How to (properly) land a Cessna 172/182

In this Post, I will guide you on how to land a Cessna 172/182 in flight sim.

The Setting

We are sitting in a Cessna 172/182 and are on final of our runway.

The Approach

We already have a visual to our runway and are approximately 3 Miles out. It's time to lower the first notch of flaps. We are flying an Airspeed of around 80 KIAS. Now the biggest dfference to other planes: Control pitch by thrust.

That means: You do not change the elevator position until a few feet above ground. You just trim the plane for 80 KIAS and then if you want to go down, you apply fewer throttle and if you want to go up, you apply more throttle. It sounds strange at first, but try it out! It is much more precise than with the yoke.

Short final

On short final, you get your flaps even more down, if you haven't done so yet. If there is a strong crosswind, consider to land with only two notches of flaps, to give the wind fewer area to "attack". You also slow down the plane even more. You want a maximum  of 65 KIAS. Many people say "with 65 over the fence". In reality, I always experienced this speed way too high. But I am usually flying with no pax and without any additional load, so the plane is close to empty at landing. You always have to decide by yourself what your approach speed will be.

Before landing

Now we are just going over the fence. You can now start using your yoke again. Always aim for the numbers (the runway designators). Fly towards them, that you would touch down on them if you were continue flying straight.

A few feet above ground, you will cut your throttle. Now flare the plane. Gently pull back on the stick. You want to hold the plane up, to dump the airspeed. Don't hesitate, pull it way up. When dumping the airspeed you should sustain level flight only a few feet above ground. As soon as you come near stall speed, stop pulling back at the yoke and let the plane slowly glide down towards the tarmac. Now pull back again, only a few inches above the ground. That's the last flare. The wheels should touchdown exactly at the moment, the stall horn is coming on.

But it isn't over yet. After touchdown, your nose-wheel will still be in the air. Don't let it drop! Pull the yoke back even more. Also don't use the brakes! By pulling up the nose, the plane brakes by air. This is called aerodynamical breaking. The advantage of this is, that the brakes will not wear out so fast. At some moment, you are at the point, the plane is too slow as the elevators can hold be nose up in the air. Don't let it drop now. The nose will gently drop down on the nosewheel. 

Now you can use your brakes to bring the plane to a complete stop.

That's how you land a Cessna in flight sim using real world procedures.

Disclaimer: I am not a real-world pilot. All knowledge is self-taught. The information shown on this page is not to be used for real-world flying. Please consult a certified flight instructor to learn how to properly land a Cessna 172/182 in real-life.

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