The Threshold Of Immediate Control

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
This article discusses an interesting landing technique. Does anyone
use it?


http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pi.../ltol0508.html

License to Learn
The threshold of immediate control
BY ROD MACHADO (From AOPA Pilot, August 2005.)

...

And that's the way it was years ago when I was a very young flight
instructor in the right seat of a Cessna 210, where I witnessed a very
unusual behavior. The fellow I observed doing the deed looked like he
was performing miniature push-ups on the yoke, moving the elevator
forward and aft in small increments during the landing flare. It
appeared that he was pumping himself up to get down, and he continued
these shenanigans until the wheels kissed the concrete.


Before I started lessons, my previous couple of flights were as pax in a
C-180 on floats. The pilot used that exact technique for water landings.

The first time my instructor had me "land by myself", I tried to approximate
the same small back-and-forth in the flare, believing this to be a standard
technique.

He nearly took my head off.

I thought I was the only one until I read Rod's article today! I have
used this technique, more or less subconsciously when flaring larger
low wing singles, to coax a greaser out of the landing. If you are
slightly on the fast side and you encounter ground effect this comes in
handy. If you are slow or right on your desired touchdown speed then I
find I use it less.
That being the case, I too have found hostility from some instructors
or check airmen. "Don't do that....you'll end up porpoising." "Don't
do that its poor technique."
"But...the landing was perfect?" "Doesn't matter it's poor technique!"
(I think thats why I gave up piano lessons years ago...had an
instructor who loved to say "that's poor technique")

I'm sticking with Rod on this one.
PTB