Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!whuxl!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!seismo!brl-tgr!ron From: ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie ) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: Eyeballing the Runway Message-ID: <9374@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Wed, 20-Mar-85 13:20:00 EST Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.9374 Posted: Wed Mar 20 13:20:00 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 23-Mar-85 00:19:25 EST References: <1075@phoenix.UUCP> Organization: Ballistic Research Lab Lines: 30 > How do you look at the runway when landing an airplane ? > > I was trained to look over the nose as far down the runway > as possible. The idea was to judge height by monitoring > the perspective of the runway. I've found this especially > valuable during night landings without the landing light on. > > I've just completed a course of dual instruction to validate > my FAA licence. My instructor/examiner for this course > insisted that as I lift the nose to flare, I should look straight > down at the runway out the side window! > > This didn't work for me at all. It was just a meaningless blur. > I got no feeling of depth, and my landings were lousy. > I passed the test by cheating and flicking my eyes right for > a quick peek over the nose when he wasn't looking. > > Am I just a Bozo or is this THE way to eyeball the runway ? > -- > You're right. Looking at the ground underneath the runway is wrong and impossible to do on low wing aircraft. I looked at the wheels (on the C-152 I learned in) the first few times out, I guess it's hard not to, you want to see how far you've got left to go. It just messes you up. You set up round out and flare by looking down the runway, it's pretty much a matter of perspective, I think. Once you flare, you shouldn't need to look at the ground, just keep the plane straight and wait for the wheel(s) to touch. -Ron