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Nice Landing, Pop

Dick Karl sought guidance on landing well from Richard Collins, coming away impressed by Collins’ skill in the P210. Flying Archives
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The author, Dick Karl, humorously recounts his lifelong struggle to consistently achieve smooth airplane landings across various aircraft, a challenge that extended to his wife and became a running joke with family and friends.
  • He notes that professional flying and the use of aircraft with specialized landing gear (like trailing-link) improved his technique, but even highly experienced pilots, including himself, occasionally make surprisingly rough landings, underscoring the universal and sometimes unpredictable nature of achieving a "greaser."
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From the very beginning, my children were instructed to greet each landing with praise. As long as the crash didn’t dislodge any loose teeth—or, later on, their retainers—it was expected that they would utter an obligatory congratulation. Today, my grandchildren make a big point out of yelling, “Nice landing, Pop,” as I shut down. They may actually mean what they say.

Dick Karl

Dick Karl is a cancer surgeon who appreciates the beauty and science involved in both surgery and flying. Dick’s monthly Gear Up celebrates the human side of flying. He writes about his enthusiasm for both the machines and the people who fly and maintain them.

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