soft field landing

[FlyBoyJae]

what is the proper way to execute soft field landing?

my instructor has me do a normal approach until short final on a 152....60knots 30 degees of flaps...then i would pick an aiming point...i would cut the power when as i pass the aiming point then just before starting the flare, he tells me to add "just the right amount of power" and continue to flare as long as i can and establish a nose high attitude.

apparently, i am not doing this well. i end up climbing or just hit the runway without flaring. I can't seem to add the "just right amount of power" at the right time.

Can this manuver be done without cutting the power to idle at all? If i am going to be adding the power before the touch down, why cut the power anyways? what is the proper way to do this for PPL check ride?

[kellwolf]

Sounds right, you just need to practice. I had the worst time with short field landings (and with landings in general). There will be that one flight where out of the blue you just "get it," and it's all downhill from there. Sounds to me like you might be either kicking in a tad too much power or flaring too much.

[flyguy]

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Can this manuver be done without cutting the power to idle at all?

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Yup, that's the way I do it. Just reduce the power until you have just enough that you are still descending. Maybe then cut it just a touch more once you get into ground effect. It works great but gives you a pretty long float, so you should only do it if you have a good long runway/field. My instructor teaches both ways.

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If i am going to be adding the power before the touch down, why cut the power anyways?

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It allows for more acuracy, if you do it right. Like I said, keeping the power in will make you float for a long time. Cutting the power will get you down faster and closer to your aiming point, before you add the power again. One option is to aim before the threshold. If you know you are going to float a long time, you'll just start that float before you get to the runway so that your touch down isnt too long. Be carefull though, if there are any obstructions such as trees, roads, fences in front of the threshold it could be dangerous.

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what is the proper way to do this for PPL check ride?

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The PPL PTS dosn't specify a length for the soft field landing, so if you have a long runway and are more comfortable keeping the power in, it should be fine. Accuracy might come later in your training, but you don't have to worry to much about it at the PPL level. Talk it over with your instructor and experiment a little. But pick a method and stick with it.

[Josh]

Adding power really shouldn't be done until you are near touchdown. If you do it too soon, say 20' above the runway, or whenever you typically start your flare, you'll be floating for a while.

Way I started to do it is go into normal landing, but carry a little power all the way in from short final (maybe 100-200 RPM above idle but I never really looked). Plane is still sinking, but at a slower rate. So flare to touchdown takes longer.
Once you have that down, you can go for the power off, then power at the end. When doing soft field work for the tailwheel flying, the entire approach is power to idle. Power is only added in when at landing attitude, to slow the sink rate a little so it floats on.

Try with a little above idle once you are say, 50' off the runway, so you don't have to worry about power changes, as long as you have enough runway to do this. And practice. You should have already gone solo by this time, so no reason every flight you do can't have some soft field practice. If you do that ever time, good on the plane, easy on tires and brakes, and passengers. Alternate between that soft and short types of landings, and you'll at least have a target.

Basically, on the soft, you are holding the attitude that you are at when the mains touch, but you will be flying in that attitude for a bit above the runway, before touchdown. The airspeed decreases slower, since you still have a little power to help keep it up, and it kinda floats on. Great feeling when you get one right on, you'll think you landed on a mattress.

If a 'short' you are trying on solo practice for misses your point, you'll know above the ground, so add in a touch of power, and convert it to a soft.

If you still have trouble, a couple other things to try would be see how long you can hold it off the runway (long runway really needed for this to start) with your instructor, and it'll eventually settle if you reduce power more. Or, see if you can hop in a tailwheel plane for a couple of flights to help get the feel of how high the nose really needs to be up (it'll teach good habits as most land nosedraggers too flat).

[say_speed]

I don't care how you do it, as long as I don't spill my coffee!!!

[cime_sp]

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I don't care how you do it, as long as I don't spill my coffee!!!


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Is that a "License to Drive" reference....vague but good!

The way I teach it in the 152 is to perform a normal approach. About 20-30 feet you will pull the power back to about 1100 RPM (instead of idle) this will give a nice and slow sink rate. Then it is just a waiting game as you try and keep the airplane from touching down just a foot or two above the surface. Eventually you will just settle onto the runway nice and easy. The flare will be much slower than normal...

[FlyBoyJae]

thanks guys for your help!!

i was able to pass the stage check ride (which included the soft field landing) with the school and now i am "okayed" to go fly x-country solo

my instructor wanted me to cut the power to idle then add the power again as opposed to keeping it on at low RPM So, I came to realize that instead of cutting the power to idle FAST a gradual reduction gave me a better feel for it.

Really excited about going x country solo as I near the check ride for my PPL!!