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Funny landing one time

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  • 28-12-2008 7:35pm
    #1
    Aedan
    Registered Users Posts: 48 ✭


    Hi guys. Im very new to the boards and only joined to keep an eye on the aviation forum as am a fairly avid fan and am just wondering if a few of ye might be able to shed some light on a funny landing i experienced about 2 years ago.

    It was a Ryanair flight between Dublin and Manchester about 2 years ago. Was a flight in the middle of the day and it was a fairly cloudy day. As the aircraft began its decent towards Manchester the plane of its decent was constantly increasing the power. We were coming down pretty normally (have been on hundreds of flights so its safe to say it was a normal landing) but then the pilot would increase the power for about 5 seconds of what seemed like almost full thrust and then after the short 5 second burst of power would then go back to what i would call normal decending power for about 10 seconds and then the burst again for 5 seconds again. Now this happened about 30/40 times. It was a very smooth flight and all this happened whilst flying thru clouds. It didnt cause any concern just a curiosity as to why this is done. Maybe some of the more educated guys on here could shed some light on this for me.

    Thanks in advance

    Aedan


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    #2
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    My guess is the auto throttles were kicking in to hold the selected speed.


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    #3
    yaeger
    Registered Users Posts: 139 ✭✭yaeger


    My guess is, A steep descent. Short hop to Manchester and in descent power is actually at idle or very close to it, jets dont descend with full power.
    So I would hazzard a guess he had been kept high and in descent the pilot kept increasing the speed, but with engines at idle the autopilot will then pitch then nose down to meet that required speed,not increase power unless a specified rate fo descent was required. The lower you got the higher the indicated speed the pilot could select so he probably kept nudging up the speed and the nose would just keep nudging down to meet it, higher speed but at more increased nose down gives better rate of descent and allows you to meet a required level sooner, or sooner again if you use speed brake.
    Increased sound could have been aerodynamic with increased wind passing your window, sinking sensation got from increasing ROD probably felt like increase in speed, because it was that exactly although not due to more power, only pointing at the ground more....make sense????
    For example flying along at 22000ft and 280kts to manchester, kept high by ATC and now your within say 66miles of the field so now your getting high on profile for a smooth descent, now your at 50miles still at 22000ft and ATC clear you descend to 3000ft high speed approved ! but your high so pilot will have the power at idle and select as high a speed as possible say 320kts, and descend, but the descent is controlled by autopliot and its been told to descent to 3000ft with no power and do 320kts ...Autopilot says I know i point the nose down steep to get it, Q very steep descent and lifting feeling in your stomach.
    Maybe not, i wasnt there but a guess none the less.


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