Why Can't I Land Yet? Breaking Through the Landing Plateau

Three go-arounds in a row, with the flight school owner watching from the ground.That was Jess at Cape Fear Aviation, on a short runway with a tree line at one end, learning the hard way that a landing you have to force is a landing that went wrong long before the flare. This one is about the landing plateau: why it happens, what the FAA says is actually causing it, and the honest version of how she got through it after quitting once.**In This Episode:**• Why the flare gets blamed for problems that started on downwind• The FAA's stabilized approach criteria, and the aiming point cue that warns you mid-approach• Four instructor lines worth keeping: pitch for airspeed, look down the runway, hold it off, go around• Why landing accidents lead every phase-of-flight category in general aviation, even among certificated pilots• What the ninety-day currency rule tells you about how fast landing feel decays• The honest version of Jess's training: several CFIs, four airports, and a years-long break**Key Takeaways:**• Frequency beats lesson length. Three flights a week, ideally back to back, does more for landings than one long lesson.• Fix the pattern, not the flare. If it feels like a wrestling match, the speed or descent angle came apart earlier.• Watch whether your aiming point holds still in the windscreen. Movement is your earliest warning.• Go around every time it feels wrong. Three in a row is an acceptable lesson.• Cycling through instructors is an industry norm, not a verdict on you.**Resources:**Free Private Pilot Study Sheet: https://hub.pilotinstitute.com/private-pilot-study-sheet-landingYour Flight Controls is produced in association with Pilot Institute. New episodes drop weekly.Got a question or a topic you want us to cover? Reach out in the comments!