landing as short as possible

[sdemeyer]

If i try a "carrier" landing, usually I bounce down the runway like a basketball. Even after 300 hours, my bungies are still really stiff. Any drop more than a foot always results in bouncing. Still, its no problem landing in 500' with a gentle touchdown, on my grass strip. I usually cross the numbers at 65 mph.

[Bender]

I've got less than 2 months on a new set of bungees (1 1080hd &1 1280hd each side). I have to add a shot of power just prior to touchdown as I bury the stick in my lap to cushion the landing. If I don't get the flaps up immediately I'll bounce a few times. If the shot of power is just right to cushion the landing and the flaps are yanked up as soon as the mains hit I can get the pacer stopped pretty short (there's a windsock at my home field right at 300 feet from the approach end for instant feedback) The last 10-15 feet of approach that guys that "drag it in" fly is essentially the same once they pick there spot and chop power. Just watch some youtube videos of the valdez stol competitions. The main difference is the approach itself. If you're low and behind the curve dragging it in you've got to make constant power adjustments to keep the plane airborne as you approach the tdze. Flying a steeper glidepath in my opinion allows for a more stable approach and more options in the event of wind gusts, engine failure, etc. Either way, if you want to land short you've got to hit your spot and have as little energy as possible to bleed off. If you have enough energy to flare and grease it in then you could have landed shorter.

[Troy Hamon]

I think the value of a thread like this is to go out and fly, to the letter, every approach that is listed. Preferably 5 or 10 times. By the time you do that, you will be a better airplane handler regardless of which technique you settle on for your own.

Rocket, been watching your non-movement and the weather. Hope you are having fun up there. Moose season is closing around here, but open on the Alagnak for another 15 days, so will be looking to make a move up there if the weather allows. Otherwise, looking like caribou time. Weird winter. Small lakes have pretty good ice, but at the rate we are going the big lakes are not going to be safe to land at all.

[bigjohnnie]

I could not agree more with what Troy says. Practice in YOUR airplane repeatedly as it has been my experience that even though they are PA-xx's, they all don't fly the same, and each have their own little nuances.

Bender, I also have one 1280 HD and one 1080 HD per side. She rides like an unloaded one-ton pickup truck on the ground, but for me, anyway, she seems easier to control when it gets windy.
I also fly a rather steep approach at about 1200 - 1500 rpm, full flap. Probably a little faster than most ( 70mph IAS ) on short final and chopping power just before I start the round out -- but my airspeed indicator seems not to be as accurate as I like. So its all by feel. I tend to land a little long, but I have repeatedly practiced "engine out" scenarios and 90% of the time I can hit my spot -- or at least get very close, without having to add power. I just carry a lot of energy. I have made myself do it much slower, without power, but it just makes me ( and my wife ) uncomfortable.

Three hundred hours in her and I am still learning. Somethies I think I am a slow learner as I believe I am "king of the go-arounds". But, on the flip side, if it doesn't "feel right", it probably isn't. If I don't HAVE to land ( ie am out of fuel or on fire ) I go around and do it again.

[Student Pilot]

I could not agree more with what Troy says. Practice in YOUR airplane repeatedly as it has been my experience that even though they are PA-xx's, they all don't fly the same, and each have their own little nuances.
Three hundred hours in her and I am still learning. Somethies I think I am a slow learner as I believe I am "king of the go-arounds". But, on the flip side, if it doesn't "feel right", it probably isn't. If I don't HAVE to land ( ie am out of fuel or on fire ) I go around and do it again.

Three, three hundred, three thousand or thirty thousand hours you should never stop learning.
As with most things there is no single "Right" way, different techniques can give the same result.
I favour a steeper, lower power approach with a trickle of power to smooth things out and stabilize things and seems to help get a slower touchdown. On a shorter bush strip I tend to fly a lower circuit (200') with a continuous curved approach from downwind.

[Curly]

Glen - Happy New Year! Nice to see you back online. Whereaboutsarya?

[Student Pilot]

Hiho Curly, in Casterton for the summer sentence again. Spect a PM

[scottf]

Did some more practice landings yesterday, and really concentrated on getting the airspeed exactly where I wanted it and a really stable approach. Was able to do full stops in about 500-600' repeatedly without working the brakes very hard. With 1 passenger, 70 on final worked pretty good, slowing to around 60 on very short final before beginning the flare. Just a matter of getting the timing just right so when I run out of energy to fly I am right above the ground. If I do it correctly I don't need much if any power added at touchdown which helps keep the distance short. Just need to make every landing a practice shortfield and keep at it, but feeling much better on the approach now.

[j_w_Bruce]

I don't fly your type, but over on at the home for my type there has been alot of discussion lately about an accurate Airspeed Indicator. If you were flying my type I'd say you are carrying way too much speed, which is a common problem for our guys. How could this be if you are reporting 60 to 65? an incorrect ASI. You could consisently be +10 Mph on every landing.

The other possibility you already hit on was maybe putting too much power in to arrest your sink. You may think about adding a little altitude to your pattern so that you can get the hang of making every landing without adding ANY power. After I got the hang of that I found the real key to making the greasers was to just turn in just enough power to idle at 1000 RPM, (yes, I said 'turn in' as I've got a venier throttle). So I can arrive a little noticable idling at 650 or pretty smooth at 1000. and if we had a turn off at 500 ft at the home 'drome, I'd be able to make it.

But as far as my first 150 or so hours in my plane? I'd probably make every airlines captian proud, as I was landing with excess speed in the neighborhood of 15 mph and missing a 1500 foot turn off by about 100 feet and having to back taxi to it nearly every time.

*update* I was in a hurry to get my 2 cents in, and only saw the first page of replies, (3 pages just since the 27th, that's pretty good), so after I realized I only read 1/3 of the thread, I see now that at some point someone had already suggested every decent idea I had, and that you've also about cured the issue... congrats! Well, at least it was free advice. And that picture of the snow covered tripacer really makes me want to curl up by the fire and not even walk to the car to drive home this afternoon. It's a cold snap here in Arkansas today, I think the high was 36, tonights low is supposed to be a mind numming 17. I can't imagine having winters like you guys up there in the frozen north.

[andya]

Regard IAS inaccuracy, I so stalls in all configurations and note the indicated numbers, then , for short field, will do a power on approach at 1.06 to 1.1 stall speed , use power till just above the runway, pull power off and complete the landing.
needs to be fairly calm with few gusts.