Landing

1. Initial Approach

   • 1500 ft 300 kts

2. Overhead Break

   • Throttle to 80% RPM

   • Deploy Speedbrakes

   • Bank angle 70 degrees, pulling Gs 1% of airspeed

   • Maintain level turn

3. Downind Leg

   • Opposite the landing heading

   • 1500 ft 200 – 220 kts

   • Extend landing gear

   • Landing Light On

   • AoA = 11

4. Base Turn

   • Pitch = 8 -10 degrees, AoA = 11

5. Final Turn

   • Roll out on final, 300ft AGL per nm from touchdown point, ie 600ft at 2 nm from runway threshold, 3 nm from STRP

   • Align the 2.5 deg pitch ladder lines (dashed: under the horizon) with runway threshold

6. Short Final

   • Overrun: Flight Path Marker at 300-500 ft

   • Flare

   • Throttle to Idle

7. Roll-out

   • Maintain AoA = 11 until 100 kts

   • Open speedbrakes fully and maintain full aft stick

   • Apply moderate to heavy braking

   • Engage nosewheel steering below 30 kts

Two distinct techniques may be used when landing. One technique is to trim for approximately 11 degrees AOA and to fly that airspeed throughout the final approach. Attitude/ glidepath is controlled by the stick, and airspeed/AOA is controlled by the throttle. This technique allows better pitch control, better over-the-nose visibility, and a more stable HUD presentation. In gusty wind conditions, the aircraft wallows less, and during the flare, the sink rate is easier to control. The aircraft floats approximately 800-1200 feet from flare initiation to touchdown. Another technique is to trim for 13 degrees AOA and to fly that airspeed throughout the final approach. The throttle is used primarily to control glidepath, and the stick controls airspeed through control of AOA and direction through bank angle. This type of approach primarily allows better control of touchdown point and more efficient energy dissipation; however, since the aircraft is already at 13 degrees AOA, the flare is more difficult, and care must be exercised to avoid scraping the speedbrakes or landing firm. The aircraft floats approximately 500-700 feet from flare initiation to touchdown.

The approach is made around 11o AOA (FPM at the top of the HUD AOA Bracket) on a 2.5-3o glidescope to the runway with speed brakes opened and landing gear (obviously) deployed. The FPM should be just on the runway threshold and the PAPI should indicate two red and two white lights. The picture depicts the situation although the AOA is a bit too low and fast. The throttle was then pulled back to increase AOA and lower the FPM to the top of the bracket. 

Don't worry about the fact that the AOA light shows you fast (low AOA) while on approach. That is normal. All that is important is that you are in the "green" at the point where your tires touch the ground. The transition to "green" usually occurs during the flare. As far as airspeed is concerned, it is generally only referenced during landing if there is a HUD failure or under certain AOA malfunctions.

It is highly recommended that you do not let your AOA while on approach increase beyond 11-12 degrees (unless you are doing short field approaches). You should figure out an approach to flaring that will get you to 13 degrees AOA at the moment of touchdown. Be careful with the flare though. Since you are only transitioning from 11 to 13 degrees, it can hardly be called a flare. Don't overdo it.

On touchdown, keep nose up and maintain 12-13 AoA, for aerodynamic braking and once the wheels are firmly on the ground, apply 2-point full wheelbraking. Don't keep your nose too high or wheels won't firmly grip the concrete. Once the wheelbrakes become effective, the nose starts falling off. Nosewheel finaly on the ruunway, fully deploy the airbrakes and pull the stick fully aft to inrease drag with the stabilizers. Keep applying maximum pressure on the wheelbrakes at the same time.

Technique A AOA=11

Stick FPM Attitude / Glidescope

Throttle AOA Airspeed / AOA

Flare Yes From 11 to 13

Aerobrake on the ground by holding the gun cross above 10+ degrees.

This technique allows better pitch control, better over-the-nose visibility, and a more stable HUD presentation. In gusty wind conditions, the aircraft wallows less, and during the flare, the sink rate is easier to control. The aircraft will float approximately 800-1200 feet from flare initiation to touchdown.

