Hi!

 

I just love the PMDG T7 and i like manual landings but i have some problems during night time. For me, landings during darkness are difficult. I usually have a little bit harder landings if it´s dark because i have to practise night landings^^. 

Today, FS Flight Keeper told me that my touchdown rate (-VS) was about -275 FPM. Normally i´m happy with -150 or -200. My question: Is a touchdown rate of -275 ok? 

 

Thanks for your answers!

 

 

Were you able to use the plane again after your landing?

If the answer to the previous question was yes, the landing was good.

Absouletly fine, just don't try to grease it and end up floating past the touch down zone. Aim to be firm and within the TDZ

 

 

Aim to be firm and within the TDZ

 

This.

 

Don't worry about always making a super smooth landing. - Greasers aren't always safe especially if you only give yourself 3000' of runway to slow down.  :lol:

 

I usually peg mine around 125-150FPM.

Absouletly fine, just don't try to grease it and end up floating past the touch down zone. Aim to be firm and within the TDZ

 

I agree 100% with this statement. Don't focus on your rate of descent just make sure you flare, positive touchdown and within the landing zone, the rest is history

On a sidenote, can the touchdown rate be measured rather accurately in FSX at all?

 

Do the external addons (like FS Captain) read the touchdown value from FSX or is there some external calculation involved?

On a sidenote, can the touchdown rate be measured rather accurately in FSX at all?

 

Do the external addons (like FS Captain) read the touchdown value from FSX or is there some external calculation involved?

You can use something like Lord of Landings that will tell you all sorts of parameters you had at touchdown.

 

Give Rex Latitude a try. It does a great job at scoring landings by evaluating many factors in the landing. There are some minor issues in the takeoff, climb and descent portion. It will ding you on comfort with a quick accel from stand still on takeoff. There may be situations when you perform a power set prior to brake release and it will ding you. It will also ding you when you shallow a bit to accel to 250  and when you shallow to accel to climb speed at 10,000. It does the same on descent when you shallow to slow as it looks for a constant climb/descent rate. Other than that the program is great! It monitors your whole flight from takeoff through landing roll and grades you on skill and pax comfort.

As part of certification the aircraft must be capable of landing at 600 fpm at MGLW.

If the MGLW is less than MGTW then the aircraft must be capable of landing at 360 fpm at MGTW.

 

Although most landing aircraft will have a descent rate of approximately 800 fpm on approach, they will touch down much close to 0 fpm than 800 fpm.

 

Billy Bluestar
 

All those parameters are irrelevant. Look out the windshield and make a positive touchdown within the touchdown zone. It's been said before and I'll say it again, a lot of these VA's are rating landings on vertical speed and it's dead wrong. FORGET YOUR VERTICAL SPEED! However it's a sim and if you get all warm and fuzzy by looking at those number be my guest

A lot of people tell you that a firm landing is better than a 'greased landing', but they don't explain why. So I've done a bit of research, and came out with a few reasons (please correct me if I'm wrong - I'm not a pilot).

 

1. Traction - better performance in inclement and good weather. Reduces the occurrence of aqua planing, shimmying etc.

2. Better to be in the TDZ than not, for the purposes of performance calculations and traffic flow. Runway distance required v landing distance available etc.

 

A sink rate on landing of 275 FPM is very acceptable in my view. Anywhere between 200 FPM and 600 FPM for me is acceptable.

 

Brian Nellis.

 

 

All those parameters are irrelevant

 

Which parameters are you referring to? 

 

Billy Bluestar

All those parameters are irrelevant. Look out the windshield and make a positive touchdown within the touchdown zone. It's been said before and I'll say it again, a lot of these VA's are rating landings on vertical speed and it's dead wrong. FORGET YOUR VERTICAL SPEED! However it's a sim and if you get all warm and fuzzy by looking at those number be my guest

I wouldn't quite say all those parameters are irrelevant, ever heard of FOQA? Pretty much what latitude does except in the real world if you bust a parameter you get called into an office asked to explain then find yourself out of a job.

I wouldn't quite say all those parameters are irrelevant, ever heard of FOQA? Pretty much what latitude does except in the real world if you bust a parameter you get called into an office asked to explain then find yourself out of a job.

Guess someone needs a helping of Just Culture to go with their FOQA . (Depending on the reason for why the parameter was busted of course)

 

For those not in the know, FOQA = Flight Operations Quality Assurance, basically tracking all kinds of flight parameters to ensure there are no trends that could potentially lead to unsafe situations (e.g. often landing with very low fuel, landing long, etc, this is analysed both on a pilot basis and on a destination basis).

 

While it's true that the lowest possible vertical speed should never by your priority when landing, coming in too hard is not good either. As mentioned above the landing gear is designed for a maximum of -600 fpm (-10 fps per the regs) at maximum landing weight. Get too close to that number and the plane will need a very extensive maintenance inspection, to check for damage, which will make both the bean counters and the people that were going to be on the next flight very unhappy.

Guess someone needs a helping of Just Culture to go with their FOQA . (Depending on the reason for why the parameter was busted of course)

 

For those not in the know, FOQA = Flight Operations Quality Assurance, basically tracking all kinds of flight parameters to ensure there are no trends that could potentially lead to unsafe situations (e.g. often landing with very low fuel, landing long, etc, this is analysed both on a pilot basis and on a destination basis).

 

While it's true that the lowest possible vertical speed should never by your priority when landing, coming in too hard is not good either. As mentioned above the landing gear is designed for a maximum of -600 fpm (-10 fps per the regs) at maximum landing weight. Get too close to that number and the plane will need a very extensive maintenance inspection, to check for damage, which will make both the bean counters and the people that were going to be on the next flight very unhappy.

So, is the normal tolerance region? Would you say everything between -50 and -300 fpm VS is smooth and untill -500 is ok?