How many touch-and-goes can you do in an hour? I can only do at most one every 6 or 7 minutes. That means that, if every thing works out just right, I might get 10 touch-and-goes in an hour. 

Now suppose I told you that you could get ten times as much practice with each pass down the runway? You probably wouldn't believe me. I know how you feel. So my challenge is to convince you in the next 600 or so words. Before you try this you need to do two things. 

First go to your favorite practice area and practice the Slow Dutch Roll (SDR). Find a spot on the horizon - a landmark. Point your airplane exactly at that spot. Slowly bank first one way then the other. But keep the nose pointed exactly at that spot. When I say 'slowly' I really mean slowly. Take this maneuver to its extremes. Increase bank until you either cannot move your aileron control further or you cannot move your rudder control further. Practice this at constant altitude, in glides, and at various airspeeds. Practice it in the landing configuration until you slow to a stall. 

Second, find a flight instructor who has both the self-confidence and skill to practice these maneuvers with you. 

All good landings happen after the pilot has successfully flown the airplane in slow flight just above the runway. This is what you are going to do. There is another attribute to all good landings. The airplane's main wheels are always pointed in the direction the airplane is traveling before touch down. This means no crabbing, only side-slipping allowed. This is what you are going to do, too. 

With a competent instructor in the right seat, after having talked this over with the tower and received their concurrence, approach the runway as for a normal landing. As you flare to land, have your instructor slowly add power as you keep the airplane off the runway. Don't let it land. You've got the plane in a nose-high attitude; the stall warning is screaming away. Check your alignment. Be certain that you've got it over the runway center stripe and the nose is pointed right down the center stripe to the far end. Don't let the airplane go too fast or you will not be learning much at all. Now you're ready. 

You have several maneuvers you can execute. I recommend that you practice them all. Make sure that your airspeed has stabilized first. 

For more training videos, landing techniques and other training materials for aspiring pilot visit http://privatepilottrainingonline.org/OP .






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