MD-80 hard landings

[satpak77]

is it just me or as a PAX does it seem that all MD-80's land pretty darn hard, regardless of carrier?

or is it just the Fly Navy crews I have had lately?

 

[bobs98tlr]

I agree but i have found out it depends on where you sit. If its the first row or two behind the main wheels then its pretty much no matter what going to be hard. Everywhere in front of the mains are pretty much ok.

 

[enigma]

is it just me or as a PAX does it seem that all MD-80's land pretty darn hard, regardless of carrier?

or is it just the Fly Navy crews I have had lately?

Obviously, you haven't flown with me

I ride in the back quite frequently as a commuter and on company deadheads. I'm usually on AA, and I can say that the AA Super80 crews do a real good job of landing the bird.

The -80 isn't easy to land, but doing so is possible. The location of the mains is significantly aft of the pitch rotation point, so a normal landing rotation actually drives the mains down. Once you learn to flare early, then PUSH over at about the point of touchdown, you'll roll it on every time. Unfortunately, even after thousands of hours in the airplane, it still takes a conscious effort to push when your reflexes want to pull.

enigma

 

[dal72]

That's interesting.

 

[Pilot877]

Obviously, you haven't flown with me

I ride in the back quite frequently as a commuter and on company deadheads. I'm usually on AA, and I can say that the AA Super80 crews do a real good job of landing the bird.

The -80 isn't easy to land, but doing so is possible. The location of the mains is significantly aft of the pitch rotation point, so a normal landing rotation actually drives the mains down. Once you learn to flare early, then PUSH over at about the point of touchdown, you'll roll it on every time. Unfortunately, even after thousands of hours in the airplane, it still takes a conscious effort to push when your reflexes want to pull.

enigma

That sounds a lot like the DC-10, too. If you flare too late, you drive the mains into the runway.

 

[flx757]

If you "fly" it on to the runway, it is very easy to get consistently good landings in the MD-80. I never subscribed to the "push" theory. I don't believe in it, I don't use it, I don't teach it. Good technique is all that is required. Don't over-rotate in the flare, know the pitch attitude required, flare just enough to break the descent, then hold it. It smoothly rolls on.

 

[bobs98tlr]

That sounds a lot like the DC-10, too. If you flare too late, you drive the mains into the runway.

No offense to the FedEx guys but i see that pretty frequently with them.

 

[bafanguy]

If you "fly" it on to the runway, it is very easy to get consistently good landings in the MD-80. I never subscribed to the "push" theory. I don't believe in it, I don't use it, I don't teach it. Good technique is all that is required. Don't over-rotate in the flare, know the pitch attitude required, flare just enough to break the descent, then hold it. It smoothly rolls on.

flx,

Agree wholeheartedly.

 

[Pilot877]

No offense to the FedEx guys but i see that pretty frequently with them.

You're kidding, right? That's probably one of the finest group of aviators in the business. I'm sure they don't suck like that.

 

[bobs98tlr]

You're kidding, right? That's probably one of the finest group of aviators in the business. I'm sure they don't suck like that.

Hold up a sec..I never said anything about there skill or about them sucking. I just said if you watch them land the DC-10's you'll see a lot of them drive the mains into the ground kinda hard. Hell most of the FedEx guys are ex military pilots, im sure a lot of them are just keeping up with there boat landings..