ASI Safety Tip: Aiming Point

Having trouble gauging your touchdown point on the runway? Check out this handy trick for helping you stay on target during short final. ASI Safety Tip: Aiming Point teaches a simple technique for touching down at the right place at the right time.

[@ssquire]

My training aircraft had enough imperfections in the windscreen that I noticed one was just offset from where my CFI was telling me to land. I started to use this method with that spot. For those asking where to put it, it doesn't matter. It is the relative position of the aim point to the tape that should not change. Try one spot and move it if that doesn't work for you.

[@mikemakesmusic]

Really enjoy and appreciate these ASI Safety Tip vids!!! The presenter is great and the content is invaluable! Keep 'em comin'. This super low time, STILL student pilot watches them all.

[@awittypilot8961]

I've been in the biz for more than 37 years and still get something out of them. Best part of flying....there's always something to learn

[@juanb507]

Believe it or not, It helped me land a 737. Thank you !!

[@user-hv5gt6bh8l]

Me too :)))

[@davidrhoads3023]

MANY years ago, Wolfgang Langweisch taught this same technique in his iconic book, "Stick and Rudder".

[@h2odragon1]

Good Idea! You can adapt it for your Flare also! Place the tape on the side's of the window for 75 ft wide runway, or 100 ft runway! if you reach that point, begin your Flare!

[@JohnWilson-os5wy]

I think that's a great tip ,and I'm sure pilot's will take note of that ,very helpful.

[@brentm8161]

A grease pencil works well too and can help you in straight and level too.

[@yamilethrobinson7551]

Brent Moran aaaa

[@Austinflank]

Usually I just use a smashed bug. Having a photographic memory helps be always refer back to the exact "splatter pattern" of my targeting bug. Hehe, targeting bug. If no bugs were around, I kinda just used the entire sight picture. You get a sense if your rising or falling when you don't fixate too much on a small cone of vision. It's not as precise as some sort of mark on the glass, but it's very close.

[@erictaylor5462]

0:15 It COULD be an Arrow. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_PA-28_Cherokee

[@AhmedShABazama]

Where exactly on the windshield should I put that piece of tape??

[@rcbif101]

Ahmed Sh. A. Bazama infront of your face.

[@soccerguy2433]

Anywhere directly infront of you without blocking your line of sight. It's simply a gage to measure relative movement. In my aircraft I have a black box providing shade for an AOA gauge in to of the glareshueld. We use the top of the box as our "tape". The aimpoint for us is parallel to the top of the box.

[@keithhoward9238]

Great advice

[@christianpaniagua8024]

did help me a lot thx

[@MrGsheperd]

I am guilty of carrying just a little bit of extra speed and tend to roundout to high with some float because of speed. You think this would help?

[@nathanchetram287]

I think the problem there is the extra speed, not so much with the aiming point. Try using a touch more nose up trim, which will help the plane naturally settle at the proper approach speed. Once the aircraft is trimmed for that certain speed, don't fight the trim, just add or let out some power as necessary to adjust your glidepath. That way your speed remains constant throughout the whole approach, and only small changes in power should be needed to increase or decrease your descent rate. If you've trimmed it out well, by the time you have configured the plane for landing you shouldn't reall have to do much. The aircraft will always behave predictably at certain power and trim combinations, so once it's trimmed for that speed, you just need to find that one power setting that will bring it all the way to your aiming point.

[@joshualandry3160]

Of course it helps to know *when* to flair. That would be when the runway begins to grow rapidly in the windshield. Works for any width of runway.

[@jackzink740]

Excellent. Great reminder when out practicing.

[@russhustead253]

Why everyone should learn to fly (motor) gliders!

[@LincolnLagger]

Yay!

[@computer5272]

172s don't flare, they float.

[@CptDoge]

say that to a cherokee

[@MiroMarkarian]

Tell that to a DA-40

[@PatrickJWenzel]

Ah ha! I've always suspected you Americans have a funny way of interpreting the regs you wrote for us all. A little lite reading of ICAO Annex 14, Chapter 5, shows the aim point markers are solid white, while the touchdown zone markers extend fore and aft of the aim point markers. You aim for the aim point markers, and provided you've crunched acceptable performance figures you can touch down anywhere from the first to the last touchdown zone markers. (01:07)

[@markreeves5352]

Where exactly do I put the strip in the 172...how high or how low?

