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.
Nice Landing, Pop
Key Takeaways:
- The author describes his lifelong struggle with consistently achieving smooth aircraft landings across various planes, from personal Cessnas to Piper Cheyennes.
- He illustrates that landing challenges are universal, affecting not only amateur pilots like himself and his wife but also experienced airline professionals.
- His landing performance improved when flying professionally, attributed to repetitive practice and the forgiving nature of the Cessna Citation CJ3's trailing-link landing gear.
- The article concludes by emphasizing that even highly skilled and experienced pilots can unexpectedly execute a poor landing, highlighting the unpredictable difficulty of this maneuver.
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