Finding Right Approach Speed Is Essential for Pilots

Hardly a one-speed-fits-all, the correct one to fly varies with landing weight.

Douglas Boyd

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Stable approaches begin by flying the precise speed for the conditions and configurations. [Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

General aviation pilots frequently make high-energy (fast) approaches and landings, a long-standing tendency often influenced by ATC requests or discomfort with slower speeds.
This practice poses significant safety risks, contributing to a large percentage of landing accidents (e.g., 38% in one study) and increasing the likelihood of aircraft damage, runway excursions, and severe or fatal injuries.
A key factor is that many GA pilots fail to adjust their approach speed (VREF) for actual aircraft weight, instead using the POH's maximum certificated weight speed, leading to excessive energy.
To improve safety, pilots should prioritize stabilized approaches, train for comfort with slow flight, apply weight-adjusted VREF (1.3 x VSO), and consider using angle-of-attack indicators.

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Our training for the instrument ticket focused on flying by reference to instruments, how to shoot approaches, holds, etc. By that point pilots were presumed to have mastered the art of landing, so who needed any more instruction on that? (Or, so the argument goes.).

Your approach speed is an essential precursor to a good landing, even—or, perhaps, especially—for an instrument pilot. More specifically, fast (aka high-energy) approaches, can be requested by ATC and become a trap and possibly lead to a bent airplane or, worse still, a fatal outcome. Let’s start by looking at that trap.