Both hands on yoke during landing?

[KeroseneSnorter]

In 121 or 135 operations, aren't throttles typically 'guarded' by the non-flying pilot?

99% of the 121's the only pilot guarding the throttles is the Capt. until V-1. (I said 99% just because there may be a company that does it slightly different, though I have never seen anything different.)

In 135....well, most use the 121 method, but you do run across lots of different techniques from time to time. However I have never seen anybody (121 or 135) "guard" throttles on landing...there is no need since the flying pilot always has his/her hand on the throttles during landing!

Use the two handed landing if you need to for learning, but drop it ASAP after you figure out the landings. It is not an accepted practice anywhere that pays you to fly.

 

[JediNein]

First, fly how your company wants you to fly. If you will get fired for not conforming, then decide how much you need the job and go from there. If your company consists of 'Yoke-Nazis', do not read on.

If, however, you don't give a rat's arse sucking up to the OWTs that are handed down from generation to generation of pilots pretending to be fearless, perfect, superman fighter jocks, land it however it takes to be smooth and precise. Use runways that are long enough for the aircraft and allow some extra room if the two-handed, power-on technique is new to you.

I've worked with multiple clients that needed both hands on the yoke to finess their landings. They didn't give a rip about 'tradition', they wanted to know how to have greaser landings most of the time. In the short time we had together, teaching them to use trim, a touch of power, and two hands on the yoke during landing made significant improvements to their technique and success rate. It also made significant improvements to the comfort and security of the non-pilot significant other that flew with them.

Two hand on the yoke does not mean two death-grips, either. The yoke should not be in danger of breaking off in your hands. Two fingers from each hand, four if you're slightly out of trim, should be enough. Gently apply the back-pressure needed to stop the aircraft from sinking. As the aircraft settles, keep using equal, even pressure to bleed off airspeed until the full stall and touchdown. At that point, one hand can continue the pull until the yoke is full aft, and the other hand can remove the remaining power.

Nothing in the PTS for any rating allows for a failure based on technique if the standards are met.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Two hand on the yoke does not mean two death-grips, either. The yoke should not be in danger of breaking off in your hands. Two fingers from each hand, four if you're slightly out of trim, should be enough. Gently apply the back-pressure needed to stop the aircraft from sinking. As the aircraft settles, keep using equal, even pressure to bleed off airspeed until the full stall and touchdown. At that point, one hand can continue the pull until the yoke is full aft, and the other hand can remove the remaining power.

Nothing in the PTS for any rating allows for a failure based on technique if the standards are met.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

I agree with Jedi as long as you are sticking to straight wing applications. The technique will work even in a straight wing Citation. Not the way I would do it but it will work.

If you plan to fly professionally in a swept wing airplane, learn to do it one handed. You see all kinds of techniques in aircarrier equipment, however all of them involve throttle adjustment close to the ground. Things that are normal procedure in a straight wing airplane can kill you in a swept wing aircraft. One that comes to mind from Jedi's reply is the full stall landing. You CAN do a full stall landing in a swept wing airplane, however chances are it will not be reusable for the next flight until it goes through a maint. facility.

About the closest to a two handed landing that you would get away with in something like a 737 is after the initial flare at about 2 feet above the runway. Pull the power and then move to the two handed landing from an altitude of 1.5 feet. Everything with a swept wing that I ever flew landed best with a smooth power reduction through the entire flare and touchdown. Most of the time the power was not completly at idle until the main gear were already on the runway.

Bottom line, different airplanes require different techniques.

 

[polysciguy9]

Thanks a lot for everyone's advice ... I think I'll try and get in the habit of using one hand - I can do it, it just seemed like my flare's and landings were a lot smoother with two. I have less than 100 landings, though, so I've got some time to work out the kinks.

 

[Kream926]

when the wind is calm i use one hand on the power stick, one hand on the aileron deflector and one foot on the trim wheel in a 172RG

 

[gkrangers]

Just like in our 145XRs

Hey, compared to a 172, its a fvckin wide body!

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

when the wind is calm i use one hand on the power stick, one hand on the aileron deflector and one foot on the trim wheel in a 172RG

You land in calm wind??!! Man what are you thinking?

Remind me to never fly with you!

 

[350DRIVER]

If you ever want to fly for a living as one poster has already mentioned then get used to landing with one hand on the yoke. You will learn this very quickly if you ever fly single pilot 135. It is better to get a strong foundation early on versus having to break habits at a later point in time. If you need to manipulate the power settings down low due to windshear, downdrafts, wake turbulence, etc, it is better to have that one hand already on the throttles to make the power application should it be needed versus having both hands on the yoke while being somewhat "slow". Different strokes for different folks but it was always my preferred method for the above mentioned reasons in addition to many others not to have both hand on the yoke while low, slow, and in landing configuration.

 

[Snakum]

I got yelled at on my first King Air landing for not keeping one hand on the power levers.

Of course, I didn't trim enough on the next landing to get the nose up with one hand and so I slammed it in ... and ... well ... I got yelled at again.

Everyone's always yelling at me, and that's not nithe because I'm tho thenthitive.


Minh

 

[jafo20]

I land with both hands over my eyes. It works great.