Question about spoilers and pitch stability

On Sunday, February 3, 2013 10:50:16 AM UTC-7, waremark wrote:
In Europe standard practice is to teach fully held off landings, touching down just a fraction over stall speed in a 2 point attitude. Do the incidents referred to result from teaching a 'flown on' landing?



The fully held off approach results in far less energy to do damage if you hit a bump in an off field landing, or to generate a bounce. My flight manuals recommend it. I think there is debate about which technique involves greater risk of a PIO.

You are absolutely correct. A 'held off' landing with a two point contact is the way to do it. Even contact with the tail wheel a few cm lower than the main wheel won't hurt anything.

Where I've seen the too-fast landings become a habit is where a well intentioned instructor rants on endlessly about keeping a high airspeed in the pattern without defining "pattern" and without ever explaining the meaning of the yellow triangle on the ASI. Students and others may take this to mean the ideal airspeed on final approach is in Mach numbers. This has resulted in many overshoot accidents in addition to the Grob "PIO/PIB".

Final approach is where a pilot transitions from the pattern and sets up the touchdown. Short-final "over-the-fence" airspeed should be just above the yellow triangle which guarantees the correct touchdown attitude.

For those who haven't read their manuals, the yellow triangle marks the manufactures recommended minimum approach airspeed at maximum flying weight but without water ballast. That means you'll have just enough energy for a flare and hold-off.