Hone Your Short-Field Skills

It's important to set a target and establish a stabilized approach when making a short-field landing.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at 01:16 PM ET

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Transylvania County Airport (formerly 22W, now 3NR3) requires landing 'right on the spot.' [Illustration: Clare Nicholas]

Key Takeaways:

Effective short-field landings require precise technique to land on a designated spot, often necessitated by obstacles effectively shortening the runway.
The "power approach" technique is crucial, involving using engine power to control the glide path and descent rate while maintaining a constant airspeed, typically around 1.3 times the stall speed (VSO).
Utilizing an Angle of Attack (AOA) indicator enhances safety and precision by providing real-time feedback on wing lift and stall margin, accounting for varying flight conditions.
Practical application through real-world scenarios and setting tangible goals makes learning and mastering short-field landing skills more effective and engaging for pilots.

See a mistake? Contact us.

For a couple of reasons, we didn’t want to land at the main airport (KAVL) at Asheville, North Carolina.

First, we had looked ahead on airnav.com and saw that the fuel prices there for 100LL tacked at least an extra dollar per gallon onto what we could procure elsewhere in the area. Second, I had landed at Asheville before, and I always liked a new challenge. Third, well, I was not getting much love from the controller on Asheville Approach when I asked for VFR flight following through the area—cementing my idea of finding elsewhere to land.