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United Airlines B737 hits kite while landing at Washington-Reagan Airport  

Aerotime

A United Airlines Boeing 737 had a lucky escape after it struck a kite on its final approach to Washington-Reagan Airport (DCA) in the US capital. According to eyewitness reports, the kite struck the plane between its fuselage and an engine during the aircrafts final stage of flight. As can be seen from the map.

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Throttle Mismanagement: A T-38 Lesson That Stuck

Air Facts

Add half the gust factor to final approach and touchdown speeds. We flew with 1,500 pounds of JP-4 that day, so our pattern speeds were: 180 KIAS in the final turn 160 KIAS on final approach 135 KIAS at touchdown Touch-and-go landings use 60% flaps; full stops use full flaps. I continued down final.

AGL
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The Essential Guide to Runway Signs

Pilot Institute

Runway Approach Area Holding Position Signs A Runway Approach Area Holding Position sign indicates where pilots must stop and hold before entering an area that could interfere with aircraft on the final approach. The sign displays the letters “ILS” indicating you’re approaching the ILS critical area.

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Teaching International Student Pilots

Air Facts

Once wings-level on the Inside Downwind, you lower the gear and flaps and, approximately one mile beyond the landing threshold, you reduce power at The Perch. You then execute a 180 o descending Final Turn maintaining 175 knots to arrive wings-level one mile from the threshold on final approach at 500 AGL.

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Flying Visual Approaches? Synthetic Vision Pathways Can Help

Flying Magazine

Most of the time, jets fly long, straight-in instrument approaches, so pilots dont get much practice approaching a runway from other directions. When approaching an airport on a long base leg, they often struggle to determine the correct altitude for joining the final approach. Heres the tip.

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Trial by Ice

Air Facts

At about one mile from the final approach fix, I put the Cessna into a high-speed dive towards the minimum descent altitude of 400 feet AGL. We were about 1/2 mile from the threshold. It would not be easy getting perfectly aligned with the runway threshold by looking through the tiny hole in the ice.

VOR
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Step-by-Step Guide to No-Flaps Landings for Pilots

Pilot Institute

So, you should practice maintaining the correct sight picture by aligning the runway threshold with a fixed reference point on the windscreen. You must use proper power management techniques to have a stable approach and landing. This can make the aircraft feel like its climbing rather than descending. Pre-Landing Checklist 1.