Expert: D. Norkus - 6/4/2009

Question
QUESTION: i have been watching videos of plane landings on the internet. i notice as they approach the runway someone starts calling out numbers like 60-50-10. what are these no's & why are they important at this point? thanx Dottie!

ANSWER: Kathleen

They are calling out the height above touchdown. 50 feet to go, 30 feet to go, ect so the pilot has an extra bit of info to assist in the landing flare. Some aircraft computerized voices call out numbers that are at  increments like this Airbus- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKUIRMXXaU8 (which also even goes as far to tell the pilot to "retard" the power on landing) but others have a sequential countdown like this CRJ- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLEjNlloNJs
Some aircraft state "minimums as well. This is the altitude that is used for the minimum descent altitude on an approach. If you do not see the runway at minimums, you go around.

Also, when the aircrafts system is not capable of doing call outs, the pilots do it at whatever increment is specified in the airlines Standard Operating Procedure/SOP.

Blue Skies,
Dottie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanx Dottie-but as a complete layperson i'm still a little puzzled. w a megaton aircraft at that speed, isn't knowing the plane is at 50 ft above the runway a little late to make adjustments? thanx for your patience-kathleen
p.s. am not familiar w the term landing flare

Answer
The 'flare' is the pitch attitude of the aircraft in touchdown. You may notice during landing an aircrafts nose slowly is pitched up for a slightly nose up attitude upon touchdown so that contact is made on the main wheels first followed by the nosewheel. Whitts flying is a most helpful resource for general aviation pilots and this link has some helpful explanations-

http://whitts.alioth.net/Pagec82Understanding%20the%20Flare.htm

Altitude callouts are helpful when the aircraft is in the last few seconds of the landing flare as it is another way to cross reference your sink rate beside seat of the pants feel. When your eyes are outside, you can gauge your sink rate is by how quickly the voice is annunciating the altitudes above the runway.

The amount of runway in view in the window may also become limited somewhat as it is blocked by the glareshield when the nose positioned for landing flare. This depends on the window, pilot height & seat adjustment. Each plane has a different pitch attitude for landing and some are more flat than others.