will result in landing at the desired spot. The distance
will depend on the altitude of the base leg and the
effect of wind. When there is a strong wind on final
approach, the base leg must be positioned closer to the
approach end of the runway than would be required
with a light wind. You should strive to fly a constant
ground track on base leg.
Drift correction should be established and maintained
to follow a ground track perpendicular to the exten -
sion of the centerline of the runway on which the
landing is to be made. Since the final approach and
landing will normally be made into the wind, there
may be somewhat of a crosswind during the base leg.
This requires the powered parachute be angled suffi -
ciently into the wind to prevent drifting farther away
from the intended landing spot.
The base leg should be continued to the point where
a medium to shallow-banked turn will align the pow-
ered parachute’s path directly with the centerline of
the landing runway. This descending turn should be
completed at a safe altitude that will be dependent
upon the height of the terrain and any obstructions
along the ground track. The turn to the final approach
should also be sufficiently above the airport elevation
to permit a final approach long enough for you to ac-
curately estimate the resultant point of touchdown.
This will require careful planning as to the starting
point and the radius of the turn. Normally, it is recom-
mended that the angle of bank not exceed a medium
bank because the steeper the angle of bank, the faster
the powered parachute descends. Since the base-to-
final turn is often made at a relatively low altitude, it
is important not to do radical turns at low altitude. If
a significant bank is needed to prevent overshooting
the proper final approach path, it is advisable to dis -
continue the approach, go around, and start the turn
earlier on the next approach rather than risk a hazard-
ous situation.
The information in this chapter is specific to the pow-
ered parachute land class. Refer to the Seaplane, Ski-
plane, and Float/Ski Equipped Helicopter Operations
Handbook (FAA-8083-23) for information regarding
operation of a powered parachute category sea class
(PPCS) aircraft, as appropriate.
Normal Approach and Landing
A normal approach and landing involves the use of
procedures for what is considered a normal situation;
that is, when engine power is available, the wind is
light or the final approach is made directly into the
wind, the final approach path has no obstacles, and the
landing surface is firm, level and of ample length to
gradually bring the powered parachute to a stop. The
selected landing point should be beyond the runway’s
approach threshold but within the first one-third por -
tion of the landing area.
So you may better understand the factors that will
influence judgment and procedures, the last part of
the approach pattern and the actual landing will be
divided into five phases: the base leg, the final ap -
proach, the roundout, the touchdown, and the after-
landing roll.
The manufacturer’s recommended procedures, in -
cluding powered parachute configuration, center of
gravity, and other information relevant to approach -
es and landings in a specific make and model pow -
ered parachute are contained in the Pilot’ s Operating
Handbook (POH) for that powered parachute. If any
of the information in this chapter differs from the
powered parachute manufacturer’s recommendations
as contained in the POH, the powered parachute man-
ufacturer’s recommendations take precedence.
Base Leg
The placement of the base leg is one of the more im -
portant judgments made by the pilot in any landing
approach. [Figure 11-1] You must accurately judge
the altitude and distance from which a gradual descent
Final Approach
After the base-to-final approach turn is completed,
the powered parachute should be aligned with the
centerline of the runway or landing surface, so drift
(if any) will be recognized immediately. On a normal
approach, with no wind drift, keep the longitudinal
axis aligned with the runway centerline throughout
the approach and landing. (The proper way to correct
for a crosswind will be explained under the section,
“Crosswind Approach and Landing.” For now, only
an approach and landing where the wind is straight
down the landing area will be discussed.)
Focus directly down the centerline and steer right or
left to remain on that centerline.
While aligning the powered parachute down the run -
way centerline, or straight down your intended landing
area, slight adjustments in power may be necessary to
maintain the descent.
Control the descent angle throughout the approach so
the powered parachute will land in the center of the
first third of the runway. The descent angle is affected
by the throttle. More throttle means lower descent
rate, less throttle results in a higher descent rate. The
wind also plays a prominent part in the gliding dis -
tance over the ground. [Figure 11-2] Naturally, you
do not have control over the wind but may correct for
its effect on the powered parachute’s descent by ap -
propriate power adjustments: more throttle is required
in a headwind and crosswind, less throttle is required
with a tailwind.
The objective of a good final approach is to descend
at an angle that will permit the powered parachute to
reach the desired touchdown point. Since on a nor -
mal approach the power setting is not fixed as in a
power-off approach, adjust the power as necessary,
to control the descent angle, or to attain the desired
altitudes along the approach path. This is one reason
for performing approaches with partial power; if the
approach is too high, merely reduce the power. When
the approach is too low, add power.
Figure 11-1. Base leg and final approach.
