2007-11-13 06:47:38 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
Yes. But there was an incident, a good ten years ago, where an aircraft didn't slow down as it should. They said the cause was the weight on wheels switch wasn't triggered so the spoilers weren't deployed because the aircraft was light and the landing was too soft to register.
I have been impressed with Jet Blue, Southwest, Virgin and BA. They've all done a good job. I think it's down to pilots, not airlines. The worst? A 737 did a nice carrier landing somewhere in the midwest once, all I remember about it was that after hitting the ground the pilot flicked on the intercom and said "check your fillings". Then the cabin crew came on and said "just as soon as these two miracles of aviation have taxied the remains of the aircraft to the ramp we'll be delivering what's left of your baggage to carousel A". I had to admire their sense of humor.
2007-11-13 06:58:55 · answer #1 · answered by Chris H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'll let you know what we feel as a guy at the front. We will try to put it down smoothly for passenger comfort but we prefer firmer landings in windy, wet, snowy conditions or a short runway as the wheel 'spin up' is very positive in that case and the aircraft will settle faster onto the runway, thus letting the braking action have more effect on the landing run
But this is secondary. A good landing as far as I am concerned (and many others as well) mean comming in at the proper speed, slope, centreline, and touching down at the right spot. A stable approach usually leads to a nice landing. "Smoothness" is usually a bonus and the more experienced you get the more frequent these bonuses come along
2007-11-14 06:09:37 · answer #2 · answered by ZKSUJ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To me smooth landings are preferable to the bone jarring slam jobs some of the pilots are capable of.
As far as airlines I fly a lot on many different airlines and I think that geography has more to do with the quality of landings than any specific airline.
2007-11-13 14:55:57 · answer #3 · answered by elephant t 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A saying I once heard.
A hard landing in the touchdown zone is better than a smooth landing out of it.
There is no record kept of smooth landings and if there was there would be no way of guaranteeing a smooth landing anyways.
Another saying:
There are three rules to making a smooth landing, unfortunately no one knows what they are.
2007-11-13 14:57:15 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think every pilot here will agree they shoot for smooth and comfortable most of the time. However, depending on conditions and runway length a firm landing is definitely the better option. We operate out of 'short' strips (for our aircraft) and it's better to get the plane down and engage the squat-switch so we can deploy the spoilers and T/R's.
No sense rolling it on then rolling right off the end :)
2007-11-13 18:57:04 · answer #5 · answered by Mike Tyson 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A hard landing is always the best one.If you touch down soft you are going way to slow.It never should be a time when you dont feel the wheels touch the ground.Also the airlines dont matter,because its not the plane its the pilot.
2007-11-13 15:27:42 · answer #6 · answered by AJ 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
not nessecarily, what the use of a smooth landing if you get more speed and longer braking distance? i think it depends on a lot of factor to judge a landing.
2007-11-13 14:58:20 · answer #7 · answered by Willy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. "Moderately firm" is what some airline manuals call for.
2007-11-14 11:08:43 · answer #8 · answered by Mark 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