[@mytech6779]

How do you set the spot in the first place?

[@strato172]

First comment! Interesting idea

[@elunico13]

Looks like a recipe for fixation that will have you neglecting airspeed

[@rcbif101]

ClarkRobbinsVanTilBahnsen ClarkVanTil - assuming you were watching your airspeed before setting aiming point, once you establish aim, that point will set your glideslope and airspeed.

[@cabdolla]

This is literally the most fundamental landing technique one can learn on how to land. Neglecting airspeed is really a non-issue. Im stunned by how few powered pilots are taught this basic technique. How do you plan to land in a field if your engine fails?

[@rcbif101]

Its more fun to pretend you have crosshairs and are shooting a plane on the runway ;P

[@awittypilot8961]

Sorry...I gotta disagree.....I fly jets, helicopters, twins and light aircraft. I sometimes flare too high in our 182 because I'm used to the CJ-3. But the approach is the same in any airplane. USE the PAPI's and VASI's and you'll be a lot more accurate than trying to judge the distance between tape and the ground. But I failed an ATP ride more than 10 years ago because I wouldn't follow the glide slope to the end (1000' down the runway why would ANYONE PLAN to land 1000' down the runway?????) to land. I am a TOTAL believer that the gas in the truck, the altitude above you and the runway behind you is completely useless so the minute I have the runway made I target the NUMBERS and disregard the glide slope. It usually causes you to float 3-500' and you have 1000' or more to fudge on the landing. Rather land short ANY day of the week than run off the end. But the FAA doesn't see it that way.....so I had to do what THEY said was right...till I got that ticket in my pocket. I think it makes me a safer pilot.....and in a jet (or any airplane for that matter) NEVER land downwind......even 3-4 knots of tailwind can case your roll out to be longer than the runway is...been proven many many times by people either being embarrassed or dead...... I think this method may cause a lot of pilots to fixate on the tape and ground rather than to be vigilant on airspeed, line up, good judgement and re-adjustments made when getting closer to the ground....where ALL crashes happen. It's not the crash that's the bad thing...it is the sudden stop at the end!

[@Alex-us2vw]

I find the PAPI and VASI lights useless when doing a VFR approach. Unless on a precision approach I’ve never seen anything other then high indications on the approach lights. Don’t really want to be dragging a GA aircraft into the runway on the prop, much better to keep it within gliding distance. The flaps down approach angle is much steeper than 3 degrees for most light singles like C172/C182/PA28. The PAPI and VASI lights are usually calibrated for a much higher eye level height too unless flying at an airport without jet traffic.

[@yvesbajulaz]

Because landing on the number makes you go below the safe glidepath and you could hit obstructions like ils antennas and other stuff. Going below the glidepath to land on the number is an unsafe practice. That why the airlines don’t do it and that practice is finally slowly dying off.

[@awittypilot8961]

@@yvesbajulaz You do it your way and I suppose I'll use what has worked for the last 37 years for me. You didn't read my post. I said ONCE I HAVE THE RUNWAY MADE. If you're that close you can damn sure target the numbers without fear of hitting anything. Running off the end is a very common occurrence. You can mitigate that issue if you don't target 1000' down the runway. It's just not smart to have that runway there and not use it.

[@awittypilot8961]

@@PatrickJWenzel Lose lift? Have you EVER heard of ANY approaching aircraft all of the sudden stop flying? If there is a wind shear issue it should be taken into account far before the threshold. However I have heard of and had friends run off the end of the runway in ALL size aircraft. I do know that if you don't get some tires and brakes on the ground the chances of running off the end increases tenfold. They damn near scrapped the 707 because of it and it turned out pilot tried to grease landings. Plus I'll put my short landings up against anyone. I've won spot and short landing competition many times. I have a ton of friends in heavy hardware.....they still hit the ground 1500' down the runway and PRAY on short runways they stop in time. I never worry about it. Once you have the runway made it makes sense to us as much of it as you can. Thanks for the input but I'll keep doing what works for me

[@stuvegas2101]

seriously?