How to deal with BALLOONING on landing. Save a bounced landing? or Go Around? Flight Training Video

It happens to all of us. A great approach ... but then ... we BALLOON! In this video I will show you three possible ways to deal with ballooning, not if, but when this happens to you. Please enjoy!
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[@TheAlphahirogen]

Really like your camera placement in these as you're forced to fly without a student's head to get in the way! This really gives an excellent breakdown and ability to 'chair fly' what you'll see on an actual approach in a small plane.

[@Virtualmix]

I'm a student pilot and I was often ballooning during my landings at the begining oy training, even when my approaches were stable. However my landings drastically improved once I started doing two things: - Reducing power COMPLETELY a few seconds BEFORE the round out, allowing the plane to just glide to the round out target with the engine on idle (glide slope and speed must be correct, must not be too low or too slow on approach!). - Moving my eyes up and looking FAR down the runway during the flair and ground roll.

[@csmihaly]

Perfect. That’s the way..., oh. BTW. When I did my tail wheel endorsement, in the Citabria, we pulled power at the beam, and from there everything was just a glide, prefer being higher than lower, obviously, which case we slipped, anyway, I got very good at judging the profile... sometimes airspeed indicator covered, so we judged the speed just from the wind noise, and attitude to horizon... was fun, and greatly improved my flying confidence and skills. I believe everybody should get tailwheel and flying gliders experience. Lots of fun, but amazing stick and rudder, and overall flying improvement.

[@dennis771]

I have 12.9 hours in and I am where you were and trying to master your fix...sometime i do it right and sometimes I don’t

[@basvanvliet288]

"even when my approaches were stable"...?You continued your landings during unstable approaches??? That's a really bad habit man, you should have executed way more go-arounds. Frankly I can't imagine that your instructor allowed you to land in those circumstances.

[@Virtualmix]

@@basvanvliet288 Can you read dude? It says right there "stable approach".

[@basvanvliet288]

You dont understand what you are implying; were there landings with unstable approaches? If not...why add the specific circumstance of a stable approach...?

[@flyinglizard777]

I have been a member of "The Trampoline Club!" In my training. Useful breakdown of the options.

[@sgabriel]

I'm sure we all have!

[@rceric1]

Biggest thing to avoid ballooning I found is nailing my speed on final.

[@Kenny-bp8ux]

What is the best speed on final?

[@marsgal42]

When I learned to fly I was flying Cherokees off a 2100 foot runway. You got it right the first time or you went around. Now my home airport has an 8000 foot runway. This provides ample opportunity for messing around, uh, perfecting landings. :-)

[@prestonmiller9552]

That Balloon got me bad when I first tried landing an early model Cardinal my uncle owned. I quickly learned to use a lot more finesse in the flare than you would in a 172. Always enjoy your Miller wisdom and common sense.

[@GregHopp]

Ha ha something similar happened to me in a Cardinal years ago. I've always said I have unfinished business with a 177!

[@prestonmiller9552]

@@GregHopp It was probably your last name that got you in trouble Greg. One sure does a lot of hopping until you get used to the feel of the stabilator. : - )

[@TRPGpilot]

I just got signed off on a 1971 Cardinal RG. I thought I was prepared from looking at all the KZbin videos warning about the bunny hops. Well it happened to me and like you I quickly realised that it took just that extra bit of finesse to make sure the speed was on point and the round-out/flair was just right, then it rewarded you with a graceful landing.

[@GregHopp]

@@prestonmiller9552 Yep, I hopped twice and then poured on the coals, wasn't going to let a 3rd one turn into an expensive mistake. It was all about speed management. I came back around and nailed my speed for a much improved result.

[@richardseton7014]

Yet another exceptional VLOG, thanks Jason! When first learning to fly, the task saturation often overwhelms all students. They get good enough to pass checkride, and then stop learning. A licence is the minimum requirement, and if you are smart, A Licence To Learn. So, once a pilot is basically compertent, now its time to stretch the task envelope and go out and practice all three of these techniques, over and over until there are completely within your comfort zone. Really, this practice and embedding is no different to practicing slow flight, or centralised lateral repositioning across a runway or aerobatics for that matter. Unfortuntely the high cost of the flight training process does not allow most students sufficient experience to be comfortably task competent. Get out and practice, fly your best, ALWAYS.

