Author: David Jacobson

How to land a plane … with the world’s best practice.

21.07.2018 , simple-safe-logical-affordable

How to land a plane … with the world’s best practice

A senior flight instructor once suggested that there are 3 or 4 steps required for a successful landing … BUT: no-one knows what they are!

If that was ever true, it is certainly not anymore. For a start, there are 5 – and since 1987, we DO know what they are.

In order to learn how to land a plane consistently well, a pilot must be able to understand and answer the following 5 questions – and flight instructors should be able to explain them – simply, clearly and factually; and be able to demonstrate them to their students, at any level of experience:

Where to aim?
How to aim?
When to flare?
How much to flare? And
How fast to flare?

The main problems:

In my experience (over 50 years), most pilots usually aim at an area, like the piano keys or the runway numbers (they are 80-100ft/25-30m long) – rather than to a nominated aim point, suitable for the aircraft size and runway length available.
Many flight training establishments still teach their students to attempt to control the most precise manoeuvre most will ever have to master with the secondary effects of controls, instead of the primary effects; the result is, invariably an unpredictable roller coaster flight path … the final approach is not stabilised and the aircraft will never cross the threshold at a consistent height.
The decision on when to commence the flare is based historically on an ‘educated guess’ of vertical ‘flare height‘ above the ground. This assessment is inconsistent, subject to many variable and distorting factors and any errors in this assessment of height compound 20 times, along the runway, making touchdown and turn-off points unpredictable. Modern transport aircraft have useful radio altitude call-outs, but these still suffer the same 20 x times-compounding mathematical errors.
The assessment of how much to flare is nothing more than a subjective guess, while attempting to fly straight and level with power/thrust retarded to idle , just above the runway, for as long as possible, rather than continuing to converge with the runway surface … but less and less, each part/second.
Finally, the ‘flare rate‘ is another series of subjective guesses, based on ‘feel, look, judgment, perception’ and experience, NONE of which can be taught. They come only with practice, repetition and time. Mostly, they do come – after all, this is what we’ve all done for over 100 years … but at what cost? And with no consistency.
With a looming shortage of pilots, world-wide and especially in Australia, are airlines and flight training organisations really going to continue to adhere, blindly, to the myths, legends and mumbo jumbo that has been passed on as landing training, for more than 100 years – when EVERYTHING ELSE in aviation has developed – just a little?

The solution:

The answers to all of these key questions may not seem readily apparent – after all, have you ever seen them in a manual or textbook? But they are available and well proven, by thousands of pilots in at least 60 countries.

The Jacobson Flare landing flare technique – based on simple triangulation

The solution lies in the use of triangulation, as used, most effectively, by the RAF 617 Squadron ‘Dambusters’, in 1943. As well as considering ‘flare height‘, the Jacobson Flare offers a precise, complementary visual fix, along the runway centreline, short of the aim point, that makes the flare point visible to the pilot, instead of relying on a guess.

Offering the elegant simplicity of the safety pin, it eliminates the ‘mumbo jumbo’ from explaining how to land a plane.

ALL of those 5 questions are answered, factually, with full explanatory solutions and the result is the world’s first universal, quantifiable, consistent, safest and simplest approach and landing training technique.

For 30 years, the most common feedback from experienced pilots is that ‘it finally explains what we’ve probably all been trying to do, subconsciously, all these years.’

Wishing you many safe landings

Captain David M Jacobson FRAeS MAP

Would you care to experience that unsurpassed sense of accomplishment, derived from executing consistently beautiful landings, more often?

For starters, Download the FREE Jacobson Flare LITE, our no fuss/no frills introduction. Here we demonstrate, step by step, the application of the Jacobson Flare on a typical grass airstrip at Porepunkah, YPOK.

We invite you to browse the consistently positive comments on our Testimonials page. Many pilots, of all levels of experience, have downloaded our Apps. Read about their own experiences with the Jacobson Flare technique and the App.

Then download the COMPLETE Jacobson Flare app – for iOS. You’re already possibly paying $300+/hour to hire an aeroplane: You’ll recover the cost of the app, in just ONE LESS-NEEDED CIRCUIT. Moreover, you’ll have an invaluable reference tool, throughout your entire life in aviation.

Download the COMPLETE Jacobson Flare App for iOS devices now.

