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There are three types of landings. The good, the bad, and the ugly. You’ll notice there is not an ‘awesome’ landing or even a ‘smooth’ landing. Maybe that is because landings are given too much credit.

With that said, sometimes landings can be ugly.

I’m not going to make this complicated. Here is what makes up each type of landing

Good

Fairly Smooth Landing

Stable Approach

On Centerline

You can use the aircraft again

Bad

One of the parts of the ‘good landing’ were out of wack

Landing was a bit hard (although I don’t think this is a huge issue)

Airplane can be used again

Someone onboard is sick

You bounce down the runway like Captain Kangaroo

Ugly

You break the airplane (Gear up landings, crumbled fuselage, landing nose wheel first)

You almost don’t run on the runway at all

You hit an animal (probably not really your fault, more the animals fault.) Lots of blood= Ugly

No one wants to fly with you again

There are bad things you can do, sure. There are good things you can do too. Remember that the landing is only one phase of the flight, but it’s a phase that you should at least be able to do at a mediocre level like every other phase.

There isn’t such thing as a perfect pilot. But if you can be average all the time and be safe, that is seriously a very GOOD thing.

You are allowed a Good landing whenever you want (and only when you work for it), a Bad landing every once and a while, and you aren’t allowed an Ugly landing.

Question: What is your favorite type of landing?