[@engineerauthorpilot]

Power is your friend. Use it liberally. 😁 I've been flying for decades (instructing for 35+ years). I NEVER have to go around due to a botched/balloon landing... not that I dont botch landings. I do. I just use a butt load of power to "reset" my flair if it happens and then simply try again (the landing). This video does a nice job at explaining the various stages of ballooning and the methods to counter that issue. The go around should always be in your arsenal if you need it, but judicious use of power will save a landing more often than not (IMO).

[@mattiamerci203]

I would like to ask if it is possible to cover an engine failure enroute where there is the need to perform an emergency landing on a field? How to make the correct decisions, evaluating the possible chances: fields, highways, ect. Thanks in advance

[@GamblerBE]

Not 100% what you're looking for, but Jason did a video with "flightchops" a few years back practicing emergency procedures. Just look on youtube for a video called "Emergency procedures over Silicon Valley". Hope that's helpful!

[@laprepper]

when the engine dies, its always an emergency landing, lol... Many experienced pilots (not me) are always looking for a landing zone. Always. The best landing zone is the best one you can find in time to land safely. Reaching for that perfect field that is too far away isn't necessarily better than the freeway right below you... that being said, landing among cars going 80+ can get dicey!

[@trex70]

I am not a pilot but like to fly on the PC (msfs). And it is good to learn. Thank you for sharing.

[@Kinghutchyafl]

Thank you for your service Captain!

[@DanCoastie]

As always great video!! As a 170 hour pilot I truly appreciate these videos

[@tinothepilot]

Thanks for this. Getting back into flying after 23 years and am doing this a lot. Great information.

[@ryangee7354]

I love your videos. As someone who has ballooned on a windy/gusty day as a low time pilot, I can attest this is an important topic and scary when it happens unexpectedly.

[@cmonstar5398]

I just had my first unassisted landing and it was at an unfamiliar airport. Your videos helped a lot!!!!

[@allabouthelenawithgoldenwe904]

I've noticed slow and consistent trim input helps too.

[@saokim82]

I have 108 on my landing and still could get my landing smooth, this video help me so much. Thank you

[@SimbaC2007]

1:37 I think looking at the end of the runway get's you a good perspective relative to the horizion for your 3d axis

[@jmitterii2]

Coming in hot can cause floating too... I just learned to come in as slow as needed... x wind or gusts or lots of wind need a bit more airspeed... C172 typically like to round out with 65 kts to 61 kts... slow and steady... let it bleed to 55 to 50 kts and eventually flare becomes apparent at below 50 kts 45 or wind speed indicator buried. For soft field landings you use a bit of power to smoothly keep that nose wheel up.... just get in a nice round out. and gradually take power away and allowing that wonderful feeling of the flare develop. Soft field landings I figure you can "cheat" because you're really controlling the round out with power to stay in the round out to control the flare and keep that nose up and land super soft and even had tiny bits of power back in so that nose doesn't drop suddenly. Short field landing, goal to come in very slow if calm winds etc. about 65 to 61Kts, and round out ends up being one smooth transition form round out to flare. Should be no floating... My instructors pointed out, if you have no flying speed left you can't bounce. These speed increase depending on wind and density altitude conditions.

[@brentsouthwell1094]

N1183M. I bought her new from the Factory! I hope she is flying well

[@dreadroberts5627]

That final clip actually looked good from my eight hours of student experience... guess I have a ballooning problem.

[@BenSieweke]

This one hit home for me. Doing my PPL. COVID caused us to have a massive off time with no flying and now that we are getting back into the air, this is one of my struggling points.

