Flare

See if this post helps.

https://forum.flyawaysimulation.com/forum/topic/8080/ils-approach-guide-tutorial/

Y7777 wrote:

Ok, When I am approaching rwy and about 800AGL - 400AGL I usually shut off AP and bring engines to idle, i then flare 5 degrees and try to land, however quite often i seem to glide and start to slightly climb taking me way above the runway thresholdand usually dropping onto the rwy about 3/4 of the way down. Anyone suggest anything?

It sounds as though your approach speed isn't quite correct. Shutting off your engines at 800ft means you must either have a lot of speed to bleed off, or that you must lose speed, stall and crash. First off, tell us the aircraft you are flying, have no more than 30% fuel onboard and then we can give you a rough approach speed.

Also, the flare isn't a static entity. You should flare at between 3 degrees and 8 degrees depending on a lot of factors. For a good flare, try and use visual cues to get a perfect landing, i.e. watching the runway ahead, rather than your attitude indicator. To help with this for a while, press [ (the button next to P on the keyboard) and cycle to spot view and look at the side of the aircraft so you can see its pitch relative to the fuselage and the runway beneath it.

Good luck!

Its the ground effect on your wings that pushes your nose up. Set your trim and be prepared to make slight nose down adjustments to counteract the ground effect if needed.

It could also be as a result of bringing the throttles to idle too soon which makes you sink and makes you pitch up. I never bring the throttle back past 40-45% until the main wheels have touched down.

Bringing the engines to idle at 800ft AGL turns your aircraft in to a glider and increases the chances of ballooning. Thats if you dont crash land from the sink rate!

Boeing 747, 181 IAS

So when exactly should i shut off the ap and bring the engines to idle?

R7777 wrote:

Boeing 747, 181 IAS

So when exactly should i shut off the ap and bring the engines to idle?

181 KIAS is slightly high - try for around 165-170KIAS below 1000ft. I suggest you shut off the AP at around 400ft and fly visually towards the runway. Engines shouldn't be bought to idle until about 50ft from the runway threshold, i.e. just before landing.

Also, have you practiced in smaller jet aircraft? It will really help. If you've just jumped straight into a 747 (although it doesn't seem likely in your case) then you must expect problems.

What I do once the runway is out of sight is simply watch my VS indicator and slowly flare up until my descent rate is about 100-200ft/m, maybe even less. Basically I just let it slowly come up (but not reach) the 0 line and I land smoothly at that point.

D3LM3L wrote:

What I do once the runway is out of sight is simply watch my VS indicator and slowly flare up until my descent rate is about 100-200ft/m, maybe even less. Basically I just let it slowly come up (but not reach) the 0 line and I land smoothly at that point.

Thats what I do 😀

D3LM3L wrote:

What I do once the runway is out of sight is simply watch my VS indicator and slowly flare up until my descent rate is about 100-200ft/m, maybe even less. Basically I just let it slowly come up (but not reach) the 0 line and I land smoothly at that point.

If you think you're about to land way past the runway's threshold / touchdown zone and have this feeling you'll overshoot and run out of runway, the most prudent thing to do is to go-around and execute a missed approach. Don't attempt to salvage a botched landing approach. Of course, you'll have a few factors to consider: fuel state, runway length, etc.

Just refer to the airport's MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE, contact ATC for instructions. A good landing starts with a good approach. Fly the plane, maintain a stabilized descent and maintain situational awareness. While the autopilot makes for an excellent aid to good flying, meant to reduce workload, it is by no means not the best way to fly an airplane. Don't rely too much on it. The best instrument in any aircraft is a safe, well-trained pilot.