often find myself in a fighter gliding to a Airstrip. I find it difficult to know when to start slowing down. So, I either come in way too hot and over run the airstrip. Or I lower landing gear too early and run out of energy to get to the airstrip.
Below is probably the best I have ever done and I still came up short ???
Any tips on what I did wrong and what you do would be of great help
That wasn’t a bad landing.
The plane was destroyed anyway, and you saved your life.
As for the “too high”.
No such thing.
If you are just a little too high and fast, try slipping.
I also recommend to look up “flameout patterns”. They show you how it is done.
This is something real pilots practise, a lot.
How to land where you want, without power.
Basics.
Flaps and gear add drag, which bleeds speed so you will steepen the descent angle.
You are never too high. There are ways to bleed off energy (speed and altitude).
Learn how to sideslip. Use rudder to yaw to the right (or left), then use aileron to bank the other way, balancing your track. Yes, you will be crabbing, or going sideways. This increases drag, which will kill your speed and altitude. You can get rid of the drag by neutralizing the controls again, which isn’t as easy to do with gear and flaps.
Pick an area where you want to land.
Aim towards that area as if you would strafe it.
Does the area rise or fall, in your sight? If it rises, you’re going to land short. If it falls, you’re overshooting.
Don’t end up too low, and short.
Slightly on the high side is the way to go, and slip to get down, if you need. Set gear and flap when you are sure you will reach your landing area.
Practise!
That is the point. You can always bleed energy, either by using flaps and gear or by using the airframe as airbrake (aggressive slips or even pulling hard s-turns) or flying circles. You can never get energy back though, so it is good to have a bit of reserve energy on the side and bleeding it of shortly before touchdown when you are 100% sure you have the strip made.
Learn from the king of flameout landings:
