✈️ Aviation Brief — Issue #6
Weekly insights for student pilots and the instructors who train them.
THIS WEEK'S TOPIC
PA.IV.F — Short-Field Landing (Private Pilot ACS)
### 1. ACS STANDARDS SUMMARY
For Private Pilot (PA.IV.F.S1: Short-Field Approach and Landing), the ACS requires you to demonstrate a stabilized approach to a designated touchdown point, touching down at or within 200 feet longitudinally beyond that point and within 20 feet laterally. Maintain airspeed at VREF (typically 1.3 × VSO) ±5 knots, achieve an appropriate descent angle (±5°), touch down in the landing attitude, use aerodynamic braking followed by maximum wheel braking to stop as quickly as possible, and maintain directional control throughout. The examiner will specify the touchdown point (often marked by a cone or cone) on a runway, may simulate an engine failure, and verify you complete the before-landing checklist. Risk management includes verifying runway length against POH data and accounting for wind, density altitude, and weight.
### 2. THREE COMMON STUDENT MISTAKES
- **Excessive airspeed on final approach**: Students often fly 5-10 knots fast to "feel safe," causing the airplane to float 300-500 feet past the spot—easy to spot on checkrides when the examiner marks the point with a cone.
- **Flaring too high or too late**: Without a steady aim point, pilots round out 20-30 feet up, leading to ballooning, porpoising, or a hard drop-in; this wastes precious runway and risks a bounce.
- **Delayed or timid braking on rollout**: Hesitating to apply full brakes (worried about flat spots) or not keeping the stick full back for aerodynamic deceleration results in 200-400 extra feet of roll, especially on grass or contaminated surfaces.
### 3. CFI PRO TIP
Practice the "spot pinch" technique: Pick your touchdown spot 1/2 mile out and "pinch" it between your thumb (on the glareshield) and forefinger (at the top of the windshield cowl) to lock in a 3-4° glide path—adjust power to hold that sight picture constant. This builds instinctive speed and angle control without chasing the runway; do 10 reps per lesson, starting high and shallow, then tighten it up.
### 4. SAFETY SPOTLIGHT
NTSB data from 2012-2021 shows short-field overruns account for 15% of GA fatal landing accidents, often when pilots misjudge density altitude performance—like a 2019 Cessna 172 crash in Nevada mountains where high/hot conditions doubled the required landing distance, but the pilot floated long due to +10 knot approach speed (NTSB-ID: WPR19FA147). Always cross-check POH charts against actual runway length; ASRS reports highlight 200+ cases yearly of pilots assuming "it'll stop" without calculating.
### 5. DID YOU KNOW
A properly executed short-field landing in a Cessna 172 can cut the POH ground roll by 30-50% compared to normal landings (from ~500 feet to under 300 feet at sea level), but only if you hold VREF precisely—exceed it by 5 knots, and distances balloon exponentially per the charts.
---
Exec Flight Services | execflightservices.com | [email protected]
Based in Las Vegas, NV
Follow Exec Flight Services on Facebook for weekly updates.
← Back to all issues