Short-field landing is a demanding procedure for pilots in

aircraft An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...

, utilized when the length of the

runway In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...

landing Landing is the last part of a flight, where a flying animal, aircraft, or spacecraft returns to the ground. When the flying object returns to water, the process is called alighting, although it is commonly called "landing", "touchdown" or " spl ...

area is relatively short, or where obstacles in close vicinity to the landing approach limit the available landing area. In the latter case, the runway likely have a displaced threshold.

Technique

The required procedure differs based on the aircraft type, so the Pilots Operating Handbook (POH) should be consulted for the specific aircraft type. In general, the technique is to utilize maximum flaps for this type of landing. The approach is made with engine power commensurate with maintaining the approach

airspeed In aviation, airspeed is the speed of an aircraft relative to the air it is flying through (which itself is usually moving relative to the ground due to wind). In contrast, the ground speed is the speed of an aircraft with respect to the sur ...

listed in the POH. In cases where a POH is unavailable, a speed not more than 1.3 V_SO should be used. The use of full flaps will enable steeper approaches to the aiming point, which is particularly useful in cases where the approach must be made over obstacles. Speed must be maintained precisely in order to execute a stabilized approach. After touch-down, the pilot applies maximum wheel braking and up-elevator to counter the pitch-over moment caused by braking and reduce the chances of a propeller strike. Flaps are sometimes retracted to allow better braking performance by reducing lift on the wing. Spoilers may also be used, where equipped.

References

{{Types of take-off and landing Types of landing

Technique

See also

Further reading

References