Start adding back pressure for a second (and hopefully final) flare, and establish your normal landing attitude.Īnd finally, if your descent rate is slightly high, add a small amount of power to arrest your descent for a smooth touchdown.Īlthough back-elevator pressure may be relaxed slightly, the nose should not be lowered to make the airplane descend when fairly close to the runway unless some power is added momentarily. Do your best to keep your pitch attitude constant.Īs the airplane decelerates, it will begin a slow descent towards the runway. You might be able to relax some back pressure during the initial phase of your recovery, but this typically only applies if your airplane is climbing slightly (ballooning), or you just added too much back pressure the first time. If you push forward, you could develop an excessive descent rate, and possibly even touch down nose-first. If you continue holding your airplane at the same altitude, you might stall or experience a hard landing.Īs you continue the landing, hold a slightly nose-high pitch attitude, and don't push forward on the yoke/stick. This will only continue the flare at the exact same height above the runway. Avoid adding any additional back pressure. The first thing you should do is stop making the situation worse. If you were going to rely on an RA to determine your minimums for the approach, you'd find the RA plummeting as you pass over the cliff at the end of Runway 23.Boldmethod Hold Your Pitch Attitude Constantĭuring a high flare, your airplane is too far above the runway with a relatively high angle-of-attack (AOA). The problem is, the Yeager Airport is built essentially on a chopped-off hilltop sitting 300' above the valleys below. On the approach chart, it shows this is 250' above the runway's threshold. It's a CAT I ILS with minimums of 1,181' MSL. Let's say you're flying the ILS to Runway 23 at the Charleston, WV airport (KCRW). If you're flying a CAT II/III approach, you're flying to DH minimums using a radar altimeter. If you're flying a Cat I approach, which most of us are, you're flying to DA minimums. Whether it's a checkride, working with a student, or briefing an approach to another crew member, remember to use the correct phraseology. Minimums are always less than 200' above the threshold, in part, to ensure varying terrain/obstacle elevation below your aircraft doesn't interfere with your RA reading.īy the time you're less than 200' above the runway, you'll be flying over a flat surface just before the runway threshold, which is one requirement for an airport to certify a CAT II/III approach. That's why they're published as a CAT II/III approach, and not a standard CAT I approach.Īs you fly a CAT II/III approach, you'll reference your aircraft's RA reading to determine when you've reached DH. Most Cat I ILS approaches get you down to 200 feet above TDZE, but that's not always the case.ĬAT II/III approaches are flown to DH minimums less than 200' above the runway's TDZE. That means you'll be 200' above the touchdown zone elevation (TDZE) when you reach DA. You'll see in smaller numbers "200" published next to the minimums for the approach. As you're descending on the glideslope, when you reach 6,085', you're at DA. Looking at the ILS approach in the image below, the published minimums for the straight-in ILS 35R are "6085 - 1/2". When you fly a Category I ILS, which is what almost all general aviation pilots will fly, you fly to a DA. Standard Cat I ILS)ĭecision Altitude (DA) is an MSL altitude. For simplicity, we'll explain the concept using ILS approaches. The type of approach flown determines whether you'll use a DA or DH for your minimums. And if your airplane is certified for extremely low weather conditions, you might even fly a CAT II/III approach. In the lowest of weather conditions, you'll likely find yourself flying a CAT I ILS or RNAV LPV approach.
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