How to Land a Jet Airplane

It’s amazing how many similarities exist between landing small aircraft and landing large aircraft. This is because the fundamentals relating to the transition from an approach to landing are rooted in basic and universal aerodynamic principles. Together, we will look at some basic techniques on how to land a jet airplane which can be used in most high-performance jet aircraft like a CRJ 100/200 or the Airbus A320 family. The content of this article is for information purposes only.

A Good Approach

Every pilot will agree with one thing, a good landing starts with a good stable approach. Large transport category aircraft which are operated by air operators will have the same general requirements: be stable by 1,000 feet above airport elevation if in IMC, instrument meteorological conditions, or by 500 feet if in VMC, visual meteorological conditions. This requires that the aircraft be in the desired landing configuration with a stabilized sink rate, constant profile, proper airspeed, and required engine thrust.

Here are some typical stabilization criteria that airline pilots follow:

• Normal sink rate around 500-800 feet per minute
• Landing flaps are selected for the final landing configuration
• Airspeed is at final approach speed plus any additive
• Thrust of the engines should be stable, usually above idle
• Flight path is established on the vertical and lateral paths

This list is not exhaustive and will vary between air operators. Aircraft which do not meet all of the stabilization criteria at the respective heights must go-around. If the aircraft becomes unstable at any point below these heights, the pilots must complete a go-around. For example, if an aircraft begins its flare but is no longer able to land in the touchdown zone due to excessive speed, the pilots must perform a go-around. Stabilization criteria are taken very seriously at all airlines as failure to adhere to these standards will increase the risks associated with landing.

How to Flare a Jet

The purpose of the flare maneuver is to arrest the constant descent of the aircraft and transition into a smooth landing. During the flare, the aircraft must gracefully lose its airspeed and energy while it lands. The technique to accomplishing this is a balancing act which student pilots and airline pilots may often struggle with.

The struggle exists because the conditions of every landing are different and will always require some different technique. Winds may change, weight will change, approach speeds can change – there are a lot of variable.

The steps to transition into the flare are fairly basic:

• Reduce the power to idle or the desired landing power; and
• Adjust the attitude* to be at the landing attitude of your aircraft.
  • *In the context of aviating, attitude refers to the position of the nose relative to the horizon.

From stabilized conditions, the height to initiate a flare can be anywhere from 50 feet (CRJ 100/200) to as low as 30 feet (Airbus A320). Simultaneously, the engine thrust will be reduced to idle. If an aircraft has rear mounted engines, the nose may naturally want to pitch up slightly as thrust is reduced to idle due to the nose-up thrust vector. In this case, pilots may have to check slightly to compensate for this. With engines mounted under the wings, the nose will tend to pitch down with the reduction of thrust. In any case, pilots must adjust the attitude of the aircraft based on the rate of decent to ensure a smooth landing.

A high or early flare can lead to many complications such as a balloon, tail strike, hard landing, or aerodynamic stall. If the flight crew manage power so it is not idle, the aircraft may overshoot the intended landing zone and land long. If an aircraft is flared too late, any pitch changes to the aircraft will not allow enough time for the trajectory of the aircraft to change. This can lead to an extremely hard landing. During hard landings, the aircraft may porpoise or bounce which can generate loads sufficient to cause structural damage to the aircraft.

Touchdown

When the wheels touchdown, the power should be at idle. Large transport category aircraft will have ground lift dumping systems which rely on multiple system inputs to detect that the aircraft is on the ground. Once this detection is made, auto brakes (if installed) will automatically activate, spoilers will deploy on the wings, and automatic systems will ensure the aircraft stays on the ground.

Pilots must also fly the nose wheel onto the ground from the nose up landing attitude. If the nose wheel is not properly flown to the ground, structural damage may occur. Once the aircraft is on the ground, pilots will deploy the thrust reversers as soon as possible to stop the aircraft. Directional control will be maintained through the use of rudder and eventually the nose-wheel steering tiller as the aircraft decelerates.

Crosswind Landings in a Jet

While on final approach in a crosswind, runway alignment is ensured by crabbing the aircraft into the wind. When commencing the flare, rudder is applied to align the aircraft with the runway centerline and, if touchdown is delayed, ailerons will be applied to precent a sideways drift. In a smaller jet like the CRJ 100, aileron input will be gradually displaced into the wind as aircraft speed decreases.

On larger aircraft inducing any type of roll movement may increase the tendency of the aircraft to weathercock into the wind. It may also increase the differential down force on the wheels and landing gear which are found on the upwind side of the aircraft. This means that if the wind is coming from the left and left aileron was inadvertently used, there would be a down force on the left main gear.

Information on this article was adapted from the CRJ 100/200 Flight Crew Operations Manual as well as the Airbus A320 Generic FCOM. This is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be used in real life.

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