BETA PROGRESSIVE 3D LANDING PRACTICE

Put the airplane smoothly on the runway

Manage power, elevator, flaps, a computer-coordinated forward slip, the flare, touchdown, and braking. The runway is already aligned with the airplane, so the challenge stays focused on altitude, airspeed, and energy.

READYStart when ready

ON GLIDEPATH

DISTANCE1.50 NM to thresholdRUNWAY REMAINING7,920 ftANGLE OF ATTACK—TOUCHDOWNNot yet

RUNWAY 18 · HDG 180° · CHASE VIEW

AGL

AIRPLANE CONTROLS

Manage the approach

Pitch and power work together. Flaps add lift and drag. Brake pressure only acts after touchdown.

Engine RPMPower and thrust1,700 RPM

ElevatorNegative/up = back pressure and nose up-2.0° UP

Flaps

172N reference: flap use below 85 KIAS.

AdviceShow immediate corrective actions

Need a hint?10 points available · each hint costs 10%

Landing goals and limits

Use pitch and power to hold a stable path toward the runway.
Normal 172N flaps-down approach reference: 55–65 KIAS.
Flaps move gradually. Extending this tracked system adds lift and drag, initially balloons the flight path, and produces a pitch-up tendency that requires a smooth pitch and power correction.
In this display, negative elevator means trailing-edge up/back pressure. The stabilized approach begins with a small negative elevator setting.
The ground shadow becomes larger, darker, and more centered beneath the airplane as flare height approaches.
Begin a smooth roundout at approximately 10–20 feet AGL, gradually add back pressure, and reduce power toward idle as the descent arrests.
Touch the main wheels first; then lower the nose gently and use only as much braking as needed.
Touchdowns through 180 ft/min are scored smooth; 181–340 ft/min are firm but controlled. This training classification is guided by the FAA’s example that a six-inch free fall is roughly 340 ft/min and is cushioned by tires and landing gear—not an inspection limit for a real airplane.
After a bounce, power, elevator, and flap controls remain available. A softened next contact can continue into the landing roll, while positive climb with added power becomes a go-around. A severe or worsening repeated bounce ends the attempt.
A runway overrun, stall, or VNE exceedance ends the attempt, but the current level remains available for another try.
The automatic slip adds drag and descent without requiring separate rudder and aileron controls.

SIX-LEVEL PROGRESSION

Longer, higher, faster, and shorter approaches

Successful landings, unlocked levels, earned points, and your current level remain saved on this browser. Return later and the simulator resumes where you left off; select any unlocked level to replay it. A failed landing keeps the current scenario available to retry.

REPRESENTATIVE TRAINING MODEL

Practice energy management—not aircraft operation

This activity uses the published-and-derived Cessna 172N aircraft definition and an aligned, fictional Runway 18. The POH reference range is 60–70 KIAS with flaps up and 55–65 KIAS with flaps down. The FAA emphasizes a constant-angle stabilized approach, coordinated use of pitch and power, a flare that arrests descent, main-wheel touchdown first, gentle nosewheel lowering, and minimum required braking. The simulation is educational and cannot replace a POH, instructor, or approved flight-training device.

Model basis: Published Cessna and FAA operating data anchor the envelope and performance. Published UIUC/NASA derivatives and standard equations supply the dynamic model. Explicit training thresholds remain educational methodology rather than aircraft certification data.

Read landing performance FAA approach and landing guidance Cessna 172N POH extract FAA Type Certificate 3A12 UIUC Cessna 172 dynamics data

Put the airplane smoothly on the runway

Level 1 · Stabilized final

Longer, higher, faster, and shorter approaches

Practice energy management—not aircraft operation

3D Landing Simulator