Minimizing landing shock?
December 23, 2006Yesterday I went on a one day business trip to a city almost 300 miles away. Time was limited so I flew. On the return trip I was pretty exhausted so I was asleep for the most part, but woke up right before the landing.
I was sitting on the left aisle 66B on an airbus A300 with mostly 2-4-2 seating in economy. Now I noticed that I naturally look out the window during landing. I also noticed that lots of people sitting in front of me and not on the window seats also looked out one side or the other during landing. Hmm… but why?
The night lights aren’t particularly spectacular around the airport (it’s in the boonies anyway) so my theory is that people who look out the window during landing are scared. They are scared of the sudden bump when the rear landing gear touches down. I know I dread that surprise moment so I like to look out just to see when I can expect the shock and noise in the cabin that comes with the bump, especially if the pilot is not skillful or the weather conditions are rough.
On the other hand, good pilots know how to stall the plane just seconds before touchdown. It’ll feel like the plane is floating over the runway for eternity, then the rear landing gear skims over the tarmac gently until the traction grips the tires completely, causing little vibration and noise. If one was taking a plane in Brazil, such a nice landing would be awarded with claps and cheers throughout the cabin.
Another idea: now with networked entertainment consoles installed in every seat in many airlines, perhaps they should allow passengers to rate the landings real time like Olympic diving competitions.