[@andrewcourlas1193]

wish this video was up 4 months ago when I started flying lol I struggled with this for a fat minute

[@flyingupanddaun6551]

Thanks for the video! I wish I watched this video before my first solo haha

[@LicenseToTill]

That one dislike is by that guy 'Hi I'm Jason Scheppert, remember a good pilot is always learning'

[@aaryanverma9802]

😂😂

[@citationau]

Good content Jason. I think every pilot has experienced ballooning or bouncing on landing.

[@carlosgarcia3341]

Great lesson, thanks Jason.

[@JonMulveyGuitar]

Another great tip! Thanks, Jason!

[@SVSky]

Gosh the C-172 was so frustrating, had such a hard time reading it's energy state that my CFI suggested taking up hot air ballooning since I was so good at it LOL. Great tips will use them next time I'm in the Sky-yota

[@HikariKobayashi]

I ballooned so much when I first started. Eventually my CFI suggested adjusting trim settings and that seemed to help a lot.

[@beta_cygni1950]

I learned on a Cherokee, then flew Diamonds after that. I never had a problem with ballooning UNTIL the 172. My 3rd or 4th time flying the 172 I porpoised the hell out of it. I never flew the 172 again. Went back to the Cherokee and Diamonds and didn't have a problem after that.

[@paulredman1447]

Jason, you rock!. I've got UK PPL and a share in PA28, always watch and re-watch your video if I'm 'grounded' for any time..Keep up the great content on here. Cheers from England and stay well in these strange times.

[@sams6928]

Great advice, as always!

[@jakew9887]

Great presentation. Thanks

[@davidgrier403]

For me in the Skyhawk I use #2. Just a touch to regain control and let it settle

[@emergencylowmaneuvering7350]

Great video, some CFI's just say; Go around. They dont teach how to fix the flare..

[@dojoswitzer]

Probably my worst landing yet was recently, when I may have been a little fast, flared, and kept adding back pressure very close to the ground. I think the plane came to a full stall less than a foot above the runway. (I think I have a fear of landing on the nose gear that stops me from releasing any back pressure. Adding a little power could have helped.) The nose was so high, I would not be surprised to be told that I had a tail strike, even though I did not sense one.

[@av8rshane491]

I never learned how to land but I’m now an expert at recoveries!

[@camsmeltzer9388]

Thanks for videos! Using tips in next lesson.

[@mytech6779]

I would be interested in "short field" tips. (The ACS short field, not so much short approaches) Like getting that 200ft [100commercial] every time, even with different headwind, without touching short or floating long.

[@siyuhamilanzi8822]

Love your videos ❤

[@GZA036]

As I bring the nose up to the horizon in the flare, I would still be looking straight ahead at the point 1000 feet down the runway, I definitely take information from the "Lindbergh references" using my peripheral vision but would not actually dart my eyes over there.

[@jdub7771]

I keep pulling too soon, thinking the plane is lower than what it is. Lately my approaches have been pretty good. It's just that I have a hard time gauging the height of the wheels over the runway. I feel like I'm too low and will crash. lol

[@WolfPilot]

This is a great video! I have saved dozens of landings where I had some ballooning by just continuing to hold it off until the landing comes to me..

[@laprepper]

as my instructor said on my first hour, "keep flying the plane until you land, hold it just off the runway". Ground effect is real, have to dissipate lots of energy to land and not bounce.

[@industrieundtechnik1761]

Maybe in a simple plane, do this in a r182 and you need a shockload

[@nealhere]

Great stuff. Thanks

[@BradHallStudios]

Thanks Jason. Great video as always.

[@justsnappy]

I think working the yoke / fishing for the sweet spot helps avoid the overpull

[@shelbymcdaniel6868]

Thank you for sharing this was helpful.

[@lucmatter9601]

Exactly. Well presented, sir

[@gabrielayres8708]

Great content. Learning a lot from your videos. Wish I could have you as my instructor!

[@TheAirplaneDriver]

Outstanding lesson.

[@CFITOMAHAWK]

Level off 2 feet over runway, cut the flaps a bit, wait for aiplane trying to descend, flare again, flaps all up, brake.

