Falcon 4.0 - Landing Part II

Make sure you read the manual on landing procedure first and understand the ideas. Added with my notes it will help you get a complete understanding of landing.

As mentioned in part 1, there are some independent variables you will need to consider. These will dictate your dependent variables: Speed, power, and pitch. Speed varies within about 10 knots depending on the independent variables; power varies the greatest (in thousands of fuel flow per hour depending on your independent variables); pitch remains nearly constant, varying only 3 -/+ degrees.

Let's consider the effects on each of these dependents on the independents:

Weight: If you are landing at light weight, your control inputs on landing will be swift and minimal compared to heavier landing. Your speed can be as low at 150kt (even slower before your AOA maxes out.) Your power will go from approximately 4000 pph to 6000 pph to cushion the landing. Your pitch will be ok at 10 degrees on approach and you will not require much more.
If landing heavy, however, you can expect the aircraft to be less responsive--requiring you to think ahead and predict the outcome of your control inputs with greater foresight. Your speed will need to be higher on landing--you will require more speed for more lift to compensate for the added weight. But not by much--you do not want to approach slower then 160 and you may not be able to go much slower before the AOA warning engages. Your power will be at a higher setting and will require a commensurate increase to cushion touch down. Your pitch angle will be the same as the light weight landing, but you will need to suppress the tendency to slow sink rate by using pitch in the event your power input is delayed.

Runway Length: You will require a much tighter control of your speed--allowing the pitch to remain at 10 or so degrees with the flight path marker near the AOA maximum while at a shallower glide path. Continue landing as normal, but ensure not to increase power any more than necessary to cushion the touchdown. Make landing within the first 500 feet of runway, terrain permitting.

Wind: When I made my first cross-wind landing, I under-estimated ground controlling necessary upon touch down. I used rudder to straighten out. In subsequent landings I've used a slight side-slip to keep from taking a too extreme change in direction upon landing. If the landing is made into the wind, slightly more power may be necessary on approach.

Given these variables, there is no set numbers to achieve when it comes to making a successful landing--you simply get a basic range in mind and make adjustments as you see necessary. Here are some basic ranges I start with:

Speed: 150-160kt
Power: 4000-6500
Pitch: Ten Degrees
AOA: 10-13.5



The above video is a flight made at speeds no faster than 165kt. It is a poor quality video, but shows how a landing at ace setting looks. Most importantly, listen to the engine changing rpm as different glide angles are required.

Here is a technical rundown of how I made the landing.

The gear was deployed as well as the speed brakes. I slow to 165kt before descent and establish a 10 degree pitch angle. I hold within 10 degrees with +/- 1 degree of pitch and do not deviate for the remainder of the approach. I slow to 160kt and add power to hold the flight path marker on the horizon, I was at approximately 1500 ft AGL with 7 miles from the runway--it was at a 1 degree glide angle. I held the flight path level until the threshold of the runway was at the -2.5 degree line (the dashed line between the horizon and -5 degree HUD lines.) I then reduced power slightly to allow the flight path marker to sink to the -2.5 degree line, coinciding with the runway threshold. I added and subtracted power as necessary to maintain the -2.5 degree line at the runway edge. This is the important rule to keep in mind:

Use power, not pitch angle, to establish your glide angle.

Pitch angle will not change--10-12.5 degrees is upper-boundary for changes in pitch, but it should remain constant. If you are at 12.5 pitch angle, at 155kt, with the glide path at -2.5, this will bring you to the 15 degree angle-of-attack maximum.

Keeping an eye on your AOA bracket is useful to maintain the aircraft performance necessary to a successful approach. The bottom of the AOA bracket (the little bracket next to your flight path marker) indicated the 15 degree maximum for approach--so do not get near the bottom of the bracket. If you do, immediately add power and slightly lower your pitch angle to maintain control of the aircraft as exceeding the 15 max can cause the aircraft to fall behind its performance curve and lead to a dramatic sink rate and loss of controllability.

If your speed lowers, pitch remains the same, the flight path marker will sink to the bottom of the bracket. Thus the AOA bracket will provide you information necessary to mentally relate speed, pitch, and flight path with the performance your aircraft needs to maintain to stay in the air.

An approach with the flight path marker just above the bottom third, with a pitch angle of 10 degrees, and a steady speed is good for landing--less than that you need to consider adding a touch of power.

Continue inbound until you cross the runway threshold. As you near the surface of the runway, smoothly increase power--as if leveling off from a descent in slow flight practice--to bring the flight path marker to within 1.5 degrees of the horizon, or nearer. You can make tiny changes in the pitch at this point to speed the flight path marker's ascent--but do not let the gun cross exceed 13.5 degrees of pitch. The aircraft will touch the runway, keep the pitch angle and idle the engine. This is called "aerodynamic braking" in which the entire aircraft acts as a giant air brake. Keep an eye on the black markers near the runway--they mark runway length remaining, you will see a "4" pass, then a "3." After three, the aircraft should have slowed enough to allow the nose to steadily drop--then engage brakes. If the aircraft is still moving too fast, release the pitch and let the nose drop and then engage the wheel brakes--once engaged, pull back for elevator-up positioning. This encourages aids in braking as well.