Flare During Landing

[Mongoose]

  I have a question about when to flare when landing.  I have a theory that it is harder to flare in a flight simulator than a real airplane because you can't feel the motion of the airplane. 

  Can a real pilot chime in on this?  Is it really harder to flare properly in a flight simulator, or am I just a klutz?

[Shuffler]

I imagine it is more tied to depth perception than actual feel. If you landed many times in a simulator, it would become a cakewalk.

[FLS]

When you flare you are simply increasing the AOA to the point where you get less lift instead of more lift as well as more drag. This tends to drop you to the runway.

To practice fly low and slow over a long runway and flare gradually, don't make it an abrupt maneuver. Remember you're in ground effect so you have a little more lift than usual.

BTW you don't flare for carrier landings which is why they use stronger landing gear.

[Puma44]

  I have a question about when to flare when landing.  I have a theory that it is harder to flare in a flight simulator than a real airplane because you can't feel the motion of the airplane. 

  Can a real pilot chime in on this?  Is it really harder to flare properly in a flight simulator, or am I just a klutz?

Depth perception in game is not the same.

[Busher]

  I have a question about when to flare when landing.  I have a theory that it is harder to flare in a flight simulator than a real airplane because you can't feel the motion of the airplane. 

  Can a real pilot chime in on this?  Is it really harder to flare properly in a flight simulator, or am I just a klutz?

I assume "the simulator" you're referencing is AcesHigh? If so, it's what Puma said.

[FLS]

You don't have depth perception if you're using a monitor but you can learn the sight picture for the correct height from the relative size of the runway since this size is consistent in the game.

My explanation above was confused. When you flare you increase lift to level out and the increased drag slows you down and reduces lift.

[LCADolby]

It's a damn sight easier and smoother in AH 

[SIK1]

It's a damn sight easier and smoother in AH 

Yeah, and you don't really die when you screw the pooch.

 
Sik

[Puma44]

Yeah, and you don't really die when you screw the pooch.

 
Sik

That’s a really important point.  Not to mention scraping the paint or making someone bleed, which are the two original rules of aviation, developed by Orville and Wilbur.

[FLS]

Vraciu PM'd me to mention that ground effect also decreases induced drag. 

Mongoose hasn't mentioned his specific problem with flaring but ground effect is modeled in Aces High.

[Mongoose]

  Thank you all for your replies.  This has answered my questions. 

[FLS]

The amount of ground effect is proportional to the span of the wing and the height of the wing above ground. The book says if your wing span is 50 ft and you are 50 ft above the ground there is very little effect, at 10 feet there is about a quarter reduction in induced drag and at 5 ft it's close to half.

Because lift is increased in ground effect you need less AOA for the same lift coefficient.

I don't know exactly how it's modeled in game but you can see the effect if you fly low enough off one of the elevated fields in the TA bombing range.

[Busher]

That’s a really important point.  Not to mention scraping the paint or making someone bleed, which are the two original rules of aviation, developed by Orville and Wilbur.

A good landing allows the pilot to walk away and a great landing lets him use the airplane again.

[Puma44]

A good landing allows the pilot to walk away and a great landing lets him use the airplane again.

That’s a very important distinction! 

[FLS]

In Aces High a good landing is anything that leaves the fuselage on the runway.