Why Pilots Should Avoid Smooth "Greaser" Landings | Cockpit Wisdom: Episode 7

[@chrisholm8030]

I started as a Naval Aviator in carrier based aircraft. We don't flare, at the boat or on the land. But, our aircraft are designed to take a no flare landing. those landings can be brutal, but we put it right on the spot we aim for. I remember a couple that were so hard, it knocked the wind out of me. I would never intentionally inflict such injury on a GA aircraft. The gear and aircraft might not survive more than one landing with that abuse. I try to keep my GA landings short enough to make the first or second turnoff, while also treating the gear and tires like I am paying for them, which I am.

[@richardseton7014]

Spencer you are an inspirational pilot and instructor! Your message on this AI post was sadly mostly lost as has been articulated here by others. None of your passion and emphasis came through, and the visuals as selected by your AI were monotoriously boring, often out of context (are you teaching ATP or the rest of us?), for just one example (and there were many) a busy work load represented by someone spinning the flight number into the wheel, really? Then onto the background, bubbles and motion, what was the reason for this murky fishtank effect, because it was annoyingly disreacting, disrespective and unsupportive to the content. Please switch off the AI BS, if you wish to keep your followers. Because we love what YOU teach and inspire us with. Sincerely.

[@gideon_todes]

Spencer this vid had AI all over it and not in a good way. The word delve which is an AI word gave it away, but the complete lack of relevant structure and proper pictorial support was AI unwatchable. Your stall spin flat spin video was great and confirms you as a great teacher communicator but why ask a machine to ruin your output?

[@danosimp3]

Most of my landings are drop-ins. But with that said, you requested feedback on the AI format. I hate it... it makes any video feel cheap and spammed.

[@ssairshows]

Thanks for the honest feedback.😀

[@jerrysmith5782]

I can understand this for heavy airplanes where some thrust is required until actual touchdown, but for lighter airplanes landing without any thrust, a hard landing either results in a bounce (bad), or is the result of a full stall too high above the runway (also bad).

[@hobie1613]

When I teach landings I care a lot more about centerline management and proper crosswind corrections than a very smooth landing. The airplane can handle a little bit of a drop a lot more than it can handle a slide

[@ssairshows]

That's good threat and error management (TEM). There is a higher degree of risk in allowing the plane to drift laterally and that's an airmanship discipline that needs to be developed.

[@byronhenry6518]

Sounds like you’re training your students to be professionals! It’s the same deal in the airlines. (Beginning with a stabilized approach, of course) On speed, in the touchdown zone, on centerline, is the most important thing. If you happen to grease it on, that’s just the icing on the cake. And that’s not even desirable on a short contaminated runway.

[@jfollas]

I sometimes get two or three firm landings at a time on the same approach. Does that count?

[@ssairshows]

Counts towards currency🙃

[@ericobssuth7151]

I’m in the camp of I enjoy your videos, but phuque AI! I spend my life devoted to keeping these hand crafted piles of crap (usually) alive. When I do fly it is my opportunity to have myself, this machine and the sky, in most ways with the outcome is solely up to me. I am weary of a world of excessive mechanization. Community, community and sharing is why I stay in this business, why I run a stoopid flight school and wouldn’t have to, why I still work to keep the decrepit legacy fleet alive. If I wanted to deal with soleless machines and people who don’t have a rat’s hairy a## to give, I’d still be hanging on a wrench for the airlines. I want to hear your voice as god (or whoever your jam is) intended and video and graphics you assembled. But, what do I know?

[@ssairshows]

Thanks! I'll be returning to the handcrafted approach🙃

[@tobberfutooagain2628]

I normally land on the nose wheel first, on the numbers to make the first turnoff, does that count…?

[@ssairshows]

I bet your A&P buys a new truck every year🤣

[@jvtaylor3]

I really enjoy your videos, but I'm going to stop watching if they turn into this format. “Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.” -Frank Herbert

[@ssairshows]

Thanks for watching and I appreciate your feedback. As long as I fail early, fail fast, and fail often, only then will success occur. That's how I've learned everything important in my life!

[@ssairshows]

@alexp.6406 Training pilots in taildraggers I've seen the greaser mentality too often when people trying for the perfect 3 point full stall landing lose SA and drift off center while landing too long. I spent a lot of time flying at Santa Paula airport in CA. 2600 foot runway with wires and trees at the approach end to 22. People who only fly on long wide runways in tricycle gear planes are not prepared for the rest of the world.

[@ssairshows]

@alexp.6406 That's why I always preferred to wheel land my Pitts S2B at Santa Paula, so I can get on the brakes while the tail is up after firmly putting the mains down.

[@essel23fly]

There's nothing wrong with having a smooth landing if you have enough runway.

[@captain007x]

Exactly, most of this is just exaggerated bs and subjective rhetoric. If you plan a corect approach, you can land short.He spouts a lot of ' ifs' in this nonsense.

[@pittss2c601]

Please do a video of your Guinness spin records.

[@ssairshows]

Those are already on my channel. There is one for the 81 spin record in 2014 and for the 98 turn spin in 2016.

[@Tglass]

I like it firm....and your videos too Spencer.

[@BillPalmer]

I'm glad you moved away from "greasers are bad" to greasers may not be the best choice under some conditions.

