This video and theory on aim point/reference point has completely changed my landings from complete garbage to “pretty darn good”!! Thanks for sharing it!!

I am not questioning your methodology - works for you, but have been flying for over 42 years and have thrown the term "flare" out of the vocabulary for all students. Many CFIs fail to teach a student why they learn slow flight. The primary reason for slow flight is to land. Once over the numbers transition to slow flight and hold the plane off as long as possible. Landing for the student that learns this will make better landings very early in training. If I have a student or doing review and pilot is having trouble landing - have them slow flight down a long runway and they will immediately make better landings.

Hey man, I just got my private pilot certificate and used a ton of your videos to prepare throughout the process. You have an awesome channel! Thanks so much!

When I got my tailwheel endorsment 30 years ago, I learned the importance on "impriniting" the look of the aircraft just before take off. If you are going to 3 point a taildrager you need to replicate that attitude as you land. PS: it works for all aircraft, just allow a little more nose attitude for a tricycle undercarridge. By the way, at 70 years of age, my peripheral vision is just fine! I did a BFR today, 4 x squeaky landings dead on center. Don't "dis" us old guys!

Years ago, I had a lot of practice on a strip that was 50' wide. Then, my instructor had me do a night landing without lights at a former military airport with a 150' width runway. I was beginning my flare when the instructor turned on the landing lights. He was familiar with that airport and I wasn't. He could see that I was 3 times higher than I wanted to be. Perspective can be a bitch when you are in unfamiliar territory.

Only (for now) a sim pilot, but watched this video this morning, and in the afternoon, did my best landing so far. The "switch" concept made an enormous difference, thanks for explaining!

Great tips. I'm qualified for solo the next day after watching this video. Big thanks.

Great Video. Really love what you do and your content. Couple discussion points from one CFI to another: 3 degree glide slope - I really like that you bring up the fact that we, as instructors, tend to teach "look down the runway" and to use peripherals, however, we forget that's tough for a new student trying to learn to land as they don't know what those visual ques are. The only thing I am not over keen on is the whole "3 degree glide slope" idea. Hear me out; take a new pilot out, learning to land, and tell them to fly a 3 degree glide slope. I promise you that they will rarely fly exactly 3 degrees. The reason I say this is because I took a bunch of airline and GA pilots out to test this theory and not one person flew exactly 3 degrees. Everyone's perception of that is a little different, especially when you don't have an ILS or LPV set up. Okay, we can do some math and figure it out, ground speed X 5. Tell a new student to do that calculation while in the circuit or on approach, see how quickly you become unstable. Lol. You know exactly what I mean hahaha. CFI - "do a ground speed check" student - eyes fixed in lap, spiral dive ensues. hahaha. My second point on this, and this is strictly personal preference, is that at any point in the circuit, you should be able to land on your intended runway. If you are on a 3 degree glideslope, you wont make the runway should you have an engine failure base to final . Just food for thought. Love the idea of teaching an aimpoint right away from day one. Great point! The cowling under the horizon is great, works as a great visual cue and I find that students tend to "get it". Not sure if I missed it, however sometimes raising the seat a little on some students fixes a lot of this as well. Not sure if you have tried that, however, worth a shot if someone is really struggling. Keep up the fantastic work!

I have 20 hours now coming up on my solo I’m scared to death about the landing been trying to get over the fear of it lol. This helped understand in a different way I’m going to start this today !

I'll give this a go on my next practice flight. The accuracy part of the short field and poweroff 180 are my biggest concern for the checkride.

WOW! Saw this vid a couple of weeks ago and have practiced it nonstop on my flight simulator and after eight months of not flying in a real Cessna 172 I applied it yesterday to my lesson with spectacular results! My CFI was impressed so I sent him the lesson as it gave me a much more consistent perspective on where I was in relationship to the ground! I have friends in grand Lakes we visit and next time would love to come and meet you if you are around!

✈️ I always aimed for the dirt. And touched down at Runway End ! ✈️ I sat about the same distance off the ground in my Ford Explorer as I did in the 172. When it almost got to that same height I would start flare. ✈️ Sit on the Runway End after engine run up. Before take off. Take a few long looks all around and down the Runway. This same height and look is what to flare for. -just before this same height, start flare out.

Your technique did help me pass my ppl checkride today! I was having difficulty with my landings and your video helped me fix my landings! Much appreciate it!

Thirty five years ago I flew a long cross country with my instructor. I was the PIC. We knew the return flight would be around 10:30pm. When we arrived back at our home airport it was pitch black with zero moonlight. I clicked the mic five times to turn on the runway lights. After extending the landing gear I switched on the aircraft’s runway light. It did not come on. The runway was a dark black bottomless pit. I drew a line in my mind between the runway lights and used it as the runway surface. I flared and touched down with a slight bounce but my anxiety piqued and drained within a few seconds that seemed like hours. Anyway, landing on an invisible runway can be done but I feel a little luck may be involved.

