mcartier713

how does everyone trim their particular plane for landing and why? like i've noticed in the plane i fly, some guys trim it all the way nose up, some guys trim for final speed, and some dont even mess with it....

mike734

Suppose it depends on the airplane. I fly final in trim (always fly in trim) and pull for the flare (MD-80). There are times when I add some nose up bias for the flare but never much.

In the B-737 too much nose up trim can make a go-around very exciting. The under wing engines create a very large pitch up when adding full power for a go-around. The pilot has to really push hard to stop the jet from pitching too far nose up.

Every plane is different but I doubt a pilot would want to use a lot of up trim for the flare on most any aircraft.

Pilotpip

You can get away with full nose up trim in a light single. However this is a bad habit to get into. Ever had a trim stall? Try going full nose up in something with some balls and you'll likely end up in a very bad situation at a very bad time. Trim for airspeed.

cac737

It really depends on the airplane you fly and it's characteristics. The larger the plane, the more difference it can make due to it's larger CG range. On some planes it is more forward and thus trimming a bit back can help, like on a Lear for example. One thing to be cautious with, however, is in the case of a go-around or rejected landing. Trimming back and then having to "go missed" will have your nose coming up with very little effort, if you forget and then shove the power levers forward and pull back, you can find yourself with a very high angle of attack very quickly very close to the ground.

Now in the Boeings for example, B737 and bigger with underslung engines, this situation is aggravated even more because when you push the power levers forward for go-around thrust, due to where they are and their thrust lines, that act alone will cause the nose to rise very noticeably, and if you are light you can actually find yourself pushing forward on the control column on a go around. now trim "back" as you say and forgetting you did so, can find yourself in a very nosehigh attitude if not careful.

It really boils down to technique, just keep in mind the characteristics of your plane and where your CG is for landing. The best technique, and i dont mean to be corny here, is to really just come in stable. have your power set and speed set with a steady descent rate and you should nail it everytime.

the King

For the Diamonds we fly I teach my students to trim for about neutral, which also happens to be the trim used for takeoff. On downwind and base, you have to give a little forward pressure to maintain airspeed, but on final, it works really well. I've found that to work the best for me, and I think it really helps when you go around (which happens every now and again with primary students)

Ewfflyer

Light planes are easy to muscle. Honestly it depends on the day and other factors on what I do with about any plane, but if it's a non-electric trim, I'll set whatever holds steady on final and leave it alone.

Swass

In a 182 you can throw a tad (not much) of nose up on final to lighten the feel of the flair as they are nose heavy (comaparatively) for someone coming from a 172 or similar light aircraft

ToiletDuck

If you're talking cessna aircraft trimming all the way to fly the 60/65kt glide is a deadly mistake waiting to happen. The only time you should use that little trim trick is with an engine out. Go up a few thousand feet, pull the power all the way out and put the trim all the way down. You'll hold around 65kts. Then put the power all back in and see if you have enough strength to hold it.

In the 145 I never apply forces until I cut the throttle. All flying on final is pretty much trim and power. Put the power levers half way up and trim it and you'll hold your approach speed all the way down.