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Focus in the Flare

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • During the roundout and flare, maintain a straight-ahead gaze, alternating visual focus between just over the aircraft's nose and the desired touchdown zone.
  • Utilize peripheral vision to detect any lateral drift from the runway.
  • As aircraft speed decays, progressively reduce your visual focus distance to accurately judge height above the ground.
  • Improper visual focus—either too close or too far—can lead to common landing errors such as flaring too high or flying into the ground.
See a mistake? Contact us.

As you start the roundout on final approach and begin to flare, visual cues become extremely important. Where exactly should you be looking as you bring the control wheel back and prepare to place the wheels just where you want them on the pavement (or the grass, if you’re really lucky)?

To give you a wider scope of vision and a better feel for your height above the ground and your movement over the surface, your head should be pointing straight ahead and your visual focus should alternate from a point just over the airplane’s nose to the desired touchdown zone and back again.

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