The Cushion (or how I learned to land)

Every flight student knows that landings are a tough maneuver to learn. Everything else you learn has a wonderful safety net called altitude. Landings are where the metal meets the meat (metaphorically speaking). Landing a C152 on a big wide strip like at EDMA, should be no problem: landing speed 65 knots, Rate of Descent ~500 ft/min until you are over the threshold, chop the power, and flare. Until the runway starts to move to the left, now right rudder, no, too much flare, stall warning blaring, instructor looking at you as if you want to end his life while at the same time telling you that we are not center line. Thanks for the info…
You can read about some of the finer tips here: http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/how-to-land-an-airplane .

I had one FI (KP)  who insisted that we hear the stall warning just before touching down. If not, he would haul back on the yoke so the nose would point back to the sky and yell, “See!! It still wants to fly!! You pay to fly and not to roll!!” Sigh. Thanks, but I am still happy to have landed without bending anything.

It takes about 40 landings before you can start to notice or feel how to land correctly. It took me about 60 before I started to get the hang of it. You need to flare the a/c so you can reduce your forward speed without climbing. Climbing while landing is not landing, but flying and you are about to go bounce on the runway. Let the instructor of your choice explain your options if this happens.

So what does this have to do with a cushion? Around Landing #50, KP asked how I felt about my landings? Well, OK, but I have a hard time after the flare. Why?, he asks. I cannot see the runway. Fine, then get a cushion to sit on. D-EGCW only had these folding camping chairs for seats; you basically sat on the floor. I went to a department store later in the week and tried to find an acceptable cushion. The problem is that most cushions flatten right away; I needed one that did not compress. After much searching I found one on sale. This red cushion would be with me on every flight.

Finally, I could see the runway as I flared and could correct the left drift with the right rudder. No more excuses for not hitting the center line.


Waiting for spring...