I'm trying to get into more general aviation. It's freaken hard to land on a smaller runway. The smallest movements up/down or left/right make really dramatic differences when flying. It's near impossible to line up and be in line and the right speed * height. 

Any suggestions.

5 minutes ago, NZAA said:

I'm trying to get into more general aviation. It's freaken hard to land on a smaller runway. The smallest movements up/down or left/right make really dramatic differences when flying. It's near impossible to line up and be in line and the right speed * height. 

Any suggestions.

Keyboard, X-Box Controller, or Joystick or Yoke? 

Proper Trim, Flap and Power settings. Also make sure you tune your controller curves. 

The trick to a good landing, is that there isn't a trick; it starts with a good position a long way out and well controlled speed and rate of descent.

In a GA aeroplane you use the engine power to control the descent, and you use the pitch to control the speed. This is contrary to what most people would imagine is the case with aeroplanes, largely because they are used to seeing war and action movies where pilots push the stick forward to dive, or pull it back to climb, which you can of course do, but it isn't how typically you control things in a GA aeroplane.

So, practice using the throttle to get a power setting that will give you a gentle descent rate, and practice using the elevator (or elevator trimmer if your aeroplane has one) to get you holding at about 65-70 knots of speed (this is a typical GA aeroplane approach speed). When you can do that, look at the diagram I drew below to help with visualising where you should be. Don't think about trying to line up with the end of the runway, mentally draw a big long line out from it as shown on that diagram, and go for that point, then line up with the runway from there. With practice, this will get easier to judge.

Pick an aim point on the runway and then follow the three steps in that drawing to find your start point in the air. When you have that point noted, gently turn and line up so that you end up heading for the runway when at that location. Try it first with no crosswinds to make judging it easier. Make very gentle corrections to keep you pointed at the runway and try to spot trends and act on them rather than getting out of place and then reacting afterwards, in other words, stay ahead of what the aeroplane is doing. As noted, use pitch to control the speed and use throttle to control your descent rate.

As you get to the point where you know you are going to make the runway, roll back the power, then at the point where you can start to make out details such as actual blades of grass, that's normally the height at which you start flaring in a GA aeroplane. To flare, look all the way up along the runway to its far end to assist with steering, then progressively bring the stick (or yoke) back to try to keep the thing off the deck, this will slow you down and you will gently lower onto the runway. You are aiming to have the stall buzzer go off just as your wheels are inches from the runway surface (note the different coloured arcs on the airspeed indicator and where the stall speed is on that arc).

Edited July 3, 20214 yr by Chock

12 hours ago, in2tech said:

Keyboard, X-Box Controller, or Joystick or Yoke? 

Yoke, Saitek 

Can anyone with a Siatek Yoke or similar tell me what sensitivity setting they have

I have a Logitech joystick unadjusted from default sensitivity.  I think what Chock said is gold you just have to have the correct descent.

2 hours ago, NZAA said:

Can anyone with a Siatek Yoke or similar tell me what sensitivity setting they have

Sorry,

trying to upload settings images with no luck

One more try;

https://imgur.com/uXu3DKh

Edited July 3, 20214 yr by penta_a

4 hours ago, penta_a said:

Sorry,

trying to upload settings images with no luck

One more try;

https://imgur.com/uXu3DKh

You've only got 3 options, I have L-AXIS X, L-AXIS Y, L-AXIS Z, R-AXIS X & R-AXIS Y

Do you have a throttle quadrant attached to the yoke ?

13 hours ago, NZAA said:

You've only got 3 options, I have L-AXIS X, L-AXIS Y, L-AXIS Z, R-AXIS X & R-AXIS Y

try watching this video, it will help you understand better as it did to me,