Recovering from a "bad landing"

My "I want a greaser" attitude dwindles very quickly after every 1000ft marking we pass. Just not worth it. I'll take a Bleh landing in the touchdown zone over a greaser half way down the runway every time. If anyone says anything I just tell them it is our new policy to wake them up so they can make their connection.
 
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You got the shanks. Everyone gets them. They pass.
 
Can I ask you a question. Have you always had this uncertainty about landings in other than perfect conditions? It's definitely a confidence issue, but perhaps you just have never learned to truly land an aircraft and are still trying to sort it out. Do yo have the confidence to do it on your own in a C172 or whatever GA aircraft you used the most during your training? If not it may be worth it to go up with a flight instructor and work on your confidence. Landing is landing no matter what aircraft you fly, but it's easier to narrow down what's messing with you in a small aircraft with no pax. Once you sort that out then you can carry it to the Caravan or whatever else you fly. Now, don't let a firm landing get to you, we all do it. A few months back I slammed the bus on the runway, I felt bad about it, the captain was laughing wondering if we dropped the masks. It happens to all of us, but it sounds to me like you haven't quite mastered landing and need to work on your basics to sort that issue.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone! It's good to know that I am probably just blowing this way out of proportion in my head.

I am going to continue flight training this summer to get my multi-add on, also going to get about 20 hours in an SP for a "professional pilot" college course. Maybe then, I will seek out some windy airports and try the crosswinds out without the pressure of pax. However, I am sure I will be getting many more attempts on the line here in the near future, as this time of year the wind likes to howl at one of our destinations. Thanks again everyone!
 
Then there is the other side of the coin.

I've owned my Viking for almost 11 years. With over 1,400 landings in N4201B pretty much every landing is one to be proud of, even in a stiff crosswind. My pilot friends ask how I land so softly almost every time.

My honest answer is: I don't know? It just happens.

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phoenix 23684 said:
Can I ask you a question. Have you always had this uncertainty about landings in other than perfect conditions? It's definitely a confidence issue, but perhaps you just have never learned to truly land an aircraft and are still trying to sort it out.
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I'm almost willing to agree that this seems like it's likely to be the culprit.

Come to Alaska! ;9

But seriously, the 'van is a super easy airplane to fly and land, yes, but it can be a bit of a wallowing pig in squirrelly crosswinds, and sometimes it can be hard to feel exactly what it's doing behind you. When I was upgrading, the IP had me land on one wheel, then fly most of the length of the runway without letting any of the other wheels touch, then shift to the other wheel. That little exercise, done once, was surprisingly successful in giving me a better feel for the airplane. Another thing that the Juneau 'base chief pilot' told me was something that I-swear-to-god-nobody had ever told me before, and I'd been flying all sorts of things with great success:

"The ailerons are for side to side, the rudder keeps the nose straight."

Simple, stupid and obvious, but somehow that wording stuck in a different way that previous wordings hadn't.

Anyway, I'm not recommending you go fly one of our 'vans down the runway on one wheel with paying passengers aboard, but maybe there are other ways you can work on those skills.

And if all else fails, eh. We all have crap landings from time to time. Mine seem to run in streaks.

That's my thought, anyway.

-Fox
 
fholbert said:
Then there is the other side of the coin.

I've owned my Viking for almost 11 years. With over 1,400 landings in N4201B pretty much every landing is one to be proud of, even in a stiff crosswind. My pilot friends ask how I land so softly almost every time.

My honest answer is: I don't know? It just happens.

english-verbs-shrug-your-shoulders.jpg
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That's not generally a helpful message.

Some airplanes are just easy to land. The Great Lakes 2T, for example, just happily squishes onto the runway no matter how egregious your technique. I think some people are just wired better for some airplanes, and the sight picture on some airplanes has visual cues that make the job of landing straight and judging height much easier.

-Fox
 
Seriously the Van has to be the easiest landing airplane ever. Like easier than a 172. If you have electric trim it lands itself. Crosswinds? The airplane one-wheels beautifully. That huge spring steel tube and those big ol tires soak up clunkers that would have you hiding in shame in, say, a PA32. Don't mean to sound like a jerk but if you have trouble landing a caravan you need someone to have a hard look at your fundamentals.
 
Roger Roger said:
Seriously the Van has to be the easiest landing airplane ever. Like easier than a 172. If you have electric trim it lands itself. Crosswinds? The airplane one-wheels beautifully. Don't mean to sound like a jerk but if you have trouble landing a caravan you need someone to have a hard look at your fundamentals.
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I was preflighting my caravan after a crew swap and there was a flat spot, how the • do you flat spot a caravan tire at a 5000ft strip? I don't think I ever touched the brakes in that thing.
 
mikecweb said:
I was preflighting my caravan after a crew swap and there was a flat spot, how the *I don't have the education to emote without using a curse word* do you flat spot a caravan tire at a 5000ft strip? I don't think I ever touched the brakes in that thing.
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And that was with a Pratt. The Garavan be like "bro u want beta? Bro best have your shoulder harness tight".
 
I really enjoyed my time in the van. I would sometimes ask if I could sub in a van for my baron on friday nights when the van wasn't flying. Cost was the same to the company and it helped mix up my flying.
 
Roger Roger said:
Bro, if you having trouble landing the caravan.....
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Eh. I think we're all thinking along the same lines here... including the OP. There may be something wrong with his fundamentals, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with him. Hell, it could literally just be a confidence thing.

-Fox
 
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