I have the same glasses! They’re prescription with the magnetic clip on sunglass part tho. I love my flying eyes

Hey man, I failed my landing evaluation a few days. After watching your video and did a few flight with my instructor, it really improves my landing. Thank you and keep making great videos!

5:39 I really was freaked out OMG 😂 thank you for your awesome video!!! I am practicing my landing, this video helps me so much! Like the title in this video, actually there are so many important things she didn’t teach me.

Thanks for this - the part between 8:00-16:00 is what I was looking for - gives me a slight more methodical way too approach my landing technique.

If a stabalized approach is TRULY established, which is to say, that trim forces are ZERO, then ground cushion & throttle only slightly reduced is all that's needed to land. Further increase (flare) in angle of attack will not be required.

Great video - so clear and easy to understand. I trained VFR stick and rudder on a Cub almost as old as I am in the UK on grass so no runway markers, and had problems judging the flare. Then my instructor told me something very simple: “start your flare when the middle of the runway rises to meet the end on the runway”. It worked for me on grass then and still does now.

That jump scare at 5:40 really got me 😂

This guy is just amazing … best instructor ever … thank you so much … greetings from spain

As a Student near to solo this video is a HUGE help, judging height is THE issue for me. SO thank you @Free Pilot Training 👍👍👍 And, Although good, massive hours pilots can nail this they are not necessarily the best instructors 😉 - you are a great teacher/instructor.

Good lord this is so helpful. The biggest issue I had was that it always felt like I was guessing how high I was from the ground. Knowing that the lines are 120+80ft apart is huge

I just wanted to thank you. I was having trouble transitioning to landing and this has helped me so much. Thanks again keep up the great content.

I had a good friend who was a Navigator in the USAF and later became a pilot. He said the thing he liked most about piloting is that he could rely on sight picture and muscle memory in lieu of solving three-dimensional math problems. Plus, the satisfaction of making a good landing was inherently rewarding. 🤠😳🤓🧐🤨😊

Thank you, you are better than my flight instructor.

This video itself has almost perfected my landings. Also with Ralph Machado’s video of Runway Expansion Effect. Disabled USAF, so can only fly via FSFS and HOTAS. Thanks. Tom

Landing become a natural reflex. Use the end of the runway to line up. As you approach the threshold shift your eyes to the Lindbergh reference, (lower part of windshield), airspeed and attitude. I will flatten out with the instrument panel just above the pavement and let the airspeed bleed off. As the plane settles near stall, I raise the nose about 3 to 5 degrees up. My landings usually touch down without sound as my nose wheel remains above the pavement until there is no loner any elevator effectiveness left. Cross the threshold at 1.3 x VSO. You will never float or bounce.

Excellent deep dive here! I appreciate the objective outside references as it reminds me of using "touch points" with archery or marksmanship. I'm going to put this into practice over the next few weeks and see if I can't dial in my landings.

Well done! There are hordes of videos on-line from so-called instructors, but only this one actually analyzes the task properly. BZ

This was great help. I have recently started having trouble with my landings and this addresses everything i was having an issue with! Thank you for this video!

I was going to get the glasses but there’s a reason why I’m here trying to get free training lol. Was trying to buy to support but struggling to make the payments on my training but thanks for everything you are awesome and every single video that I watch is been great and super helpful keep the great work

Very nice video. I have been using a similar method for myself but this is the first time I have heard this described so well. Helps me "up my game" Thanks for this.

Logical progression for landing maneuvers, clear explanation, video site references invaluable.

Awesome video thanks and great sun glasses 😊

GM Josh! Hey I've looked at most if not all of your video's! The way you teach/demonstrate procedures is great! Great news is that I passed my Checkride the day after Labor Day 2022 and received my plastic yesterday! Keep up the great work and because of you my landings are still getting better! Like your Father in Law; I'm know spring chicken!🤣

I like your mention of changes going from aircraft to aircraft. Yes, some seat higher and some lower. You also have differing cg to contend with. A technique a float plane pilot gave me I’ve found works well going between aircraft. Consider on the water you have difficulty telling how high you are. Similarly, in the same aircraft, seat height changes in the amphibian on the water versus wheels down on land. He used “chip and hold, chip and hold, chip and hold hold hold.” Is was like a ratchet with each chip slightly nose up flown open handed such that you cannot wrongly push nose. It was discreet as opposed to smooth analog. You still have downward trajectory in the first chip so while you’ll slow a little, you won’t bleed out. The hold gives means to fix. If high, hold just a little longer till next chip. If low, chip again sooner.