Technique B AOA=13

Stick AOA Airspeed < AOA / Direction < Bank Angle

Throttle FPM Attitude / Glidescope

This type of approach primarily allows better control of touchdown point and more efficient energy dissipation; however, since the aircraft is already at 13 degrees AOA, the flare is more difficult, and care must be exercised to avoid scraping the speedbrakes or landing firm. The aircraft will float approximately 500-700 feet from flare initiation to touchdown.

What is the landing speed for the viper? Speed depends on weight, that's why you "fly" the landing by the AoA.

F-16 is the easiest a/c in DCS to land. FPM at top of AOA staple aligned with the dashed 2.5deg line - all sitting on the runway threshold. F-16 is literally point-and-shoot for attitude, it goes where you leave it pointed. Throttle to idle as you cross end of RW and move FPM smoothly up to far end of runway and sink to touchdown. Hold the nose-up attitude (approx 10 degrees) till <100KIAS. Lower nose and apply brakes. Activate NWS, taxi off runway for tea and medals.

Fly a 3 degree glideslope with 11 degrees AOA and speedbrakes out. When just above the runway you idle the throttle and flare the plane to a gentle touch down. Do not stall the plane. Aerobrake with 11-13 degrees AOA. Once at 100 knots lower your nose. If the runway is long delay placing the nose down as long as possible to aerobrake to the biggest extent and save your brakes. Once the nose wheel contacts the ground apply full speedbrakes by holding in the speedbrake switch and go full aft stick to brake with your horizontal stablizers. Once rudder only does not keep you straight on the runway, center your rudder pedals and apply nose wheel steering (NWS). Apply wheelbrakes when needed to slow down to exit the runway at the desired exit.

Straight-in approaches are generally only flown in the real aircraft when weather is bad, when approaches are being practiced, under certain emergencies, or while heavily weighed. Try doing overhead approaches. Try turning off of base and onto final while only a mile or two from the runway threshold. This obviously requires more skill that a straight-in approach but it duplicates real F-16 landings to a higher degree. These approaches can be difficult due to view restrictions imposed by your computer but they are certainly doable.

Tips

Με το stick ρυθμίζουμε τη στάση / βαθμό καθόδου (attitude/glidescope) και με τη μανέτα την ταχύτητα / γωνία προσβολής (airspeed/AOA). 

Radar Altimeter: On

Fuel Flow = 6000-6500 ανάλογα με το βάρος μας.

Όταν κατεβάσουμε το σύστημα, φέρνουμε το flight path marker στον ορίζοντα και μεταβάλουμε την ταχύτητα τόσο ώστε το bracket να φθάσει στο flight path marker. Η ταχύτητα στην οποία το flight path marker είναι στο κέντρο του braket είναι η ταχύτητα τελικής.

Προσεγγίζουμε με ΑΟΑ 11, αλλά με πολύ αέρα ή αν έχουμε πρόβλημα προσεγγίζουμε με ΑΟΑ 13 Max. 

Κατά την προσέγγιση χωρίς καύσιμα βάζουμε glideslop -12ο. Το FPM στο Threshold -12o.

Τα αερόφρενα ανοίγουν full στις 60 μοίρες, αλλά στην προσγειωση ρυθμίζονται αυτοματα στις 43 μοίρες ανεξάρτητα εαν είναι full open. All normal landings should be made with speed-brakes opened to the 43 degree position to avoid a floating tendency when entering ground effect.

Γενικά ανοίγουμε airbrakes στην προσγείωση πάντα ώστε εαν κρατήσει ο κινητήρας να έχουμε (κρατημένη) ταχύτητα και με το κλείσιμο των brakes να μην την χάσει γρήγορα.

Κατά την προσέγγιση αν είμαστε ψηλά βάζουμε το FPM ένα μήκος διαδρόμου  πριν το threshold. Αν είμαστε χαμηλά βάζουμε το FPM 1 μήκος διαδρόμου μετά το threshold, δηλ. στο τέλος του.

Flare: AOA=11-13, GunCross = 15o.

