Any Dash-8 pilots out there?

[Hikoushi]

About a month ago I finished IOE and am now flying Dash-8-103s for a small regional carrier. Anyone out there who can give a new turboprop driver some technique hints on how to make landings in this thing that don't register on a seismograph? I'm getting a decent handle on it, but it still bites me every once in a while, especially with a good crosswind. Thanks!

 

[skid]

That seems to be about usual on the Dash. Just be glad your not in the Q400. My suggestions are to take the landings when it is raining and laugh at the captains when he pounds them on with the good X-winds.

Seriously, what I liked to use was about 12-15% torque over the numbers, and ease only a little bit out in the flare. Landing with about 10% torque helped me out alot with trim just a bit aft of the T/O range (Q200).

Most people will tell you that it comes and goes. Most of the time if I had a few bad landings on one day, I had them that way for the rest of the trip. Then out of nowhere I would pull some greasers out of my butt.

 

[dhc8fo]

It DEFINITELY comes and goes, but seriously, after about a solid year or flying it regularly, you will get it down (or else I am a Dash GOD and that ain't the case). Sorry, I don't have any real technique advice other than be patient. Welcome to the club though. LOVE that plane to death.

 

[OPECJet]

I do flaps 15, props 1050, fly it about ref+10, pull the power out of it right before it touches. Slides on most of the time, but certainly not all. Other guys have tried it this way while we're flying together and many slam it on. I try to land it their way and I slam it on. Any way you want to try it, just don't stop flying the thing until its on the ground. That's half the battle. The other half of the battle is won with more experience in the airplane.

I know guys with 20 years in the airplane and still whack it on from time to time. Don't sweat, and learn to laugh them off.

 

[LowlyPropCapt]

About a month ago I finished IOE and am now flying Dash-8-103s for a small regional carrier. Anyone out there who can give a new turboprop driver some technique hints on how to make landings in this thing that don't register on a seismograph? I'm getting a decent handle on it, but it still bites me every once in a while, especially with a good crosswind. Thanks!

Been at it for well over 4000 hours and I still prang many of my landings. It comes and goes... I will be good to go for a month then I will have a series of impacts that will shame me for weeks after. I am convinced some of our airplanes at Piedmont have whatever those unique aerodymanic qualities are that render an airplane essentially impossible to fly during those crucial final seconds. It must be the equipment. I couldn't possibly be me!

Anyhow, good luck.

 

[OPECJet]

Been at it for well over 4000 hours and I still prang many of my landings. It comes and goes... I will be good to go for a month then I will have a series of impacts that will shame me for weeks after. I am convinced some of our airplanes at Piedmont have whatever those unique aerodymanic qualities are that render an airplane essentially impossible to fly during those crucial final seconds. It must be the equipment. I couldn't possibly be me!

Anyhow, good luck.

I think you're right. Some of them are impossible to land.

 

[Dash8301]

Ref + 10 until the numbers snd ease it onto the runway. You may float a little at first but you will get used to it. I also try and mix it up using both 1050 and 15 and 1200 and 35.

 

[nyboilermaker]

I do flaps 15, props 1050, fly it about ref+10, pull the power out of it right before it touches. Slides on most of the time, but certainly not all. Other guys have tried it this way while we're flying together and many slam it on. I try to land it their way and I slam it on. Any way you want to try it, just don't stop flying the thing until its on the ground. That's half the battle. The other half of the battle is won with more experience in the airplane.


I'll second that. Fly the thing all the way to the gate. It only took me about 5K hours in it to get consistantly good landings...most of the time.

I miss that airplane. Enjoy the Dash, there aren't many built like it, or that fly as well, or are as laid out as well.

When you get to the Boeings (if that's what you want), you'll miss the Dash.

 

[q100]

Been away from the ol' Dash (and flying) for a year now, so no expert. Never was in the day either tho.

Crosswinds are good for the Dash - usually results in a smoother landing if there's a time delay between when each of the mains touches. As soon as the first one's down start feeding in more aileron and hold the other one off as long as you can (while not running out of aileron and slamming the other down of course). Definitely needs positive input though.

Also, if you can, make sure you get all the SYR legs between November & April. There's usually snow on 10,000 feet on runway - can't miss!

In general, you need not so much a "flare" as a little round out and hold off. No need to get the torques below about 15% until the wheels are on the ground. She'll stop.

If you ever get the chance (about 10 kts HW, not too heavy load) give 33R BOS a try sometimes. It'll make a believer in the Dash's short field performance out of you all right. And if you're like me, you'll bang the first couple there on so hard that the O2 masks would drop if there were any!

Enjoy.

 

[q100]

Greetings by the way to all ex-ALG drivers out there. Best bunch of pilots in the business, and in general a great combination system-wide of professionalism and being relaxed about it. Their posts on this website back that up.

 

[RJP]

OK, since our original poster obviously flies for WP, the props 1050 landings are out of the question. Some evaluators are pushing REF over the fence. Not sure I agree with that one. No offense to anyone at QX but posting here is not going to help you since other companies do things that aren't in our SOPs. Your best hope is to watch the captains you fly with and ask them if they've got any tips. And anyone who says they've got it 'mastered' after a year, is lying. The Dash lands like sh!t no matter how many years you've flown it.