We invite you, also, to review our new, FREE companion app,

offering a convenient way of staying abreast of our latest blogs.

Download the Jacobson Flare NEWS App for iOS devices now.

Your students go solo in far less time … isn’t that bad for business?

14.07.2018 , captain-david-jacobson

Your students go solo in far less time … isn’t that bad for business?

Throughout my 50-year career as an Australian professional pilot (1965-2015), it was considered normal for civilian student pilots to attain the proficiency required to achieve their first solo flight after an average of 10-12 hours’ dual instruction.

More lately, anecdotal reports indicate that many students haven’t reached solo standard by 30-35 hours! That number happens to be around the minimum required for a restricted Private Pilot Licence and frankly, is just ridiculous.

Are landings that difficult? … Or have conventional landing techniques passed their use-by date?

Do flight instructors really know HOW to teach landings? … Or have they just accepted the conventional wisdom that it takes time for students to ‘get the hang’ of learning how to land a plane. After all, the ‘watch what I do and copy it’ approach has served us well for over 100 years … hasn’t it?

Because the longer it takes a student to solo, the better for business, right?

Or is it?

Many flight training schools and colleges have been established to meet the initially-perceived-but-now-actual shortage of pilots, world-wide. And they are still teaching the old, tired methods, based on trial-and-error and developing judgment by repetition …why? Because we’ve always done it this way.

Well, this head-in-the-sand attitude is going to cost them dearly, because many enter into fixed-price contracts training cadet pilots for customer airlines and, with extended training times to first solo, the income will be quickly consumed. That’s a real cost which could be avoided.

Then, what about the wear and tear on instructors and students, each group with their own frustrations and lack/loss of confidence?

Next, how about the totally unnecessary wear and tear, and damage to airplanes … even loss through accidents? And possible injury and loss of life?

Even at schools where the student base is centred on discretionary spending on a new pastime, how long will they persist, if they are achieving little or slow progress?

Since 1987, a more efficient, simpler, safer and cost-effective universal technique has been available. And since 2014, this technique has been within easy reach. A training technique that employs sound mathematical principles, rather than guesswork, myths and legends will get student pilots solo in half the time …

How can that be bad for business?

Wishing you many safe landings

Captain David M Jacobson FRAeS MAP

Would you care to experience that unsurpassed sense of accomplishment, derived from executing consistently beautiful landings, more often?

Download the COMPLETE Jacobson Flare App for iOS devices now.

We invite you, also, to review our new, FREE companion app,

offering a convenient way of staying abreast of our latest blogs.

Download the Jacobson Flare NEWS App for iOS devices now.

“My worst landing ever was the one I never actually made”

06.07.2018 , from-our-logbooks

“The worst landing I ever completed was the one I never actually made”

Fortunately, no damage was done – the only thing that really took a hit was my ego. The simple fact is that, back in 1978, many years ago, I ‘arrived‘ in a passenger jet well before I even thought I needed to commence the landing flare manoeuvre.

This is the first article in a planned occasional series, sharing the most memorable and invaluable experiences – and not only from the career of Captain David Jacobson, creator and developer of the Jacobson Flare: We plan also to feature other highly esteemed pilot friends and colleagues, only too willing to share their collective aviation experience with you, in the interests of improving flight safety. The invaluable lessons that we learned are just as valid today.

I was the (8-year-reasonably-experienced) First Officer (co-pilot) of a B727-200, one of the most forgiving airplanes to land (lots of ‘ground cushioning effect’). Yet, in perfect conditions on a cold, calm, moonlight night with unrestricted visibility, no rush and a completely stabilised approach, a visual illusion of our height above the runway caused me to not even commence the flare before the jet planted itself firmly on the runway surface. Firmly enough that it didn’t even skip or bounce.

Let’s backtrack a bit: On a cold but clear evening in June 1978, our flight plan originated from our base, Melbourne (Victoria YMML) to Launceston (Tasmania YMLT) and on to overnight in Hobart YMHB. The 55 minute first night sector was uneventful and flown by the captain. On the brief 25 minute turn around, he visited ATC/MET to review any changes; the flight engineer performed another walk-around inspection and I reset the flight deck and nav data (INS and radio aids, back then) for the short 15 minute flight to Hobart.

