How to fly the maneuver

A normal approach and landing is built on one principle and one gesture: the principle is the stabilized approach — the airplane is at the right speed, on the right path, in the right configuration, at the right power, well before the runway. The gesture is the round-out and flare — the smooth transition from descending toward the runway to settling onto it nose-up at minimum sink rate. Everything else is housekeeping.

Stabilized by 500 ft AGL. If you're chasing speed, glide path, or configuration below 500 ft AGL, go around. The fix is upstream, not in the flare.

Pattern entry

Enter the traffic pattern at the published altitude (typically 1,000 ft AGL) at the 45° entry to downwind. Slow to pattern airspeed (manufacturer-recommended; typically 80–90 KIAS in a trainer). Maintain altitude on downwind.

Downwind checklist

Abeam the touchdown point on downwind:

1. Carb heat ON (if applicable).
2. Reduce power to begin descent (typical: 1,500 RPM or 15 inches MP).
3. First notch of flaps.
4. Pitch to the approach speed (typically 70–80 KIAS).
5. Trim.

Base

Turn base when the touchdown point is ~45° behind the wing. On base:

1. Second notch of flaps.
2. Adjust pitch and power to hold the planned approach speed and a descending path.
3. Wind-correction angle (crab) — base leg has a quartering tailwind that drifts you toward the runway.

Final

Turn final aligned with the runway centerline. On final:

1. Full flaps (or the planned landing flap setting).
2. V_REF — the manufacturer-recommended final approach airspeed (typically 1.3 × V_SO at landing weight; e.g., 60–65 KIAS for a trainer at light weight).
3. Pitch for airspeed, power for path. Aim point goes where you point the nose; airspeed is held by pitch. If the runway is moving up in the windshield, you're high; down, you're low.
4. Crosswind correction: crab into the wind on final, then transition to a wing-low side-slip (upwind wing low, opposite rudder to align with centerline) approaching the round-out. Touchdown is on the upwind main wheel first.

Round-out

At 10–20 ft AGL, smoothly raise the nose to arrest the descent. This is the round-out — a gentle, continuous back-pressure that stops the descent without climbing. The airplane should be flying level a few feet above the runway at the end of the round-out.

Side view of the trajectory through final → round-out → flare → touchdown. The sky-tinted band marks the ground-effect zone where the flare bleeds airspeed. Toggle Soft-field / Short-field to see how the post-round-out management changes for the other landings.

Flare

Continue back pressure to slowly increase the angle of attack as airspeed bleeds off. The airplane should touch down at stall speed (or just above), with the main wheels first, the nose still off the runway.

Touchdown and rollout

1. Touch down on the main gear, first, on the centerline.
2. Hold the nose off as long as possible until elevator authority fades.
3. Lower the nose gently.
4. Maintain centerline with rudder, then nose-wheel steering as airspeed decays.
5. Apply braking smoothly; aileron into the wind continues throughout the rollout for crosswind.

Common pitfall: flaring too high. Round-out at 30+ ft AGL means the airplane stalls 30 ft above the runway and drops. Round-out target is 10–20 ft AGL — when the runway begins to widen in the windshield.