I’m not sure if you’ve landed in Hobart, but locals take firm landings in strong turbulence for granted. I’m so used to it that the last time I landed in Sydney I didn’t realise we were actually landing until we hit the ground
Landed at LCY today in heavy rain with very low cloud / fog exacerbated by Sahara dust. Warned my partner to expect a firm landing as normal in these conditions 👍🏻
So, what kind of landing is it when the runway is dry, long and preceded by a lengthy approach with no discernible wind issues - but we hit the deck so hard that an overhead bin opens, passengers yell out, and the flight attendant announces “A jarring welcome to Oakland!”
I’ve always assumed there’s a different landing philosophy between carrier qualified naval aviators and Air Force trained pilots. Any truth to that or do the airlines train those tendencies out of former Top Guns?
Yes, absolutely. In gusty crosswinds a firm landing is often intentional. You want the wheels on the runway positively rather than floating while the wind is pushing you around.
Thank you so much for the precise details. So helpful. I used to rate landings in my head from 1-5. This changes my criteria dramatically. 😁
Glad it helped, Cathy! The funny thing is that the landings passengers often rate “worst” are sometimes exactly the ones pilots are aiming for. 😄
Beautiful explanation.
Maybe it’s the engineer in me, but I find all of this stuff fascinating. Thanks for posting.
I’m not sure if you’ve landed in Hobart, but locals take firm landings in strong turbulence for granted. I’m so used to it that the last time I landed in Sydney I didn’t realise we were actually landing until we hit the ground
Landed at LCY today in heavy rain with very low cloud / fog exacerbated by Sahara dust. Warned my partner to expect a firm landing as normal in these conditions 👍🏻
Especially at London City. You’re definitely not floating it onto the runway there. If it ends up smooth, that’s mostly luck.
So, what kind of landing is it when the runway is dry, long and preceded by a lengthy approach with no discernible wind issues - but we hit the deck so hard that an overhead bin opens, passengers yell out, and the flight attendant announces “A jarring welcome to Oakland!”
That’s what we might politely call a “positive landing.” 😄 Even on calm days, sometimes the runway meets the airplane a little sooner than expected.
Great explanation. I was a private pilot as was my husband. Even so, good reminder! Well stated.
I’ve always assumed there’s a different landing philosophy between carrier qualified naval aviators and Air Force trained pilots. Any truth to that or do the airlines train those tendencies out of former Top Guns?
***thrust reversers aren’t working***
How would water on the runway affect thrust reversers?
Yes, absolutely. In gusty crosswinds a firm landing is often intentional. You want the wheels on the runway positively rather than floating while the wind is pushing you around.