I learned how to flare flying RC jets. It's exactly the same principles, just a whole lot cheaper to learn before you go flying GA.

I’m a 35 year pilot, CFI-I and have the full spectrum of aged students. One of my students just showed me this video, said it was very helpful to him, so I enthusiastically watched. All I can say is outstanding job! I discovered areas that I’m not emphasizing enough as well! This will be especially helpful teaching my older students that too often “brain freeze” and fail to flare.

Best video on KZfaq for landing

Love the video, just one thing, usally patterns on (GA airports ) are at ~5K ft from runway and at 600ft AAL (final). That makes it 6deg glideslope, for 3deg you need 12K ft that makes it very long final.

Interesting take! As always, insightful, well delivered, and focused on the essence of the topic. I will say in this case, I was excited to see this so I could share it with a few friends that are training who are having trouble at the landing stage (understandably), but when I watched - despite being an interesting next level concept, I found it too cerebral and mental math-based to easily grasp. If I was thinking trig when I landed I would end up in a Walmart parking lot. Granted, I am not that smart. Truly appreciate your growing library of awesome.

Good explanation on the pitch and power to maintain glide. Although when it comes to rounding out I think it is much easier to do it just as you reach the aim point. You are right that it is easier to land with no flaps. It also seems easier to land by gliding only during emergency circuit training because there is no power to contend with which keeps throwing the plane off balance for the inexperienced pilot.

Thank for pointing me to this video of yours, it answers all my questions nicely from the other video. I’ll definitely try all this next time. In the UK we do not have a landing point, maybe that’s what need to check also. Thank you very much.

I am getting my PPL and your videos are incredibly good. Thank you very much. Awesome work

There’s room to talk about field elevation in that closure rate relative to your flare discussion here. Just like IAS vs TAS, there’s indicated VVI and real VVI. Add thinner air means slightly more time for control response. More VVI to overcome with less umpf to do it.

Nice, i will be needing to watch this video over and over soon, i mentioned in my previous comment i had a discover flight, well today (monday 4th july 2022) i passed my class 2 medical, so im gonna be booking ppl lessons tomorrow :) keep up the good work, great channel ill remember that, crack, shift, idle, flare ill let you know if this helps in a pa28, also ill let you know if my instructor comes up with anything similar for landing

Great video, I'll try this in my Cherokee 140/160

I finished flying because it got too expensive. I didn't know all this back 48 years ago but all my landings were very good just using what the instructor said. I took off one fine day with about 30 flying hours and went up 5000ft to do a spin. I was up with a friend hours before. He asked if I'd liked to go and of course, you can't say no to such thing as a free flight. He did several spins and let me do one from the right seat. So...I had the confidence to do this that day without the instructor's permission. During the second spin a loud noise echoed thoughout the fuselage and I quickly looked at my speed but that was within range. I finished the 3rd spin and returned to level flight and normal cruise speed but the noise didn't stop. I called Control Tower, told him my problem and asked for a straight-in approach. The noise was so loud I couldn't make out his instructions so I was forced to keep an eye on traffice and proceed with my request. I thought I'd be nervous but...made another good landing. The instructor made the comment that maybe the end of the seatbelt was outside the the door. He didn't ask and I didn't tell him but I suspect he knew and I knew he was quite right. Good thing to check. Another wise check is that the seat is locked in position. To all the students pilots. Have a good and safe flight and keep a cool head. Over and out.

Grazie molte! Da student pilot sei una risorsa preziosa :)

Very good explanation, by the way I’m 56 and still have great peripheral vision I can tell when my copilot is picking his nose

Any possibility of you making a video on landing techniques for no wind situations? I do decent in HW's but no winds screw me up. Thanks and love the videos, really helps me not only learn but understand the why's behind things.

Thank you very much. Great video. That's a very cool visualisation technique. This of course works great in the US with all your big asphalt and concrete runways. These are often lacking in Europe. Many people here - myself included - learned on small fields, many with short grass runways (in my case about 2000ft long at slightly over 2000ft elevation). The shortest in my area is a 1200ft asphalt runway at 1500 ft. On grass there are no markings, no bars, no threshold, sometimes not even plastic runway markers and no room to let the plane float down on its own when you come in high. Could you make a video how to learn a good final, roundout, flare and touch down in those conditions? Thanks very much 😊

This is so interesting, I've flown 20 years, but I'm going to try this.

An conversation about runway effect (float) is a major part of landing. If a round a bit early. Yeah, it happens to everyone. As soon as I feel the float I add a little power. Similar to a soft field landing.

