Perfect Landing

Is there such a thing as a perfect landing when it comes to flying? Whether you're talking about a bird, an airplane, a helicopter or the space shuttle, each of these flying objects strive for a perfect landing. It is very important when attempting to land that the unit not hit the ground without any resistance or else the object would be destroyed. This can be prevented through the use of a wing, as well as a rocket, engine or parachute. Other flying objects may use an airbag landing system. An airborne balloon has its own unique way of landing, by decreasing the buoyancy until the impact is soft.

Obviously birds have a great advantage in their genetic makeup since they can land on practically any material, whereas a human-created aircraft must land on a firm runway, and a helicopter on a landing pad. These landing areas are usually made out of concrete and asphalt. However, gravel and even grass is acceptable in some cases. There are some aircraft units that can actually land on water, snow or even ice.

In order to score something close to a perfect landing, the flying object must gradually taper its down airspeed and lift. This applies for winged creatures as well as human-made aircraft. The first phase is called the flare and sees the rate of descent reduced by positioning the body in a nose-up direction. This posturing is held until the undercarriage touches the ground and the controls are held so that all wheels can touch the ground. An alternate means of landing is to adjust the controls to make sure that the nose or tail wheel touches the runway softly.

It is considered a "perfect landing" when a pilot in a small plane manages contact with the ground just as the forward speed is reduced to a point where there is no longer enough airspeed for the unit to remain aloft.

Where can you learn more about the perfect landing? Visit the link provided below which may give you insight into piloting and reaching that all-important perfect landing on the ground.