Our through passengers remained on board: one, easily recognisable, was the legendary Australian Rules football former champion player, captain and coach, Ron Barassi. We had a brief chat and he commented “a nice clear night to go flying?.” I concurred. He then enquired who had landed the aircraft, just then? I answered, “the captain.” “So”, he replied, “it’s your leg to Hobart, I presume?” I replied in the affirmative and that was the end of the brief conversation, as we had to get on with the departure. I didn’t feel under any added pressure but, perhaps, you can start to see a set-up coming?

The 158 nm flight down to Hobart went well; we climbed to FL 130 and back down again, for a night visual right-hand circuit around to runway 30 (into the North West: 300ºM), ideal for a first officer: I was seated as usual in the RH seat. It was a beautiful moonlit night, totally calm and just 5ºC: perfect conditions and beautiful reflections on the waters around Hobart Airport, as we circled to join final approach at about 4nm and 1200-1300ft AGL. The approach sequence went smoothly: flaps, reducing airspeed, landing gear, further flap, further airspeed reduction and so on. Shortly after I stabilised on the extended runway centre line, 3º glidepath (aided by a T-shaped visual approach slope indicator system of lights, installed non both sides of the runway) and our final approach speed, we completed the landing checklist. We were cleared to land and it felt like the 727 was on ‘rails’, as we approached the runway threshold. It was a beautifully stable aeroplane to fly.

The next thing: Bang! We has ‘arrived’, firmly on the runway. As outlined earlier, somehow, on a night with unrestricted visibility, no rush and a completely stabilised approach, a visual illusion of our height above the runway caused me to not even commence the flare before the jet planted itself firmly on the runway surface. Firmly enough that it didn’t even skip or bounce.

Like me, both the Captain and Flight Engineer were also lulled into inaction … not even the normally-expected sharp intake of breath from either, just before we ‘arrived’; the illusion fooled them, also. There was much embarrassment all round, especially when (after clearing the runway), our Purser enquired, “Which one of you aces is responsible for the 6-rows of rubber jungle back here?” Of course, she was referring to a collection of dropped oxygen mask panels.

Out of sheer embarrassment, I made sure I didn’t pass through the terminal before all our passengers had claimed their bags and departed; and there was no way I was going to let the famous Ron Barassi have a free laugh at me; after all, he knew that I was the pilot flying that sector. Later, at the crew hotel, it cost me a few rounds of drinks for my colleagues and cabin crew, in justifiable reparation!

Next morning, when we alighted from our crew transport and entered the terminal to flight plan and prepare for our single return flight to Melbourne, Ron Barassi spotted me and moved to intercept. Apparently, he’d been a guest speaker at a sportsman’s dinner and was returning on our flight, this following morning. He said, “Hey, what happened last night? I knew you were flying the jet and it was a really comfortable flight down here. In the circuit, I glanced out my RH cabin window, marveled at the reflection of all the lights on the water and then went back into my book again. Next thing, bloody bang! What happened???”

I enquired, “Have you ever done any flying, Mr Barassi?” He replied, “No”. “Then”, I offered, “let me put this into football terminology: Let’s call it ‘one off the side of the boot’!

So, the worst landing I ever completed was the one I never actually made.

The problem

That embarassing experience sure made me think about how we continue to land airplanes by guesswork and trial-and-error techniques that hark back 100 years to the end of WW1. The ‘conventional wisdom’ seemed questionable even when I was learning how to land a plane as a 17-year-old student pilot. Even at that very early stage, I had had an inspiration for a simple solution … from the RAF 617 Sqn ‘Dambusters’ operation, back in 1943. Now that solution was screaming at me.

Of all manoeuvres flown in fixed-wing airplanes, the landing flare remains an enigma to most pilots. It should be the most precise flight manoeuvre that pilots are required to master. It’s critical to the safe and satisfactory conclusion of every flight. But historically, it has attracted little serious thought and attention.

The original pilots were self-taught. Their haphazard trial-and-error practices gradually blossomed into a loose collection of landing myths and methods that ultimately came to be regarded as gospel. Surprisingly, these have remained for the most part unchallenged by generations of flight instructors.

The best explanation for this may be the law of primacy in education: people tend to believe implicitly what they are first taught, creating unshakeable views about any given subject – especially on how to land a plane.

