Landing pays the contract. The useful cue is the on-screen Landing Speed prompt: it appears when speed sits between stall and takeoff speed. Stay inside that band instead of diving at the pavement.
Approach order
- Pick the runway early. The number is the heading, so a runway marked 27 is a west-facing strip. Gibraltar uses 27/09. St. Martin uses 28/10. Anchorage has 33/15, 25R/07L, and 25L/07R. Elmendorf has 34/16 and 24/06. Keflavik has 28/10 and 01/19. Copenhagen has 22L/04R, 22R/04L, and 30/12.
- Lower throttle with S several miles out. Fast jets are described as needing that reduction 15 to 20 miles from the field so they do not overshoot.
- Press G to lower the gear about 5 to 10 miles out. Gear adds drag.
- Press F for flaps on aircraft that have them. T deploys spoilers if you are still fast.
- Turn off altitude hold before the final descent, or R will keep you level.
- L toggles landing lights. Anchorage and Keflavik notes mention night arrivals.
PAPI lights
Standard runways use a four-light precision approach path indicator.
| Lights | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 4 white | High | Reduce power and steepen the descent slightly |
| 2 white and 2 red | On slope | Hold pitch and power |
| 4 red | Low | Add power and raise the nose |
Touchdown
Aim at the touchdown marks. Just before the wheels meet the runway, raise the nose slightly so the main gear lands first. A hard pull on a long jet such as the 757, 777, A350, or A380 can strike the tail. After all wheels are down, press P for reverse thrust and brake to taxi speed. Follow the green job marker to the passenger gate, cargo pad, or VIP ramp, then press E to shut down.
Airports that punish extra speed
Gibraltar's single runway has water at both ends. St. Martin's strip is short and the approach comes in over the shore. On the 7 to 8 mile hop from Anchorage to Elmendorf, full cruise speed makes you overrun a runway you can see almost immediately. Save maximum throttle for the long Keflavik legs.
If the landing goes wrong
A bounce usually means you were above Landing Speed or you planted the nose wheel first. A stall on short final means the nose was high without enough power. An overrun means the slowdown started too late. Go around by adding power rather than forcing the aircraft onto the last meters of pavement.
On the Concorde, N lowers and raises the droop snoot so you can see the runway.