Jorge Yepiz

As a student pilot, one of the most daunting phases of flight for me was the landing. I accepted “Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.” No two landings were ever the same. I heard over and over again, fix your sight picture, pitch for speed, power for altitude; but what did all that mean? It was trial and error. After many hundred landings I finally got it, or did I? I could land on a predetermined spot on centerline every time now. Isn’t that all there is to it? The real test came when I became a flight instructor. Would I be able to teach this to someone new to flying?

I see the same anxiety and frustration in my students now that I once had. It’s easy to fall into the “touch and go” trap, reinforcing bad habits instead of learning good ones. Thinking that quantity somehow is better than quality. There has to be a better way.

A while back a fellow instructor referred me to a website. Eager to find something to improve my teaching method, I looked it up. Finally, I saw in front of me what I had pictured in my head but just couldn’t find the words to explain it.  Landing can be taught as a precision maneuver that is executed with purpose and accuracy every time.  The website is by David Jacobson and he calls his technique The Jacobson Flare.  I found his insight and explanations extremely useful.  Some aspects may be too complicated for the beginner but I’ve found it can be adapted easily to suit any level.  The web address is www.jacobsonflare.com

I hope you find this information helpful and appreciate any feedback.  Since this is my first real blog post let me know what you think!