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3 Answers

Best practices for landing straight in?

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Flight Instructor

We spend a lot of time on training traffic pattern procedures (downwind, base, final), such as power settings, speeds, and where to do it.  But it has been my experience that there is not much conversion of that procedure to straight-in landings.   I fly out of a towered airport and the norm for landings are either straight-in or from a base leg. 

So when flying (C172) for a straight-in landing, for example, when should I start my descent from pattern altitude?  I use a rule of thumb to start my power back at about 3 miles (to 80 knots), since the runway PAPI is set for a 3 degree glide slope, at 1000' AGL, I will intercept it at 3.6 miles (if I did the math right).   But I just wing it (sort of speak) when it comes to the right place to put in additional flaps and make further speed reductions.  In the pattern, we have fixed queues to indicate the proper place to make changes, but in a straight-in, especially at an unfamiliar airport, there are no easy visual queue that I know of.   Any advice?

3 Answers



  1. RobA61 on Jun 16, 2020

    I think what you’re doing vs the glide slope angle sounds like a good approach. The biggest mistake I see people make on straight in approaches in a single engine prop is configure flaps too early. You can wait to configure the airplane. As you know, the plane will get into configuration pretty quick. Don’t want to engage full flaps and have to “motor” your way to the threshold.

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  2. Mark Kolber on Jun 17, 2020

    Here’s the way I look at it visually without reliance on VASI, PAPI, etc.

    I use the same 3 miles as you do to be at pattern altitude and slowing to “downwind” IAS.

    If you think about the normal traffic pattern, it has three legs from where you begin your descent abeam the touchdown point. Mentally “unfold” the pattern to get a target distance from the runway to start down using your standard power reductions and configuration changes. Add a (small) fudge factor because you are not losing extra altitude in turns. As you get closer to the runway, you will begin to see your normal final come into view.

    It will feel weird at first but I think you’ll find it works. With a VASI or PAPI, you will of course have earlier indications of bein on target but it works even at airports with no visual slope indicators.

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  3. Grayson on Jun 17, 2020

    I tried this today with mixed results. At 3 miles out I powered to 1500, pitched for 80, 10° flaps.
    at 2 miles out, flaps 20, pitched for 70, and at 1 mile out flaps 30 and pitched for 60.
    This put me too low on the last mile.
    I think the problem is that an “unfolded” pattern is less than 3 miles. Actually I calculate more like 2 miles at most (assuming downwind is about 1/2 mile form runway and I turn base about 1/2 – 3/4 mile from end of runway).
    If I start at 3 miles for a 3° glideslope, I think 1700 RPM will work better, or I need to hold off till about 2.5 miles before starting descent.
    Thanks for the suggestions.

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