how come landings are mor bumpy then taking off?

Answer 1

I can only speak for myself here but, when you are taking off, you accelerate in a straight line (at least you hope so), rotate (pull the nose up off the runway) at a certain speed, and then when the right speed is reached, the aircraft becomes airborne. Its all one smooth operation.
Theoretically, landings should be just the reverse. But, sometimes we don't always exactly judge the height of the plane above the runway. When landing in a nose gear airplane, as you descend, you eventually round out the approach as you bring the nose up and the aircraft is parallel to the ground. You continue to bring the nose up so that your eventual touch down is on the main gear, the nose is held off, and then allowed to drop slowly. If you don't judge the distance above the runway too accurately, you can "plop" down a bit sometimes. We have all done it. I have done it in my little Cessna, one of my friends who is a CFI (and an airline captain) has done it with me in his plane, and I have felt it a couple of times when flying commercially. Other factors like cross winds, wind shear, and other weather factors can also have an effect.
In larger aircraft, the sudden deceleration from thrust reversers and spoilers may also have an effect but I'll let a commercial pilot answer that for you.

Answer 2

Who's landings are bumpy? Mine? Where is he? Let me at him. hahaha. You can always tell when the crew is proud of their landing. As you leave the airplane the cockpit door will be open and the captain and copilot standing there to wish you a good day and hope that you enjoyed your flight while smiling and patting each other on the back. When they've just dropped it in from twenty feet like a coke machine falling off the back of a truck, that cockpit door is closed tight until all the passengers are off. Even then, no matter who's landing it was, the captain will be blaming the copilot in front of the flight attendants.

The reality is though, some of the best landings I've ever made were some of the roughest. A twenty knot crosswind with wind shear over the threshold and if you can get her down on pavement without tearing the gear off the airplane is as good as you can do sometimes. And on occasion, the best landing you can make is one that you decide not to make at all.

Answer 3

Your forward velocity is at a faster and increasing rate when taking off. When landing with the angle of the aircraft and position of the flaps and slats your acting like a hang glider in in a way and wind and air density have more of a effect on the aircraft. You are doing more floating through the air than you are when you are landing

Answer 4

XP pilot has it.

Basically, the thrust on takeoff drives the plane through a lot of the turbulence, plus it's accelerating.

On descent and landing, the plane is decelerating, and riding more on the air. Without the thrust factor from the engines, it tends to be more influenced by air movement

Answer 5

Taking off is a transition from a solid, bit rough and perhaps a bit undulating surface to smooth air. As you start the take off roll and the air flow starts generating lift, all the effects of the (solid/bit rough/bit undulating) surface are minimised, and once airborn, eliminated.

On the other hand, while landing, you are transitioning from a smooth medium to a surface best described in the preceding paragarph. Coupled with this, a bit misjudged round out, combined with cross wind and wind shear can take the smoothness out of a perfect touchdown.

I have known pilots who carry out consistent good landings. Perhaps in them is a very keen sense of judgement coupled with bags of good luck.

Answer 6

When you land the aircraft is transitioning from support by a cushion of air to one of solid material. When you takeoff you are transitioning from a solid surface to an air cushion.

Similarly which has the most impact, when you dive into the water or when you rapidly pull your self out?

Answer 7

think about this, which is a rougher experience, when you jump up or when you come down, like a jumping jack. a landing isnt much more than that, its just a controlled collision between a small plane and a large planet.

Answer 8

because at takeoff you are already on the ground. and you go from 0- 200. on landings, you come from air to ground and come from 350 -0.

Answer 9

I like the last answer with the water comparison.

here's a joke that describes landing.

"Landing and airplane is just a controlled collision between you and the earth."

At least something like that. But in all reality, that is what it is.

Answer 10

Don't listen to all these lengthy explanations. The real answer is if you have experienced a bumpy landing that means the pilot has screwed it up. The perfect landing is when you hardley feel the aircrafts wheels touching the ground. It is a art to land a plane smoothly not every landing is going to be perfect!