im glad the video helped too!