A touchdown at the desired point at 13 degrees AOA can be achieved when flying final at either 11 or 13 degrees AOA by adjusting the initial aim point.

Aerobrake on the ground by holding the gun cross above 10+ degrees (μέχρι 13 μοίρες max).

Όταν πατήσουν οι τροχοί ανοίγουμε τα airbrakes στο full (από τις 43 στις 60 μοίρες).

Brakes = Antiskid

Για extra φρένα με τροχούς κάτω κρατάμε το parking brake πατημένο!

Crosswind Landing

The Viper is rated for crosswinds up to 25kts, and landing in that kind of crosswind with real-life procedures will cause you to lose stabs, parts of the wing, or just die.

The recommended technique for landing in a crosswind is to use a wing level crab through touchdown. At touchdown the ARI switches out. Undesirable yaw transients may occur if roll control is being applied at this time. After touchdown, perform two-point aerodynamic braking using the rudder to maintain aircraft rack down the runway and flaperon to prevent wing rise. In crosswinds, the aircraft may drift downwind due to insufficient directional control inputs/availability. As the airspeed decreases, increasing amounts of rudder are required to maintain track. Maintain two-point aerodynamic braking until approximately 100 knots or until roll or directional control becomes a problem. As the pitch altitude decreases, the nose tends to align itself with the ground track.

A viper is supposed to be landed crabbed, NOT decrabbed. Landing decrabbed is only necessary in DCS because they haven't fixed the wheel friction, yet. The fix was essentially posted by a user together with the defect, but it never found its way into the code. Not in over half a year anyways. Please don't learn to fly the plane in a way that it is not supposed to be flown in.

De-crabbing is where you straighten the aircraft in the air just before touchdown; crabbing is where you straighten on the runway after touchdown.

De-crabbing: Just before the flare, opposite rudder (downwind rudder) is applied to eliminate the crab

Crabbing: Upon touchdown the airplane tracks towards the upwind edge of the runway while de-crabbing to align with the runway. Immediate upwind aileron is needed to ensure the wings remain level while rudder is needed to track center line. The greater the amount of crab at touchdown, the larger the lateral deviation from the point of touchdown.

NOTE! The F-16 does NOT de-crab to land! The most important thing is to keep the wings level!

When landing in a crosswind, you should maintain wings-level and allow the aircraft to crab through touchdown.

At touchdown, quickly correct with rudder to maintain alignment down the runway. After touchdown, the aircraft will want to weather-vane into the wind, so you must compensate with rudder use or differential braking. A small amount of left or right stick into the wind direction may be required to help keep the wings level.

Perform the landing roll-out as described above but maintain two-point aerobraking until below 80 knots or aircraft control becomes a problem.

High rudder pedal force may cause an abrupt yaw as nosewheel steering is engaged. Center the rudder before engaging nosewheel steering if possible.

Rate of Descent Chart (feet per minute)

Speed (knots) Angle: 2.5o 2.75o 3o

130 575 630 690

150 665 730 795

160 707 778 849

Vref on Final

Total Fuel & Ext. Stores AOA 11 AOA 13 Touchdown KCAS

9000 171 163 151

8500 170 162 149

8000 169 161 148

7500 167 159 147

7000 166 158 145

6500 165 157 144

6000 163 155 143

5500 162 154 141

5000 160 152 140

4500 158 150 138

4000 157 149 137

3500 156 148 136

3000 154 146 134

2500 152 144 133

2000 150 142 132

1500 149 141 130

1000 147 139 128

500 145 137 127

0 143 135 125

Vref on Final

Total Fuel & Ext. Stores AOA 11 AOA 13 Touchdown KCAS

9000 188 180 168

8500 186 178 166

8000 184 176 164

7500 182 174 162

7000 180 172 160

6500 178 170 158

6000 176 168 156

5500 174 166 154

5000 172 164 152

4500 170 162 150

4000 168 160 148

3500 166 158 146

3000 164 156 144

2500 162 154 142

2000 160 152 140

1500 158 150 138

1000 156 148 136

500 154 146 134

0 152 144 132