Flaring techniques

[cmbaviator 5]

Hi guys

 

 

I was wondering how do you flare the V747-400?

[adamant365 28]

Great question. Some Boeing FCOMs spell out exactly what technique works best. The 747 FCOM supplied with QOTS II has a "Before Landing" and "After Landing" expanded procedure but nothing about the flare itself.

Here's what I've done with pretty good success (in the whopping 4 landings on touch and gos I've done): at 50 feet start "pre-flare"...basically just ever so lightly start applying backpressure on the yoke to prime yourself for the actual flare. No actual pitch up, just a focus technique I guess. At 30, smoothly pull back throttles to idle while gently pulling the nose up. I can't give a specific pitch to shoot for, but I can say shifting your viewpoint from the touchdown bars to the end of the runway at 100' gives a good sense of rate of descent, even in the sim. Aim for 50-200 rate of descent on touchdown at Vref. Don't hold the aircraft off trying for a greaser. Your throttles should be fully closed at/just before main wheel touchdown.

Edited to remove the "pre-flare" bit. Although I don't actually pitch up in this maneuver, it could be confusing to others. My hardware acts funny even without a null zone...takes a tiny bit of pull for pitch input to happen. If I wait until 30' to start any pull, I land very "firm."

[cmbaviator 5]

Great question. Some Boeing FCOMs spell out exactly what technique works best. The 747 FCOM supplied with QOTS II has a "Before Landing" and "After Landing" expanded procedure but nothing about the flare itself.

 

Here's what I've done with pretty good success (in the whopping 4 landings on touch and gos I've done): at 50 feet start "pre-flare"...basically just ever so lightly start applying backpressure on the yoke to prime yourself for the actual flare. No actual pitch up, just a focus technique I guess. At 30, smoothly pull back throttles to idle while gently pulling the nose up. I can't give a specific pitch to shoot for, but I can say shifting your viewpoint from the touchdown bars to the end of the runway at 100' gives a good sense of rate of descent, even in the sim. Aim for 50-200 rate of descent on touchdown at Vref. Don't hold the aircraft off trying for a greaser. Your throttles should be fully closed at/just before main wheel touchdown.

Thanks , would be nice to have some inputs fron 744 pilots

[skelsey 765]

The pitch change in the flare is about 2 degrees.

 

How much is 2 degrees?

 

Take your FCOM (OK -- iPad these days). The FCOM is a very important book that will help you flare the aircraft correctly.

 

Hold it out at arms length in front of you. Then move it up just barely enough that you can see the top edge move.

 

That's about 2 degrees.

 

When you flare, look out at the far end of the runway -- you need to be looking out there in order to judge the RoD and pitch change. At the THIRTY call, raise the nose just enough to be perceptible, just as you did with the FCOM, smoothly close the thrust levers (don't chop them or the nose will drop and you will bury it), hold the nose in the new position and wait for the kiss.

 

Obviously you need to have first flown a nice stable approach -- with F25 you should be about 3 degrees nose up with a stable thrust setting at Ref +5. I don't know if PMDG have modelled the ground effect but in the real thing this starts kicking in at about 200ft AGL and you will need to lower the nose slightly at this point to avoid getting high.

 

If you are not used to the 747 remember that the high flight deck will take a bit of getting used to. Aim slightly longer than you would in a narrowbody -- at the 1500ft markers is a good idea -- remember the very large eye to wheel height means that despite this longer aiming point touchdown will actually be at the normal spot. It is normal for the PAPIs to indicate slightly high (3w/1r is common especially in the late stages of the approach).

 

I would not advocate "pre-flaring" the aircraft as you come other the threshold -- this is poor technique and generally leads to excessive float.

[BlueStar 323]

Hi guys

 

 

I was wondering how do you flare the V747-400?

 

Just watch the autoland a couple of times and emulate that procedure. 

 

You folks are making this way too complicated. :smile: 

 

blaustern

[adamant365 28]

I would not advocate "pre-flaring" the aircraft as you come other the threshold -- this is poor technique and generally leads to excessive float.

 

I will take this to heart. I knew it was a bad habit. Sometimes my old CH yoke does funny things. 

 

Great post, thanks Simon!