Smooth Touchdown

The Flare

The flare is the last few seconds before landing. You stop descending toward the runway and instead let the airplane float down very slowly until the wheels touch.

The Flare

A gentle, gradual pull back on the yoke that raises the nose and slows the descent right before touchdown. Pull too fast and you balloon up; pull too late and you land hard.

Where to Look

Look at the far end of the runway, not the ground right in front of you. It helps your eyes judge the height for a smooth touchdown.

Main Wheels First

Let the two big main wheels touch first, with the nose still up. The little nose wheel comes down gently afterward.

The best landings happen when the stall horn chirps just as the wheels touch. That means you used up all your extra speed at exactly the right moment — pilots call that a "greaser."

Instructor Setup

C172 G1000 on a stabilized power-off final, full flaps, lined up with the runway at the home airport. Plan about 20 minutes. Calm winds for consistent flares.

Session Flow

1. Brief the flare (3 min). Explain the round-out at 10 to 20 feet, the gradual pull, and looking at the far end of the runway.
2. Instructor demo (4 min). Fly one approach and flare while the student watches the picture and the eyes-to-the-far-end technique.
3. Guided flares (7 min). Student flies the approach; coach the start of the flare and the gradual pull. Hands lightly available on the yoke.
4. Solo-feel flares (4 min). Student flies and flares with minimal input; reset and repeat as time allows.
5. Wrap (2 min). Recap flare height and the stall-horn-at-touchdown goal; preview "Short Runway."

Watch for ballooning from yanking the yoke. Coach a slow, continuous pull. Reset and go around rather than salvaging a bad flare.

Debrief

• Began the flare at about 10 to 20 feet above the runway
• Pulled back gradually instead of yanking the yoke
• Kept eyes on the far end of the runway during the flare
• Let the main wheels touch first and kept the airplane straight on rollout

Next Lesson

Next up is "Short Runway" (K40): short-field takeoffs and landings where you use every inch of pavement and stop in the shortest distance. If the flare timing felt rushed today, review it for the first two minutes of K40 before tackling the short-field landing.

Skills You'll Work On

These are the maneuvers and procedures covered in this lesson. Your instructor tracks each one as you progress.

• Normal/ Crosswind Landing
• Side Slip Technique
• After Landing Parking and Securing

Grades reflect what was covered in this lesson, not a certification of pilot competency.

Lesson Plan

Where this fits: Final of three sessions drawn from PPL Lesson 13, "Glide Approach and Landing." This session covers the flare and touchdown that complete the power-off approach practiced in K37 and refined in K38.

Prerequisite

K38 (Aiming Point) — student can place the aiming point on the runway numbers.

Materials

C172 G1000 simulator, student checklist card, headset.

Goal for this session

Student can perform a smooth flare and touchdown at the end of a power-off approach, touching down on the main wheels.

Looking Ahead

• K40 — Short Runway: short-field takeoff and landing technique.
• K41 — Grass Strip: soft-field takeoff and landing technique.