 

[OPECJet]

WP too cheap to buy the paperwork for 1050 landings? I thought we had the distinction of being the cheapest airline.

Every time I've cross the threshold at ref I've whacked the thing. I think its a horrible idea.

 

[LowlyPropCapt]

You know, I beg to differ about the crossing at ref thing. I actually strive to center the ref bug and keep it there throughout the round out. Keep the end of the runway in the same place on the windscreen and things normally work out O.K.

A thousand pilots, a thousand ways to land a Dash. And they are all wrong! Maybe that should be a motto or something.

 

[OPECJet]

Amen..

 

[RJP]

WP too cheap to buy the paperwork for 1050 landings?

Yup. WP will give anyone a run for their cheapness money. But the main culprit has moved on and we've got Q400s on the way so those days may be over. By the way, only 50% of my landings last time I flew didn't suck. Standard.

 

[JohnnyP]

.....

i just let the autopilot land it, it does a pretty nice job. any of you guys ever landed with 900rpm before...but to be serious, i agree with the not crossing right at ref idea. ref plus 10 or 15 seems to work out really well, give or take a little depending on the situation. the times ive crossed right at ref youd think i was aiming for the 3-wire, at least thats how it felt. in the -300 ill usually carry even more speed. always thinkin about a tail-strike i guess. so seriously, anyone even landed with 900rpm?

 

[OPECJet]

Did it one time. Operational neccesity.

 

[Trash8Mofo]

First, if you just started, you might be using the black and white balls. DON'T. Sit half ball low if you do use it. Second, Ref +10, then walk the power back until the prop noise gets loud ( around 9%), then wait and pray.

About asking the Capt....Sorry, the best at WP no longer fly left seat.

 

[topdawg]

Where did they go? Did they move back to the right seat?

 

[RJP]

Where did they go? Did they move back to the right seat?

Nah, they all went to AQ......and never got furloughed.

 

[PA31Ho]

see the problem with experimenting with different techniques, is that if you don't land "the way you are supposed to" a lot of the old timers will slam your balls....

 

[JohnnyP]

.....

i use the adjustment balls and have no problem at all, matter of fact if i sit too low at all ill mess it up. i like to be up close and high if anything, makes the best landings for me, guess its just a matter of individual pref.

 

[WSurf]

Lands sweet at 900rpm!

 

[G2T]

The Perpetual X-Wind

Any of you run into the guys that land it like there is always a 15 knot crosswind, even when its a beautiful calm morning? Maybe one of you is one of them. They will wrangle it down to get one wheel on first everytime. It seems like a lot of work to me, and looks like crap, makes me laugh when I see it though.

 

[dhc8fo]

Any of you run into the guys that land it like there is always a 15 knot crosswind, even when its a beautiful calm morning? Maybe one of you is one of them. They will wrangle it down to get one wheel on first everytime. It seems like a lot of work to me, and looks like crap, makes me laugh when I see it though.

yeah, but it lands nicely everytime you do it this way (not that I do it this way, it is just a fact)

 

[Whitestoneclimb]

Greetings to all the ex-ALG folks out there. It was a pretty good place to work years ago. Anyway, I've always had better luck landing with flaps 15 and props 1050. I'd hold about 120 till over the approach lights and then pull the power back slowly to about 15% trq and usually I'd get a decent one, and occasionally a pretty sweet one! Pitch would be about 6 degrees nose up at touchdown. Flaps 35 are a bit trickier. You definitely need to keep some power in the flare or you'll drop like a homesick safe. I remember my first flaps 35 landing as an f/o in the Dash. Circa summer 1992, LGA-MHT. I made the mistake of pulling the power to idle in the flare and landed so hard, I knocked my headset off!!!!

Later

 

[ReverseSensing]

...and landed so hard, I knocked my headset off!!!!

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! You mean it's not normal to get your headset knocked off during landing. I'm gonna have to have a chat with all those Captains who claim it is normal for left-seat landings.


(I keed, I keed!)

 

[OPECJet]

Second that about landing it like there's a crosswind when its calm. I don't do it every time, but its a Dash 8 quirk.

Laugh if you like, but be thankful you still have all the fillings in your teeth when its over.

First flaps 35 landing I did 3 overheads came open. Company prez was on board. He probably still remembers my name......

 

[OPECJet]

see the problem with experimenting with different techniques, is that if you don't land "the way you are supposed to" a lot of the old timers will slam your balls....

Screw em!

As long as you're flying the plane safely and within the guidelines. Besides, tell me the way your SUPPOSED to land the airplane. We have 3 AFM approved configurations for landing the airplane. I've never heard anyone say anything about which was the right one to use until the last revision came out saying 15 / 1050 when conditions permit. Sure, the profiles for all 3 are the same, but good luck getting a smooth landing when crossing the fence at Vref. I know some can do it, but I'm not on that list. As long as you're in the TDZ, and everyone can walk off the airplane on their own, you've done a fine job....

 

[PA31Ho]

maybe I should get you some ky for christmas or one of the 8 days - whichever you celebrate there opec

oh, by the way i think you owe me at least a six pack for that 3 day