[@joesillamanrs7189]

Rule #1 look cool

[@sssturges]

My plane does not have the greatest gear in the world esp the nose gear and my sink rate is really high going slow(RV9A). You can hit the ground so hard it could defect the mains and cause the nose gear to hit(a very bad thing) I land a bit faster with flaps 20 to prevent a rather brutal landing. Only time so really slow down and plant it is I on a short field landing. It is so much nice on the plane and to my passengers to grease it a bit.

[@byronhenry6518]

No sense in braking softly and landing smoothly for passenger comfort if the plane slides off the end of the runway. The passengers won’t appreciate your smooth touchdown if it means they need to evacuate and trudge through mud and rain to get to the terminal. (Or worse) Sure, if it’s a 10,000 foot grooved and dry runway with calm winds, grease it on. Especially if the terminal is near the end. 5,000 foot contaminated runway? Plant the thing down at the thousand footers and get the damn thing stopped.

[@RonMarish]

I'll stick with greasers but thanks

[@iflycentral]

Sounds like a skill issue. I can put it down short while still keeping it soft.

[@ssairshows]

I think it's how people interpret "firm", which I didn't intend to meant violent. To me it's managing energy to the touchdown so that the plane stays on the ground...and that is a "skill" as you pointed out. Holding it off in the float looking for the greaser is counterproductive to teaching good airmanship especially when there is crosswind.

[@ProfsrXav8r]

It's hilarious when haters make negative comments, like they are hurting the video somehow, like the creator owes them something. Effectively, the only thing a negative comment does is drive up engagement, which makes the KZbin algorithm push the video to more people. Thank you, Spencer, for sharing your insights with the world and for working to make our industry safer. Thank you, haters, for helping to get this video out to more people.

[@DavTen10]

Love your videos. I do. I hated this one.

[@mrfawkes9110]

Yeah, robot voice is headache inducing.

[@happyscar4978]

Kept waiting for the joke that never really came… agreed better to have a firm landing than a runway overshoot. Wasn’t wild about the AI stuff Anyways, reckon when I do the ole stop and drop a foot or two above the runways I’ll just say it was for safety not spectacle 😁

[@thatguy7085]

I see people noting how they hate AI content…. Reality, as long as it is precise and informative, it will likely in the long run provide a better more accurate dissemination of information…. Effectively in the end, making the videos more relevant to the KZbin algorithm. This makes the actual subscribers worth more. If you want popularity… get a woman to wear yoga pants… you will get more hits. A million views or even a million subscribers doesn’t mean more money.

[@jhaedtler]

My Dad always taught me to pull the flaps up as soon as possible when landing. I would bring them up as soon as I knew I had the runway made. This helps to stop the bounce and slide slipping actions. Thanks for the videos!

[@sssturges]

Wow that is a lot of complexity on short final as you will have to bring your speed up quite a bit not to to close to the stall.

[@byronhenry6518]

Bringing the flaps up while still airborne prior to touchdown? That’s not really smart unless it’s in your POH. (Which I doubt it is). You’re going to have a sudden loss of lift with the loss of flaps. You could stall, and you will probably have an increase in airspeed and sink rate if you don’t stall. Either way, it’s going to require you to land faster, which will increase your stop distance. Getting the plane to the runway with full flaps lets you touch down at the slowest practical airspeed. Then once the mains are on the ground, you’d retract the flaps which transfers the weight from the wings to the wheels and allows for better braking action. If your goal is to land in the shortest possible distance, that’s the way to do it. If you’re talking about landing in gusty conditions, most people say it’s generally easier to do with less/no flaps. No big deal if your runway is 10,000 feet long and dry. Could be a problem if it’s 2000 feet long and wet though. We should be proficient in landing the plane with any flap setting, with or without gusty winds. Then you have the most tools in your tool bag and can choose the right one for a given situation.

[@jhaedtler]

@@byronhenry6518 That is the whole point of dumping the flaps

[@JustPlaneSilly]

I'm totally the guy that always tries to make the greaser landing and it also know that that's not how my landings should be I've always been told you when I firm landing in me spot your aiming at but there's so much satisfaction in not even being able to perceive the touchdown. But yes while I'm out there greasing landings I know my instructors cussing me out

[@redjet505]

so very clearly you tell people to smack their airplane into the ground. obviously when you have enough Runway this is never a problem. now let me teach all of you guys something very important before you listening to some idiot posting a video on KZbin. smoother Landing equal less stress on the airframe. and less ability of future damage.if you have the runaway land as smooth as possible!.

[@whiskeytippler1206]

Did we watch the same video? Nowhere in THIS video does he advocate for someone smacking their airplane on the ground. You can disagree without being disagreeable or making ad hominem attacks and name calling.

[@redjet505]

@@whiskeytippler1206 lol no just tell people not to learn smooth. And go tell the airline pilot they don't know how to do their work to make the comfortable flights for the passengers

[@byronhenry6518]

As a pilot (whether you’re GA, military, or airline) you should be proficient in landing the airplane however you need. 10,000 foot dry runway? Grease it on, no big deal. Less stress on the airframe, more comfortable, easier on the brakes, all good! Short runway, that’s contaminated, with gusty conditions? Plant the damn thing exactly where you require it to be, on speed, and assertively decelerate. Passenger comfort is not my primary concern. Passenger safety is. If I can make it comfortable, I will, but never at the expense of safety. We should be competent and capable of doing either one, given the situation presented. Whether you’re landing a 777 in Paris, France or a Piper Cub in Paris, Texas.