Muchas gracias, se ayuda a estudiantes de muchas partes saludos desde México capitan👌👍🏼

Flare A simple maneuver performed moments before landing in which the nose of an aircraft is pitched up to minimize the touchdown rate of speed. source: FAA

Another great vid. I feel you on the older eyes thing. I started flying when I was 19~20 years old... but now that I'm 50... I can still pass my med without glasses... but I know that my eyes are nowhere near as good. Keep up the good work.

Thanks!

Buttery, thanks for your advice

Love your videos. Suggestions... visuals for some of us make easier understanding. It’d have been very useful to put arrows or lines to show where we are aiming on the runaway or show the fist level from the plane for guidance to guide slope

Every instructor I had told me to look at the end of the runway. My landings sucks. One day I decided to stop listing the instructor and follow my instincts. When I stop looking at the end of the runway, I started making really smooth landings. I still dont know why. I just look directly in front of the plane.

Clear and concise

I'm not a pilot. However I'm a great driver on the road even though I'm now 80yo. The reason? I have not lost ANYTHING when it comes to peripheral vision but what is even more important is depth perception. Most males have good depth perception but the vast majority of females do not. My spouse had several accidents in her lifetime because she had no idea how far something was away & could not perceive closing speed because of that. Its interesting that you mentioned ground rush. One can even notice that differential between driving a sports car and a semi. Yep one day a sports car enthusiast was riding with me on a run and he asks how fast are you going? He thought I was doing about 50 when I was actually driving 65. Told him to look at the dashcam readout there. He was shocked.

Thank you

Great Instructor!

Thank you. This video is super helpful.

I feel like I've always done this but didn't parse it out into individual steps. That's something you realize when you instruct though! Also, back taxi on 36 for 17? Maybe 35 after a runway redesignation?

A wonderful video-but the TRIG - a bit confusing

Thank you so well put together and in a way I understand

this video was done with Good Flare .

Thank you both very informative

What's a glide slope? I practice low & high approaches, short approaches, obstacle clearance approaches, etc. Doing VFR practice landings means I'm never doing the same approach twice. Great training.

One of the most useful and smart videos I've ever seen about aviation. Thank you so much! (Y)

I've watched several of your videos and finally subscribed as this one really spoke to me (not that the others aren't good). I'm a student pilot with about 20 hours and really struggling with my landings(still haven't soloed, but my lessons have been very sporadic due to work schedules). Looks like you are based out of NE OK? If so I would be interested in touching base with you at some point to get a different point of view if you have the time. My 150 is based out of KTUL. Good stuff. Always enjoy it.

I haven't even started flying. I'm starting soon. Got my written done but a bit nervous to start.

Best advice I was given was " try not to land it" in that control the speed right down over the threshold and hold it off just a few feet above the runway as the speed decays

Jacobson flair method gives a full explanation from the math perspective. It probably works really well for a large heavy aircraft; I’m personally skeptical about its applicability to primary training. The method described in this video is likely to lead to a crash if your weight is different than usual, if your descent angle is different than usual, if your runway doesn’t have sufficient markings or you misinterpret the markings, etc. I’d much rather just train my brain to judge the 3-6 feet remaining to the surface than try to make all those computations and parameters work for me. People usually crash under unfamiliar conditions when something is different; that is when this method works the worst.

5:38 That startled the fuck out of me

Fantastic video, thanks a lot

Excellent stuff bro

awesome I really needed this

Not too bad. I say, perfect.

Excellent video the best CFI

I am still trying to fly my first solo. It’s been 20 hours but i still cant clean my landings. I hope that video will help me, thanks a lot.

Thanks for video very informative

Well done sir 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Great video, one more question,when do you cut the power?

Love your videos. I often share them with my students. Do you plan to be a lifelong CFI or pursue a different flying career?

You want to make good landings, carry some power down to the runway don't cut power when you think you have the runway made, and forget using full flaps on a 6,000 ft runway 20% works just fine. Works every time.

When doing the pilot training can I use a twin-engine about 250 horsepower four-seater with the landing gears or does it have to be a regular two-seater oneprop airplane?

Before you hit the ground

Is this a technique that I would be able to do in a Piper Archer…? My landings are decent but I am definitely having some trouble with my timing as to when to flare… Which ofcourse can make the landings harder than need be….

Great videos! Are you planning any videos on weight and balance? Thanks Al

Hope you’re still making new videos

Great advice is an understatement, perhaps your best and useful video yet, I wish you had make it a while back, it could have save me time and money. At the end of my training I start using the compass as guidance to know when to flare, it improved my landings right away, the compass on the plane is about a fist height. Again great, great advice.

No need to do the big math. lock it in your windshield on the approach, and transition to flare when things get bigger on the sides looking to the opposite thresh.

Question. You aim point is where you are looking for your spinner to seem as it’s touching

You are the best 👏👏