Nose-up attitude during approach/landing

[Mr._Ryan]

I'm just wondering if what I'm encountering is common or not. I'm finding that when I'm in the pattern or landing in jets in particular, that the attitude is so nose-up that I can't see our of the front of the airplane very well. I always fly in the virtual cockpit, and I love that view - to me it's the most realistic. But I have to hit shift+enter like 10-15 times, literally, to move the viewpoint up so that it's high enough to see what's in front of you. The problem is, I'm finding that when I move the viewpoint up that much, it distorts your perception out of the window in terms of how much/how fast you're descending, among other things.

I seem to find that at approach speed, to maintain proper speed I'm generally in a 10 to 12.5 degree nose-up attitude. Is that too much? If so, what steps can I take to correct the attitude while still maintaining the proper speed?

The picture below is of me at approach speed (ca. 135 knots) and flying "straight and level." Yet look how far up the nose is pitched. This doesn't seem normal to me.

Thanks!

[snippyfsxer]

No No.

[Mr._Ryan]

[quote]No No.

[snippyfsxer]

That is why I don't bother with default planes.

[-Crossfire-]

[quote]That is why I don't bother with default planes.

[C]

The picture below is of me at approach speed (ca. 135 knots) and flying "straight and level." Yet look how far up the nose is pitched. This doesn't seem normal to me.

I'll agree there's a distinct lack of flap in that picture - an if you were doing an approach with no flap, you fly it considerably faster than a normal approach.

Certainly anywhere below 200kt you want to be thinking about flap, and on the approach ATC will normally be expecting you to keep the speed up in the 150-180kt ballpark, bringing it back to threshold speed in the final few miles of the approach.

[Mr._Ryan]

Well I always do check the max flap speeds in the kneeboard, but one thing I do find is that particularly when you get to the higher flap settings (30, 40), as soon as I add in the last bit of flaps I'll get a warning "whoop, whoop" even though I am distinctly below the max flap speeds. Am I misinterpreting that warning? I've always thought it was telling me I had lowered the flaps at too high a speed, even though the reference info says I haven't.

[C]

as soon as I add in the last bit of flaps I'll get a warning "whoop, whoop" even though I am distinctly below the max flap speeds. Am I misinterpreting that warning? I've always thought it was telling me I had lowered the flaps at too high a speed, even though the reference info says I haven't.

In my experience warnings like that are likely to be the opposite, such as being too slow, low, or for example not having the gear down (at a certain flap setting an below a certain speed - for example the VC10 has a warning horn if speed it less that 150kts, flaps are at "approach" or "land", and the gear is up).

[Mr._Ryan]

as soon as I add in the last bit of flaps I'll get a warning "whoop, whoop" even though I am distinctly below the max flap speeds. Am I misinterpreting that warning? I've always thought it was telling me I had lowered the flaps at too high a speed, even though the reference info says I haven't.

In my experience warnings like that are likely to be the opposite, such as being too slow, low, or for example not having the gear down (at a certain flap setting an below a certain speed - for example the VC10 has a warning horn if speed it less that 150kts, flaps are at "approach" or "land", and the gear is up).

Ah, I'll have to check that, that may be exactly what it is.

[snippyfsxer]

Yes, that is true about the landing configuration warning horn....

This probably won't be helpful (perhaps someone will think I'm pitching payware aircraft or something... ), but in a real 737 (800?) the Primary Flight Display would automatically display the ranges for the minimum and maximum maneuvering and flap speeds right there on the speed tape for a given aircraft configuration.

[Brett_Henderson]

Also.. make sure you're at a safe landing weight..  Many people takeoff in a fully fueled jet.. fly a few hundred NM, and are landing WAY too heavy.

This would also account for having to be at such a high pitch at approach speed..

[C]

[quote]Also.. make sure you're at a safe landing weight..

[snippyfsxer]

[quote][quote]Also.. make sure you're at a safe landing weight..

[C]

[quote][quote][quote]Also.. make sure you're at a safe landing weight..

[Mr._Ryan]

There we are, more flaps, more throttle and presto:



The warning whoop was from the gear not being down, not from going too fast for a certain configuration. The speed in the picture above is about 140 knots, which was on base, so perhaps a bit fast, but not much if any.

But the angle of attack was much better, no need to adjust the view to see out in front of me.

Thanks for everyone's input, and I do agree the "stock" reference information could be a little better, and it wouldn't seem to be something that would be that difficult to put together. I'll do some digging on what's missing.