[@vedbarua2468]

Excellent

[@TheFinerPoints]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@NicholasNemirsky]

Question - On go arounds, I see you are putting flaps from 10 to 0 before Vy (Looked like 65 knots in your video). Would you recommend waiting to speed up to Vy prior to putting flaps from 10 to 0? Reason is you will lose some lift as the flaps come up and need to build up more speed to maintain the same lift. Thanks! Love your videos! I am training to become a CFI now and I use your videos as a good reference guide.

[@LicenseToTill]

At my flight school I learned it that way, level off and accelerate there's no need to rush with getting rid of flaps. You can technically use 10 flaps to get to circuit altitude even. So yeah, sometimes in stages is better rather than getting rid of flaps too soon (reducing lift + slow speed can be potentially dangerous)

[@scrimmo]

Flaps were always the last thing on my mind during circuit training go arounds. You aren’t gonna rip the wings off a 152 😆

[@vanquishedcanadian6424]

0 dislikes. Beauty. The way it should be:)

[@flyinwithfrank1363]

great instruction!

[@TheFinerPoints]

Thank you!

[@4-7th_CAV]

Again, another fine video! Although, I would add one thing if the go-around is used: After power and flaps have been selected, side step to the right side of the runway so the pilot has a better view of the runway itself. Including the side step on all go-arounds will eliminate the need for remember to do in the event that the go-around is initiated as a result of a traffic conflict either on the ground or in the air.

[@csmihaly]

Where’s your location? I’m East Coast, you probably Ca...., if we were closer, I would love to visit you for a lesson or two. Amazing contents. Master teaching and flying.

[@dennis771]

My CFI told me to watch your video 12.8 hours in...knocking on the door or solo

[@warrenjbrown4898]

My specialty ... balloon!

[@757simmer7]

I’ve started to grow a fear of flaring in stunt taildraggers’ recently, Most of the time almost tilting over due to extreme sensitivity. How do i stay center while trying to lose speed rapidly?

[@AlanTheBest97]

Could you do some taildrager content?

[@johnpro2847]

Some instructors say do not try to recover go round. Depends on your level of experience I guess. A newbie should go round if more than a minor bump or 2 ..trying doe a save can damage an expensive aeroplane.

[@laprepper]

"not try to recover" seems like awful advice, at some point you might be in a situation where you don't have a choice. I would believe "go around" is the safer option, but I don't believe you should avoid training on bounced landings just because "you should have gone around anyways..."

[@sasquatchycowboy5585]

I watched a 130 that was doing a cross country completely blow that second method this weekend. He came screaming in fast as hell, ballooned, and pushed the nose down. Fucker hit nose first, and bounced three times. So it was nose mains, nose mains, nose mains, and go. Because he was doing touch and go's. The 130 is a beast an can take a lot of abuse, but even still I bet whoever that was, there AR shop is having a fun Monday.

[@hansjarvman]

I watched many of your videos and tried to use the Lindbergh reference but haven't been flying that continuously to really get a grip on it. I'm also curious on how tall you are. I'm 194cm/9'4'' and don't really find that I have a problem looking over the dashboard in the P28A. It might also just be the fact that I'm still so new to this and each landing is so different still. Mainly landing on 800/600m grass fields and the edges of the runway are not always easy to use as a reference.

[@_fox.alpha_]

My instructor told me to NEVER release backpressure during the flare: if the flare is too high just go around, if it happens just above the runway I was told to keep the backpressure (without adding any) in and add as necessary for the landing. May be rough/hard, but it will ensure I'll never land on the front gear first. Do you agree?

[@_fox.alpha_]

@Kyle Bedard ​ of course - my comment related to a situation where the ballooning was caused by too much back-pressure, not accounting for changes in wind speed or direction. We seldom have gusty winds where I fly (LSZA is in a narrow valley which opens up to the south)so that topic has never come up in training, but I will get additional training for crosswind and gusty winds as soon as possible.

[@jimallen8186]

Hold the yoke or stick open handed such that you can’t push forward.