Estimating Height and Movement
During the approach, roundout, and touchdown, vi -
sion is of prime importance. To provide a wide scope
of vision and to foster good judgment of height
and movement, your head should assume a natural,
straight-ahead position. Your visual focus should not
be fixed on any one side or any one spot ahead of the
powered parachute, but should be changing slowly
from a point just over the powered parachute’s nose -
wheel to the desired touchdown zone and back again,
while maintaining a deliberate awareness of distance
from either side of the runway within your periph -
eral field of vision. Accurate estimation of distance
is, besides being a matter of practice, dependent upon
how clearly objects are seen; it requires that vision be
focused properly for the important objects to stand out
as clearly as possible.
Speed blurs objects at close range. For example, con-
sider the view from an automobile moving at high
speed. Nearby objects seem to merge together in a
blur, while objects farther away stand out clearly. The
driver subconsciously focuses the eyes sufficiently far
ahead of the automobile to see objects distinctly. In
the same way, the distance at which the powered para-
chute pilot’s vision is focused is normally adjusted
automatically.
If you attempt to focus on a reference that is too close
or look directly down, the reference will become
blurred, and the reaction will be either too abrupt or
too late. In this case, your tendency will be to over-
control, round out high, and make drop-in landings.
When you focus too far ahead, accuracy in judging
the closeness of the ground is lost and the consequent
reaction will be too slow since there will not appear
to be a necessity for action. This will result in flying
into the ground without flaring.
Roundout
The powered roundout is a slow, smooth transition
from a normal approach descent rate to a landing de -
scent rate, gradually rounding out the flightpath to
one that is parallel with, and within a very few inches
above the runway. When the powered parachute is in
a normal descent, within what appears to be 10 to 20
feet above the ground, the powered roundout should
be started. Once started, it should be a continuous pro-
cess until the powered parachute touches down on the
ground.
As the powered parachute reaches a height above
the ground where a timely change can be made into
the proper landing descent, power should be gradu -
ally applied to slowly decrease the rate of descent.
[Figure 11-3]
The rate at which the roundout is executed depends
on the powered parachute’s height above the ground
and the rate of descent. A roundout started excessively
high must be executed more slowly than one from a
lower height to allow the powered parachute to de -
scend to the ground. The rate of rounding out must
also be proportionate to the rate of closure with the
Figure 11-2. Effect of headwind on final approach.
ground. When the powered parachute appears to be
descending very slowly, no increase in power settings
is called for.
Visual cues are important in rounding out at the prop-
er altitude and maintaining the wheels a few inches
above the surface until eventual touchdown. Visual
cues are primarily dependent on the angle at which
your central vision intersects the ground (or runway)
ahead and slightly to the side. Proper depth perception
is a factor in a successful flare, but the visual cues used
most are those related to changes in runway or ter -
rain perspective and to changes in the size of familiar
objects near the landing area such as fences, bushes,
trees, hangars, and even sod or runway texture. You
should direct central vision at a shallow downward
angle of from 10° to 15° toward the runway as the
roundout is initiated.
Maintaining the same viewing angle causes the point
of visual interception with the runway to move pro -
gressively rearward toward you as the powered para-
chute loses altitude. This is an important visual cue
in assessing the rate of altitude loss. Conversely, for-
ward movement of the visual interception point will
indicate an increase in altitude, and would mean that
power was increased too rapidly, resulting in floating.
In most powered parachutes, the front wheel can eas-
ily be seen and can be used as an indicator of how far
the main wheels are above the runway.
In some cases, it may be necessary to advance the
throttle slightly to prevent an excessive rate of sink
which would result in a hard, drop-in type landing.
You should keep one hand on the throttle throughout
the approach and landing, in case a sudden and un -
expected hazardous situation requires an immediate
application of power.
Wing Control
The measured input of the flare is directly related to
the leg extension of the pilot. For one-third flare, si -
multaneously push the steering controls out approxi -
mately one-third of your leg length. During a full-flare,
you would be fully extending your legs to apply input
to the steering controls; one-half flare, you would be
pushing the controls out half of your full leg exten -
sion, and so on. [Figure 11-4]
For landings, the amount of flare needed is directly
related to the descent rate. The steeper and faster the
descent, the more flare input is required for a smooth
landing. [Figure 11-5] Keep in mind the flare is con -
verting forward momentum into lift. So, if the pilot is
landing with a very slow descent rate, then the pilot
would only need to apply one-third flare during the
landing. Use full-flare during an engine-out descent,
which is the steepest descent of a PPC, for landing.
A flare should be applied in a single 1-2-3 motion.
Apply the flare smoothly, in a rhythmic, even, “1-2-
3” motion.
