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From: cfiaime@ihnp4.UUCP (Jeff Williams)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Re: Eyeballing the Runway
Message-ID: <743@ihnp4.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 1-Apr-85 12:21:08 EST
Article-I.D.: ihnp4.743
Posted: Mon Apr  1 12:21:08 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 2-Apr-85 04:57:58 EST
References: <1075@phoenix.UUCP> <3@avsdS.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 46

> I was taught to make only one style of landing, day or night.
> 
> In effect;
> 	After getting to the "fence", line the
> 	end of the engine cowling up with either
> 	the opposite (FAR) end of the runway ( day ),
> 	or, line the engine cowling up on the lights
> 	at the opposite (FAR) end of the runway
> 	( obviously night ).  After getting all of
> 	of this lined up, carry just a little bit
> 	of power (100/200 rpm or so above idle) and
> 	let it settle in.
> 
> You can prove the logic of this.  Next time you are
> "in position and holding for takeoff" note the nose
> low attitude of aircraft.  Look at the relationship
> of the engine cowling and the far end of the runway.
> If you could at that time some how "lift" the nose
> of the aircraft to align the cowling edge with the
> far end of the runway, you would be in a perfect
> landing attitude with the mains touching.  That is
> the (flare) attitude you should always try to be
> in at landing.  If that attitude is "set" just at
> the threshold for a night landing and "held", you
> will grease it on every time, same for days.  And
> no more of this "different way to land during the
> day compared to night".

May I beg, sir, to disagree.  This technique may NOT get the nose
high enough in the flare.  If you recall, the nose gear may be 
depressed up to about 75 percent of it's full travel while sitting
there on the runway.  By using a deck angle of around +5 degrees
in the flare, the nose wheel may still contact the ground at the 
same time as the mains.  If the pilot is short, the landing attitude
could be very flat with this technique.

While teaching landings, my students problems in landing disappear
when I get them to get the nose up high enough to block the view of
the runway.  If you try to keep a part of the runway in sight during 
flare, you typically will not keep the nose gear off of the runway.
The landing may be smooth, but you will eventually cause more wear
on the nose gear than if you just go ahead and land like a tail-dragger.

				Jeff Williams
				AT&T Bell Laboratories
				ihnp4!cfiaime