How I learned to land

[jimson]

Reasons for learning to land:
1.Some FSO and other events require landing successfully or you are out of the second frame.
2.It will help your plane handling skills over all.
3.It's just more realistic and immersive to actually bring a plane home after a mission.


I practiced off line using the arden08s terrain from Soda's "Legend of Y29" off line mission. I practiced in sector 8.9, bases 50 and 53. I practiced flying between the two bases and landing, using the landing procedure from the trainers files.

For whatever reason, I initially found the Spitfires and others difficult to land and started with the FM2. Even though this plane doesn't have a particularly wide landing track I found it docile enough to handle and started with it.

I start on NE runway from base 50, after takeoff, you will need to turn to the left for a while prior to getting back on your original heading in order to line up with the runway at base 53. Once you have landed at 53 you can simply end sortie and do it again, but you might as well get some ground practice by taxiing to the end of the runway and stopping on the rearm pad to the right, then you can reset your flaps, taxi around and take off SW and fly back the same way to base 50.

I was able to get a lot of landings in because the bases are so close together and I would continue to shorten the time on the downwind leg until I was breaking just before the runway and staying in a continuous turn, quickly landing on the runway avoiding most of the glide path altogether.

Instead of crash landing every time, I can now quickly land any plane, and have a good start on carrier landings as well.

It worked for me.

[jimson]

Just a side note since I couldn't seem to edit my post again.

The reason I chose to fly between the two airfields is that it seemed about as fast and less of a pain in the neck than turning and lining up for the base I just took off from.

[Traveler]

Just a side note since I couldn't seem to edit my post again.

The reason I chose to fly between the two airfields is that it seemed about as fast and less of a pain in the neck than turning and lining up for the base I just took off from.

You could have just flown a standard traffic pattern and stayed at just one field.  If you take off to the NE, climb to about 600 to 700 feet AGL 90 degree turn to the left, continue to climb and at about 1200 feet make another 90 degree turn to the left and fly the down wind leg of the traffic pattern.  You should be parallel to the runway, flying in the opposite direction of that you intend to land.  1500 feet AGL is a good down wind altitude.  Once you are opposite the spot on which you intend to land, cut your power, flaps, gear and start your gliding approach , a 90 degree left turn should put you on your base leg , followed by a 90 degree left  shallow banked turn to put you on final.

The key to a good landing is airspeed control and lots of rudder work.

[bcadoo]

Lots of ways to quick RTB and get in some landing practice:

a 45 degree turn off runway heading followed by an opposite 225 degree will line you up

or

level off immediately after breaking ground/wheels up, accelerate to end of ruway, half-cuban back and land.

or

try a large field and take of from one and land at the next runway to the left (or right) and just work your way around.

Whatever you do.....PRACTICE

[jimson]

You could have just flown a standard traffic pattern and stayed at just one field.  If you take off to the NE, climb to about 600 to 700 feet AGL 90 degree turn to the left, continue to climb and at about 1200 feet make another 90 degree turn to the left and fly the down wind leg of the traffic pattern.  You should be parallel to the runway, flying in the opposite direction of that you intend to land.  1500 feet AGL is a good down wind altitude.  Once you are opposite the spot on which you intend to land, cut your power, flaps, gear and start your gliding approach , a 90 degree left turn should put you on your base leg , followed by a 90 degree left  shallow banked turn to put you on final.

The key to a good landing is airspeed control and lots of rudder work.

That's true, but the way I did it, I got to practice a couple coordinated turns and heading changes along the way and come in for landing and line up at full level speed like one normally would, and it was still a quick enough trip to give me a lot of landing attempts.

It's all good, like bcadoo says "practice" however you do it.

[StokesAk]

I practiced for like a week before i got good at it.

[PFactorDave]

I had a flight instructor in a Piper Traumahawk...  Landing in AH2 has always been pretty easy.  Took me a bit to get used to the CV landings though.

[TonyJoey]

The trick to landing Spitfires, without spinning out, is to touch down with the front 2 wheels, hit brakes, but keep the throttle at asbout 25%. Once speed gets below 40 or so mph, kill the throttle, keep holding the brakes, and steer with rudder to keep the plane straight. You'll get the hang of it after a few tries.

 

[Guppy35]

All it takes is practice.  SAPP has perfected landing techniques in the 38.  See the following

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,255378.0.html

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,226409.0.html

[BaldEagl]

The trick to landing Spitfires, without spinning out, is to touch down with the front 2 wheels, hit brakes, but keep the throttle at asbout 25%. Once speed gets below 40 or so mph, kill the throttle, keep holding the brakes, and steer with rudder to keep the plane straight. You'll get the hang of it after a few tries.

 

I fly Spits all the time.  I touch down in a 3 point landing under 100 mph then just yank the stick back to lock the tail wheel and hit the brakes.  I land straight every time.  The same technique works in most of the harder to land planes; i.e. Hogs, Ta-152, etc.  The only planes I really change that up with are the tricycle gear planes where you don't need to lock a tail wheel and the F6F-5 where you need to momentarily release the brake to keep the tail from lifting just before it comes to rest.

[bcadoo]

I had a flight instructor in a Piper Traumahawk...  Landing in AH2 has always been pretty easy.  Took me a bit to get used to the CV landings though.

Did you ever spin a traumahawk??  The tail just wags in the breeze....

[ImADot]

Here's how I land a Spitfire Mk.V
Video starts at 270mph, break turn at 180mph, touchdown at 70mph.
May not be FAA textbook procedure, but it looks cool and it's fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYyDGb2FRC0

[Guppy35]

I had a flight instructor in a Piper Traumahawk...  Landing in AH2 has always been pretty easy.  Took me a bit to get used to the CV landings though.

Flew those a couple times way back when.  hated it compared to the Piper Warrior II I was learning on.  Their attempt to do a Cessna 152.  No go

[bravoa8]

The trick to landing Spitfires, without spinning out, is to touch down with the front 2 wheels, hit brakes, but keep the throttle at asbout 25%. Once speed gets below 40 or so mph, kill the throttle, keep holding the brakes, and steer with rudder to keep the plane straight. You'll get the hang of it after a few tries.

 

i just land...

[TonyJoey]

i just land...

Well that works too....