how to land a dash 8?!

[dash8driver64]

just a change of pace here!
i have been flying the the dash for a while now. I have been "scholled " by some cpts. that have been flying this thing for years now. More times than not they just crush the **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** thing in!

we all know that a greaser in a dash is either luck or a wet or snow covered runway. This thing is no doubtly built in the great white north!
I think i have figured how to land this MOST of the time. I'd like to hear your input on the "tricks of the trade" on how to "paint it on"

 

[Singlecoil]

Flight beta and ground beta.

It comes down to that. I've only flown 100's and 200's, so the following applies to those.
Of course, ground beta is aft of flight idle when you are on the ground, but flight beta is a different animal. It is roughly notated on the power quadrant by one of the white arrows slightly forward of the flight idle stop.
But the best way to tell you are at flight beta is to listen. When you are cruising along, and pull the power back to the stops, power is clearly reduced, but there is still enough airspeed on the props to prevent them from going into flight beta. As you slow down to approach speed you will hear a noticable difference in the sound of the propellers. At bug speed and flight idle, you can hear the props flatten out, causing a fair amount of drag. Add a little power and this "flat" or "fine" noise decreases. Its roughly 9-11% or so. Consider that setting zero thrust. Aft of that, even though you are forward of flight idle, you are adding drag via the props. Guaranteed clunker if you land at flight idle.
On approach, you are holding 18% with flaps fifteen to stay on the glide slope. Fiddle with the power levers to hear what I am trying to convey. Pull it back until you hear the props start to "fine off". You are shooting for the point at which the change in sound just starts to begin.
Ideally you would hold 18% until starting your flare, then gradually reduce power to the point I am referring to as you raise the nose. I don't look at the ADI when I land, and neither should you, so I can't tell you how many degrees up you want to flare. Just a nice smooth roundout. Doesn't work every time, but afterall it is still a Dash-8.

 

[Sleepyhead]

Right before you flare, yell "you got the controls"
and take your hands off the yoke.


just kidding, what do I know I haven't advanced past a Dash-6

 

[eddie]

Land it flat. Don't flare with the nose real high, this is especially true in the 300. if you land too far back on the tires you will feel it. If you land ref+10 it is consistently smoother than at ref.

I only had about 3 smooth landings in the thing...so I may not be the one to offer advice.

 

[blzr]

So, the captain may say.. that landing was about a 7...... on the richter scale, or after you taxi clear of the runway may call for the after impact checklist, but don't sweat it. Blame it on MTX. That's right, they tend to overpressurie the main struts for no good reason in the 100 and 200. I love flying the 300 now because it's hard to mess up a good landing.

For the best results, just keep your attention on staying on glideslope, and don't put too much pressure on yourself to GREASE it on, or you may hear the guy in the left seat say "Want me to ask 'em for lower" as you fly 5 feet off the runway trying to get it on the ground. Relax, No one will remember that you opened the overheads on touchdown this time next week..


LATER

 

[exagony]

After I made a seldom (yeah right ) hard landing on the dash I did the only thing a great FO could do. I promptly got on the PA and apologized for the hard landing that the CAPTAIN had just made. He made the "big" bucks so he got the blame for the hard landings whether he was responsable or not. Boy the nasty looks he would get from the pax! I never let my FO's onto this trick once I upgraded though.

 

[JetProp]

Adjust power and sink rate to cross the thresold at ref+5 (use the fast/slow indicator). Leave the power set and then "drive it on" from there, as the mains touch ever so gently bring the power to flight idle. Ease the nose down and there you are...worked for me most of the time, but the rest of the time I left dents in the concrete all over the southeast!!

 

[qxeplt]

Here's my trick...

On G/S hold Vref+5 all the way down until the start of the flare.

Crossing threshold slowly reduce to about 10 to 12% torque and flare as normal.

I seem to get better landings using both hands on the yoke. You can feel the elevator control pressure better that way. Oh and don't panic and pull back to fast in the flare or you'll just pound the mains harder in the pavement.

Good luck and don't beat yourself up too much, it's just the way it is with the long landing gear, reduced ground effect, and no trailing link landing gear. Also don't try so hard to grease it and you will end up greasing it on.

Have fun...

 

[GUNRUNNER22]

Ballpark - 22% on the approach.
13% crossing the numbers and in the flare.
Follow these guidelines and you will bang em' on every time! All -8 landings blow. I have been flying the beast for about 5 years and can count on one hand how many "good" landings I have had.
Also, someone said to land flat - I have found this to be true. Also, it helps to keep your eyes closed and say to your coworker "Hold me, I'm scared."
In all sincerity, it is a great plane, built like a tank, handles the wx well... I just wish the maintenance guys wouldn't "f" with the struts.

Enough said!

 

[hermair52]

just simply continue to blame the **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** Canadiens