Figure 11-3. Changing pitch angle and decreasing airspeed during roundout.
Touchdown
The touchdown is the gentle settling of the powered
parachute onto the landing surface. The roundout and
touchdown should be made with the engine slightly
below level flight power levels. As the powered para-
chute settles, the parachute is flared to smooth out the
landing.
Some pilots may try to force or fly the powered para-
chute onto the ground without flaring. It is paradoxi -
cal that the way to make an ideal landing is to try to
hold the powered parachute’s wheels a few inches off
the ground as long as possible. In most cases, when
the wheels are within a foot or less off the ground, the
powered parachute will still be settling too fast for a
gentle touchdown; therefore, this rate of descent must
be retarded by the use of flare. [Figure 11-6]
Flare is accomplished by pushing both steering bar
tubes simultaneously. That pulls the entire trailing
edge of the parachute down. That increases drag, low-
ers the forward speed, and most importantly (for land-
Figure 11-5. The steeper the descent rate, the greater the need for flare.
Figure 11-4. Flare is measured relative to the pilot’s leg length.
ing) increases the lift of the parachute. The amount
of flare needed depends on the rate of descent right
before landing. If the rate of descent is very gradual,
very little flare is needed. Conversely, in an engine-
out situation a lot of flare is required. Accurately
determining how much flare is needed for a given
situation is developed with practice. A general rule is
to begin the flare one second before you would other-
wise touch the ground.
Flare is used rather than engine power because the
wing is much more responsive in controlling descent
and pitch than engine power. When you add flare, the
drag on the wing increases and the wing quickly re -
sponds by rotating backwards and increasing its pitch
angle. In order to achieve the same effect with engine
power, you add throttle, the propeller speeds up, and
the thrust pushes the cart (which is much heavier than
a parachute) forward of the wing. It is easier to change
the inertia and positioning of a 25-pound wing than a
500+ pound cart-engine-pilot-fuel assembly.
It is extremely important the touchdown occur with
the powered parachute’s longitudinal axis exactly
parallel to the direction in which the PPC is moving
along the surface. Failure to accomplish this imposes
side loads on the landing gear. To avoid these side
stresses, you should try to not allow the PPC to touch
down while drifting.
After-Landing Roll
The landing process must never be considered com -
plete until the powered parachute has been brought to
a complete stop, the engine shut down, and the wing
collapsed and on the ground. Many accidents have oc-
curred as a result of pilots abandoning their vigilance
and positive control after getting the powered para -
chute on the ground. Some have damaged their para -
chute by failing to stop the engine before the wing
falls into the moving propeller. Other incidents have
occurred where the wind has caught a still-inflated
wing and rolled the powered parachute over.
Normally as soon as you have landed, you should do
four things in this order:
1. Release any flare that was used during landing.
Once the flare is released, the wing will rotate
forward relative to the cart. That decreases both
the angle of attack and lift that the landing flare
generated. With the flare released, there will be
more load put on the front landing gear, which
in turn makes the powered parachute easier to
ground handle.
2. Unless you have the intention to taxi the powered
parachute with the parachute inflated, close the
throttle.
3. Shut down the ignition system. Normally,
powered parachutes have two toggle ignition
switches. Both toggle switches must be turned
off to shut down the engine.
4. The parachute needs to be collapsed and
grounded. This is done by tugging on the
parachute steering lines. One long pull will
generally not be adequate. Three or four quick
tugs will normally be enough. The wing rotating
and collapsing behind the cart will also act as
a brake for the powered parachute, much like a
drogue chute. [Figure 11-7]
Landings should always be planned to be done di -
rectly into the wind. However, if you must land in a
crosswind, you may be able to land but you will not
be able to takeoff. You can land on higher crosswinds
than you can take off.
A wide runway may allow you the capability to land
across the runway. However, a narrow runway would
not allow this. Therefore, if you must land in a cross-
wind, during final approach, crab into the wind and
line up on the runway centerline. Approach with this
crab and flare as you normally would. Reduce power
as your back wheels touch. When your back wheels
touch, your front wheel will swing around, straight
down the runway. However your wing will still be
headed into the wind. Shut the engine down and con-
tinue pulling the steering lines to get the canopy down
on the ground immediately since you can not taxi in
a crosswind.
Figure 11-6. A well executed roundout results in attaining the proper landing attitude.
Stabilized Approach Concept
A stabilized approach is one in which the pilot es -
tablishes and maintains a constant angle glidepath to-
wards a predetermined point on the landing runway.
It is based on the pilot’s judgment of certain visual
clues, and depends on the maintenance of a constant
final approach.
