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Don's Way by Don Goetz

After reading Bill Russell's comments on his landing technique, I would like to offer a few of my own. Bill's system is sound and well proven and should work for most people. I feel his system also requires more flying time, and more time in the Lancair to be comfortable. For most builders on their first flight in their Lancairs, experimenting with all sorts of different approach power settings and glide paths is not practical. If you fall into the new pilot category, let's talk basics for a few minutes.

When I'm helping builders with the first flights of their Lancair, I make them keep power on (just a little) all the way down to the runway, then fly down the runway without touching down about ten times. What this does is get them familiar with the approach feel and the sense of the ground rushing up to meet them (and the steep, fast final approach is something most pilots are not used to). Keeping in mind that many of these new Lancair flyers have not flown high performance aircraft before. They maybe used to cutting power and float-ing the plane in from 50 feet, ala Cessna 150. I find that when the new pilot is stabilized, flying smoothly down the runway. the Lancair will settle itself nicely onto the ground.

I have seen too many builders trying to flare too high, resulting in a lousy landing. Once you learn the feel of the Lancair, then you can approach with a steeper angle of attack and a lot slower, making more conventional, slower touchdowns. So until the Lancair pilot gets more experience, stick to the basics of keeping the nose down and speed up enough to keep those wings flying.

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