Steep approaches (in VMC) - do you fly them, and why, or why not?

I was told during PPL training that landing before the threshold is equal to an off airport landing.

I never understood this, why is that if you land on the runway?

Displaced thresholds are there to provide adequate obstacle clearance for normal glide angles. But if you approach much steeper, where’s the problem with touching down before the (displaced) threshold?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Displaced_threshold

Most often the offset threshold is in place to give arriving aircraft clearance over an obstruction while still allowing departing aircraft the maximum amount of runway available. A displaced threshold may also be introduced if a beginning section of the runway is no longer able to sustain the continuous impact from landing aircraft. Aircraft are expected to land beyond the displaced threshold. Departing aircraft are permitted to use the displaced section of the runway for takeoffs or landing rollouts because those aircraft are not impacting the runway with the force of a landing aircraft.2

Low hour ppl here. Going back to the steep approach topic…

Am I the only one that when I do a steep approach I tend to mess up the flare and balloon more easily? Could this be because there is a short time window on when to flare?

I´d say an approach with FULL flaps from the beginning and adding more than half power in consequence to drag the aircraft to the runway is very bad strategy. In case the engine quits you are absolutely certain that you will not make it to the landing strip. Instead you will end maybe in the woods and you cannot do anything about that. From the very first hour in flight school we (Helga and myself) were exercising power idle landings in C 150/172 , keeping traffic pattern altitude all the way to the position from where you could reach the runway in best glide speed, flaps maybe 10 degrees, don´t remember, if any. So there was no difference to high key/low key “Ziellandung” at engine idle. Sure, you will see some funny glide angle depending on the aircraft type but any emergency landing will be just like that so why not getting used to that picture in each landing ? It adds a lot to your safety when you stay at pattern altitude with some more chance for corrections than dragging the plane at shallow angles over questionable terrain with faint options in case of tech problems. So in real life we set flaps AS REQUIRED that is as soon as you NEED them for the very last part of the final. The flare will be a short dynamic few seconds but so what. Well, depends on the aircraft, a triplane will most likely do that in a dramatic way with all that drag, but then they did that all the time 100 years ago. Vic P.S. Ballooning has a lot to do with the correct approach speed. You have to watch your speed in the steep approach just the same and ideally keep the plane at max. half a metre aloft till stall warning goes and only then let her touch down when she will be too slow for ballooning.

I have heard that argument too often now that “you don’t make the runway if the engine quits”. To me that makes no sense and I recommend staying within gliding distance to the field all the time to everybody who uses that argument. If i trusted my engine that little .. I’d prefer to stay on the ground.

Engines do not typically quit when running with low power twds the end of the flight. Other than that a gliding/idle approach is a technique i don’t like because I rather have an effective stabiliser/stabilator on low final – pitch authority is the keyword. It doesn’t work really well in anything but the lightest airplanes.

Now with the 4-blade prop it’s easier… although I still haven’t figured out the nicest way. Once you pull the power it’s like you engage the parking brake … the nose goes down and the speed too! With the old prop a steeper approach was possible too, but you have to slow down soon enough or you will be too fast. Full flaps do have a good braking effect though.

Am I the only one that when I do a steep approach I tend to mess up the flare and balloon more easily? Could this be because there is a short time window on when to flare?

This is not uncommon, when you think about it from a steeper approach the transition to flying level with the runway is a more of a change in trajectory than a round out from a shallower approach. This is easier to misjudge until you have practiced it a bit more.

The other mistake some people make is to fly too fast, which can also lead to ballooning. Too slow will lead to a heavy landing, so it just has to be right.

Speed control is important whether you’re in a Tiger Moth or a Citation, and most things in between

Never understood why certain pilots want to do “powered” finals – what is their plan B when the engine quits on final?

I’ve seen this view from time to time, but I’ve never understood it. Not “certain” but most pilots do powered finals.

When you are flying, most of the time you are out of gliding range from an airport. What’s so special about a final? The risk of an engine failure on final is completely negligible compared to the rest of the flight and can be disregarded compared to other risks with landing.

What is your plan B when the engine quits on takeoff at 200 ft (say) with no runway remaining? If you don’t worry about that – and the risk of such an engine failure is arguably much greater – why should you worry about the final?

Alexis,

there are loads of accidents with aircraft not reaching the runway because the engine would not make power the moment you needed it. We had a check flight accident here some time ago when the aircraft hit a house in the approach, possibly because the mixer was on max. lean. As to control, for each aircraft there is a BEST glide speed or any speed you like best for an idle approach. The traffic pattern is mostly done at 1000 feet agl so you have choices . But a dragging shallow approach with FULL flaps sets you in a risky condition for a considerable distance of poor altitude for no benefit other than maybe an easier way to hit the perfect spot on the runway.
I´d imagine a Cirrus engine at idle would produce a lot of drag to assist in a gliding final. And don´t mention shock cooling ……. from traffic pattern altitude …

Vic