A powered parachute descending on final approach at
a constant rate will be traveling in a straight line to -
ward a spot on the ground ahead. This spot will not be
the spot on which the powered parachute will touch
down, because some float will inevitably occur during
the powered roundout and flare.
The point toward which the powered parachute is pro-
gressing is termed the “ aiming point.” [Figure 11-8]
It is the point on the ground at which, if the powered
parachute maintains a constant glidepath, and was not
rounded out or flared for landing, it would strike the
ground. To a pilot moving straight ahead toward an
object, it appears to be stationary. It does not “move.”
This is how the aiming point can be distinguished—it
does not move. However, objects in front of and be -
yond the aiming point do appear to move as the dis -
tance is closed, and they appear to move in opposite Figure 11-7. Collapsing the parachute.
Figure 11-8. Stablized approach.
directions. During instruction in landings, one of the
most important skills a student pilot must acquire is
how to use visual cues to accurately determine the true
aiming point from any distance out on final approach.
From this, the pilot will not only be able to determine
if the glidepath will result in an undershoot or over -
shoot, but, taking into account float during roundout,
the pilot will be able to predict the touchdown point
to within a very few feet.
For a constant angle glidepath, the distance between
the horizon and the aiming point will remain constant.
If a final approach descent has been established but
the distance between the perceived aiming point and
the horizon appears to increase (aiming point mov -
ing down away from the horizon), then the true aim -
ing point, and subsequent touchdown point, is farther
down the runway. If the distance between the per -
ceived aiming point and the horizon decreases (aim -
ing point moving up toward the horizon), the true
aiming point is closer than perceived.
When the powered parachute is established on final
approach, the shape of the runway image also pres -
ents clues as to what must be done to maintain a sta -
bilized approach to a safe landing.
The objective of a stabilized approach is to select
an appropriate touchdown point on the runway, and
adjust the glidepath so the true aiming point and the
desired touchdown point basically coincide. Immedi-
ately after rolling out on final approach, you should
adjust the power so the powered parachute is de -
scending directly toward the aiming point. With the
approach set up in this manner, you will be free to
devote full attention toward outside references. You
should not stare at any one place, but rather scan from
one point to another, such as from the aiming point
to the horizon, to the trees and bushes along the run -
way, to an area well short of the runway, and back to
the aiming point. In this way, you will be more apt to
perceive a deviation from the desired glidepath, and
whether or not the powered parachute is proceeding
directly toward the aiming point.
If the aiming point on the runway is not where you
want it, adjust the glidepath. This in turn will move
the aiming point. For instance, if you perceive the
aiming point is short of the desired touchdown point
and will result in an undershoot, increase the engine
power. The power change must be made smoothly.
This will result in a shallower glidepath with the
resultant aiming point moving towards the desired
touchdown point. Conversely, if the aiming point is
farther down the runway than the desired touchdown
point and you suspect it will result in an overshoot,
steepen the glidepath by decreasing power.
The closer the powered parachute gets to the runway,
the larger (and possibly more frequent) the required
corrections may become, resulting in an unstabilized
approach.
Common errors in the performance of normal ap -
proaches and landings are:
• Inadequate wind drift correction on the base
leg.
• Overshooting or undershooting the turn onto
final approach resulting in too steep or too
shallow a turn onto final approach.
• Unstabilized approach.
• Focusing too close to the powered parachute
resulting in a too high roundout.
• Focusing too far from the powered parachute
resulting in a too low roundout.
• Flaring the parachute too early before
touchdown.
• Touching down prior to attaining proper landing
attitude.
• Failure to release the flare after touchdown.
Go-Arounds (Rejected Landings)
Whenever landing conditions are not satisfactory, a
go-around is warranted. There are many factors that
can contribute to unsatisfactory landing conditions.
Situations such as air traffic control requirements, un-
expected appearance of hazards on the runway, over-
taking another powered parachute, wind shear, wake
turbulence, mechanical failure and/or an unstabilized
approach are all examples of reasons to discontinue
a landing approach and make another approach un -
der more favorable conditions. The assumption that
an aborted landing is invariably the consequence of
a poor approach, which in turn is due to insufficient
experience or skill, is a fallacy. The go-around is not
strictly an emergency procedure. It is a normal ma -
neuver that may at times be used for normal situa -
tions. It does not need to be an emergency to do a
go-around. Like any other normal maneuver, the go-
around must be practiced and perfected. The flight
instructor should emphasize early on, and the student
pilot should understand, that the go-around maneuver
is an alternative to any approach and/or landing.
Although the need to discontinue a landing may arise
at any point in the landing process, the most critical
go-around will be one started when very close to the
ground. Therefore, the earlier a condition that warrants