Archive

The aim point has long been regarded as the centre of expansion of a flow pattern – a visual effect known as motion parallax, familiar to generations of pilots as that ‘looming’ or ‘rushing’ or ‘explosive’ effect, seen as we approach the runway.

Here we discuss this most useful effect in detail and explain how it provides a perfect visual fix for the flare point as the airplane approaches the runway. An educated guess of flare height is not the only arbiter in assessing when to commence the flare. The flare point can now be quantified, through a simple and precise observation.