Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site tymix.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!oliveb!tymix!kanner From: kanner@tymix.UUCP (Herb Kanner) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: Eyeballing the Runway Message-ID: <376@tymix.UUCP> Date: Thu, 21-Mar-85 12:08:37 EST Article-I.D.: tymix.376 Posted: Thu Mar 21 12:08:37 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 25-Mar-85 02:33:27 EST References: <1075@phoenix.UUCP> Reply-To: kanner@tymix.UUCP (Herb Kanner) Organization: Tymnet Inc., Cupertino CA Lines: 35 Summary: In article <1075@phoenix.UUCP> brent@phoenix.UUCP (Brent P. Callaghan) writes: >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 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. Both are wrong, or possibly misunderstood. Looking over the nose will not work in many planes because of a high nose which completely blocks your view. This is 100% true in tail-draggers. The direction to look is slightly to the side, the left side if you are sitting on the left. I'd say about 30 degrees to the left, just enough to clear the nose. My guess is that you are probably doing that anyway, and don't realise it. An interesting point came up when I started working for my instructor certificate (in Cherokees). I had to learn to fly from the right-hand seat. Looking a bit to the left was such an ingrained habit that on my first take-off I had the horrible feeling that my entire view was blocked by this here airplane and that there was no forward visibility whatsoever! It wasn't as bad as my first driving experience in a right-hand drive car, however. I had no trouble with the driving, per se; mostly with the cars coming at me that appeared to be on the wrong side of the road. The interesting phenomenon was that every time I tried to look at the rear view mirror, I look up and to the right, and saw nothing but sky! -- Herb Kanner Tymnet, Inc.