In accepting that ‘this is how it’s done’ and passing that baton on, pilots using conventional flare practices have:

Used educated guesswork and the repetition of trial-and-error methods to solve only the immediate problem – what about the next airfield, or a future airplane endorsement? And the next?
Prolonged unnecessary stress for students, instructors, passengers and airplanes;
Accepted the lack of consistency and predictability;
Wasted valuable training time and expensive resources trying to teach landing judgment;
Had no logical and constructive means to critique and troubleshoot the landing flare manoeuvre;
Suffered far too many landing accidents and incidents – worldwide statistics in this category have remained unacceptable for decades.

The solution

Conventional training practices have assumed that manual landings are non-quantifiable. This is no longer the case. Since 1987, the Jacobson Flare has enabled precise comprehension and command of a manoeuvre historically regarded as an ‘art’.

This technique discusses the development of a practical and tolerant method for establishing a universal and consistent landing flare that does not rely solely on a pilot’s peripheral perception of vertical height. Simple triangulation principles are applied to determine a visual fix for the commencement of the flare.

The key Jacobson Flare advantages are:

It fully defines the entire visual landing manoeuvre;
It enhances landing competence and confidence for pilots – at any level;
Most of the variable factors affecting judgement are eliminated (as many variables actually self-correct);
A visual fix eliminates the unreliable guessing of flare height;
This longitudinal fix is 400-times more tolerant of errors;
The increased tolerance enables its use on gravel and grass airstrips as well;
It is universal. It works on all fixed-wing airplanes that flare;
It is quantifiable from final approach to touchdown (a world first);
It offers standardised and measurable levels of competencies;
It simplifies ALL pilot training for students and instructors;
It significantly reduces total training time and costs;
It can be applied throughout a pilot’s entire career;
It enables better consistency for ALL pilots at all levels;
Runway occupancy times are substantially reduced. This is especially beneficial at busy airports;
Wear and tear on wheels, tyres, brakes and runways are reduced;
Flight safety is greatly enhanced through reduced damage and loss, due to fewer landing accidents;
No device or modification is required, so there are no additional costs;
It is perfectly compatible with modern Head-up Guidance Systems;
Troubleshooting is simple and effective for any landing situation;
Finally, pilots have a clear, simple and accessible explanation.

Wishing you many safe landings

Captain David M Jacobson FRAeS MAP

Would you care to experience that unsurpassed sense of accomplishment, derived from executing consistently beautiful landings, more often?

Download the COMPLETE Jacobson Flare App for iOS devices now.

We invite you, also, to review our new, FREE companion app,

offering a convenient way of staying abreast of our latest blogs.

Download the Jacobson Flare NEWS App for iOS devices now.

You’ll recover the cost by flying just ONE LESS circuit

24.06.2018 , simple-safe-logical-affordable

You’ll recover the cost by flying just ONE LESS circuit

How many circuits has it cost you, so far, to try and get the ‘hang’ of learning how to land your plane? And how much money?

Typically, in my experience here in Australia, most student pilots solo in about 10-12 hours. However, a disturbing trend seems to have developed here and elsewhere – pilots are taking upwards of 30 hours to solo.

Frankly, this is ridiculous. 30 hours should have a pilot close to a restricted Private licence – (RPPL).

Landing accidents still bring me almost to tears – for most are totally avoidable – by offering better training in the most precise and most neglected subject in the flight training syllabus. The statistics on these have not improved in the last 50 years.

Since 1985, I have proved that the problem is not that landings are difficult to master; the real reason is that conventional landing training methods, handed down blindly for over 100 years – yes, since WW1 – have always been inadequate, to say the least. This is because these methods rely on myths and legends that should, by now, have been made redundant. Everything else in aviation has been developed and improved, but not the ‘elephant in the room’. The landing is still treated by many as a sick joke.

In today’s traffic patterns, it is difficult to fly more than 6 touch-and-go circuits in an hour. At a typical cost of A$300.00/hour, that represents a cost of A$50.00 per circuit. That’s an expensive way of ‘getting the hang of it’, on just your first airplane – what about your conversions onto other airplanes?

By flying just one LESS circuit, you can invest in a lifetime of happy, safe landings in any airplane you may ever fly. From sailplanes to the A380.