by Kelly Jamieson

Created on: October 06, 2008

THE LANDING PROCEDURE EXPLAINED

The process can be a complicated one when described in great depth, but the landing procedure is actually just another flight maneuver - the final one of a few other major maneuvers performed during a given flight. Depending on the experience of the flight crew, their familiarity with the airport and specific arrival procedures, the automation and capabilities of the equipment being flown, and the weather conditions at the time, the process of landing can range from being almost a non-event to one that is rather demanding.

From cruise flight to a threshold, many things have to change substantially - some which include altitude, speed, direction and aircraft configuration.

For inbound aircraft, most major airports have arrival procedures that allow air traffic controllers (ATC) to facilitate a high volume of air traffic through specific step-down airspace. Aircraft approaching from various directions join an arrival procedure to follow common tracks that eventually lead toward the final approach segment for an active runway. Active runways at airports are always dictated by the direction of the wind; when possible, aircraft always land and depart into wind.

Approach to Landing and the Landing itself are considered two separate maneuvers - but one is observably a fundamental part of the other. An old aviation rule states that a good landing is generally preceded by a well-executed approach. Further to that, a well-executed approach can only take place after careful planning and briefing between flight crew members prior to the commencing of the descent. Descent planning is a function of altitude and may be based on several varying factors, such as, runways in use, mountainous terrain, speed or altitude crossing restrictions on particular arrivals, other ATC directions, current flight conditions, imminent emergencies, fuel-efficient operating procedures, and so on.

In the descent process, flight crews must allow themselves enough time to sufficiently slow the aircraft from cruise speed to approach and landing speed, all while changing tracks and altitudes. This may be anywhere from one hundred to upwards of two hundred knots, depending on aircraft type, which is why critical descent planning is imperative. ATC-imposed speed restrictions in high-density terminal airspace can create quite the challenge for aircraft, especially jets, which are inherently 'slippery' - or difficult to slow down in short time.

In any aircraft, according

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