[@jimallen8186]

Had a float plane guy say to flare in discrete increments. Such gives room to counter flaring high while milking off energy to not balloon or float. “Chip and hold, chip and hold, chip and hold, hold, hold.” Each increment lessens VVI and bleeds a little kinetic but still allows you to ease down. Like a ratchet, one way, always increasing or holding never decreasing. Works with conventional gear too in which excessive VVI at touchdown not only has energy in the gear, it also rapidly increases AOA causing a really bad bounce and balloon as the tail momentum continues down hence AOA up. That and look into “Flare Assist radar” designed for Sea Reys but useful for anyone. AOA and HAT (height above touchdown), great tools.

[@JoshSwinson-bj5wn]

I kept doing very slight balloons every landing. I reduced my approach speed 5 knots and it doesnt happen anymore. All it took, no change in technique or anything.

[@yaroeb9136]

One comment I have for thought would be the change of flaps you teach before establishing a positive rate of climb. Or at least arresting the climb. I teach my students cram, climb, clean. The reason for this is because while a Cessna has electric flaps that gradually move, a lever flap system like a piper arrow will instantly dump the flaps. Flaps provide lift and drag so abruptly reducing the flaps to a lower angle could potentially lead to a power on stall with the sudden loss of extra lift if the airspeed was close to stall speed with landing flaps. Even at MCA an airplane has enough power to climb before reducing the flaps. I believe this to be a safer procedure even considering a reduced climb rate for terrain clearance with the flaps down longer. I say this because if you go around due to ballooning or porpoising at the beginning of a runway you are at an earlier point on the runway giving more horizontal distance to any terrain or obstacles. Just my two cents.

[@catherinekilgour2563]

MCA = Minimum Controllable Airspeed

[@laprepper]

Forgive me, shouldn't the decision to "round out" be made based more on flight speed than visual reference? Sorry, only 1 hour here.

[@flankerskioneniner4290]

Is this the lake that near the Guneau intl airport ?

[@RenatoAlmeidaLins]

Your videos are really nice! Congratulations on that. I totally agree with the use of the Lindberg reference, but I have one question: Do you move your head and focus on that region, or do you use your peripheral vision? I´m asking because in glider training it is common to keep the focus on the other end of the runway and use your peripheral vision to perceive the ground getting closer and finish the round out.

[@TheFinerPoints]

I follow the horizon. If it’s still visible over the nose I’d say peripheral but if the pitch blocks the forward view I follow the horizon down to the left.

[@RenatoAlmeidaLins]

@@TheFinerPoints, Thanks! That is a nice criterion to decide.

[@Dan007UT]

And you still managed to hit the 1000ft markers. Lol

[@K0nst4nt1n96]

Thank you for improving my flying in Microsoft Flight Simulator :DD I am to broke to fly, maybe gliding but flying is too expensive in Germany :(

[@bobstroud9118]

The Lindbergh reference. When did airplane design decide that seeing the instruments was more important than seeing where you’re going?

[@4-7th_CAV]

@Wogden 700 Tail wheel airplane landing gear is not called "traditional landing gear". It is called "conventional landing gear".

[@laprepper]

WW2 tail wheel pilots were probably thinking the same thing. When you have to s-turn down a runway just to see where you are going, you have to wonder if the designers ever flew! lol

[@2ndbar]

Probably don't want to raise flaps to 10 degrees all at once, especially with manual flaps that go to 40 degrees. Ouch!

[@RiceyPudd5107]

Hey do you have any tips for people who want to start making youtube videos? - Love your videos as well :)

[@michaelm1105]

How does one release back pressure? Not a pilot…..

[@gazzpazzer]

I’d like to say I’ve never done this, but I’d be lying. I ballooned and still landed. Stupid. I should have gone around. At least I had 5000ft of runway. Big lesson. Will never do that again.

[@jeeeeeeees]

I see the runway in from of me, so no need for lindberg reference. im sure its good in tailwheel planes

[@john-davidchambers2496]

👍

[@karlrschneider]

Easy. Slow down. Duh.