by Pat Veillette

A Grumman pilot shows how to flare. Photo courtesy Gregory A. Russell. Special thanks to the American Yankee Association, www.aya.org.

Isn’t it strange how most of us—and our passengers—judge a flight by the landing? If you’re like me, a “greaser” landing puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day, even if I botched a few decisions earlier in the flight. One of the keys to making that greaser is the flare.

The flare is actually a fairly complex maneuver for a number of reasons, which often makes getting a greaser a real challenge. In the flare, the aircraft’s pitch is changing by a large degree. The aircraft’s speed is also changing markedly, as does its power. All of this happens while poised just inches (hopefully)…