Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Normal Approach & Landing Lesson Plan

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) • ACS Area V, Task B

The Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Normal Approach and Landing Lesson Plan covers the knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with normal takeoff, climb operations, and rejected takeoff procedures.

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Normal Approach & Landing Lesson Plan

Introduction

  • Schedule

    Topic:
    Time:
    Part 1, Introduce the lesson:
    0:05
    Part 2, Descent Planning:
    0:10
    Part 3, Descent Performance Calculations:
    0:10
    Part 4, Factors Impacting Approach and Landing Performance:
    0:10
    Part 5, Landing Performance Calculations:
    0:10
    Part 6, Normal Approach & Landing Procedures:
    0:10
    Part 7, Anomalies and Malfunctions:
    0:10
    Part 8, Safety:
    0:10
    Part 9, Guided Scenario(s):
    0:15
    Part 10, Conclude Lesson:
    0:10
    Remotivation/Closure:
    0:05
    Total Ground Time:
    0:00

  • Attention Getter:

    • Research and present a mishap case study:
    • Discuss how the initial conditions developed into an incident/accident/mishap.
    • Relate similar personal experiences of the same type of incident/accident/mishap.
    • Consider incorporating a case study as a guided scenario.

  • Motivator:

    • Normal aircraft landings are the most basic of all landing procedures/maneuvers.
    • The purpose of this maneuver is to safely execute a landing under normal conditions (i.e., hard surface, minimal wind, plenty of available landing distance).
    • Normal landings are closely related to the performance of flight at minimum controllable airspeeds.
    • While this procedure is for normal landing, assuming the wind is blowing right down the runway, that will almost never be the case.

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Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Normal Approach & Landing Lesson Plan

Materials

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Normal Approach & Landing Lesson Plan

Instructor Actions

  • Review the maneuver's common errors and assess the learner's understanding of their mitigations.
  • Before the lesson, review reference materials.
  • Part 1, Introduce the lesson:
  • Part 2, Descent Planning:
    • Present a concrete example, then require the learner to explain and apply stabilized-approach and energy-management concepts, including configuration, airspeed, descent rate, glidepath, power, trim, touchdown-zone planning, and objective go-around criteria. (CA.IV.B.K1)
    • Present a concrete example, then require the learner to explain and apply crab, wing-low, and combined wind-correction methods and when to transition between them. (CA.IV.B.K3)
  • Part 3, Descent Performance Calculations:
    • Relate pitch attitude, power, airspeed, and airplane configuration to glidepath control.
    • Calculate the vertical speed required for the planned groundspeed and glidepath.
  • Part 4, Factors Impacting Approach and Landing Performance:
    • Have the learner use a concrete example to explain how atmospheric conditions—including wind, temperature, pressure, density altitude, gusts, and precipitation—affect approach speed, groundspeed, glidepath, touchdown, and landing distance. (CA.IV.B.K2)
    • Evaluate the combined effects of crosswind, windshear, tailwind, wake turbulence, and runway condition on the approach and landing. (CA.IV.B.R2)
    • Determine the crosswind component, compare it with aircraft and pilot capability, and apply the appropriate wind-correction technique. (CA.IV.B.R2a)
    • Recognize, avoid, and respond to windshear. (CA.IV.B.R2b)
    • Evaluate tailwind effects on groundspeed, touchdown point, landing distance, and go-around capability. (CA.IV.B.R2c)
    • Use an aircraft- or scenario-specific example, then have the learner explain wake generation during landing and select an approach and touchdown path that avoids a preceding aircraft's vortices. (CA.IV.B.R2d)
    • Evaluate runway surface condition, braking action, contamination, slope, and available stopping distance. (CA.IV.B.R2e)
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of outside air temperature and field elevation and density altitude impacts on approach and landing performance.
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of runway slope impacts to normal approach and landing.
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of gross weight impacts and to normal approach and landing.
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of flight profile impacts to normal approach and landing.
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of tire pressure impacts to normal approach and landing.
  • Part 5, Landing Performance Calculations:
    • Use retrieval questioning to have the learner explain Performance and Limitations lesson content, specifically approach and landing performance.
    • Use retrieval questioning to have the learner explain weight & balance performance calculation.
    • Select and justify the runway or landing surface, approach path, and touchdown area using pilot capability, airplane performance and limitations, available distance, wind, surface condition, and obstructions. (CA.IV.B.R1)
  • Part 6, Normal Approach & Landing Procedures:
    • Use retrieval questioning to have the learner explain taxiing, as required.
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of aircraft configuration considerations.
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of normal landing procedures.
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of multiengine considerations, as appropriate.
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of normal landing common errors.
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of normal landing lessons and case studies.
    • Establish and brief stabilized-approach gates, touchdown-zone limits, and conditions requiring a rejected landing or go-around.
  • Part 7, Anomalies and Malfunctions:
    • Plan for abnormal conditions that may require discontinuing the approach or landing. (CA.IV.B.R3)
    • Use retrieval questioning to have the learner explain rejected landing and go-around decisions and procedures. (CA.IV.B.R3a)
    • For LAHSO, locate available landing distance information, evaluate weather and runway conditions, confirm the airplane can stop within the available distance, and accept only when the operation is safe and the pilot is willing. (CA.IV.B.R3b)
  • Part 8, Safety:
  • Part 9, Guided Scenario(s):
    • Require completion of the appropriate approach, landing, and after-landing checklist items. (CA.IV.B.S1)
    • Require appropriate radio calls for the operating environment. (CA.IV.B.S2)
    • Verify alignment with the correct or assigned runway or landing surface and scan it and the adjoining area for traffic and obstructions. (CA.IV.B.S3, CA.IV.B.S4)
    • Select and aim for a suitable touchdown point considering wind, landing surface, available distance, and obstructions. (CA.IV.B.S5)
    • Establish the recommended configuration, airspeed, and trim; use pitch and power to maintain a stabilized approach. (CA.IV.B.S6)
    • Maintain the published approach speed—or, when unavailable, no more than 1.3 VSO—within 5 knots with the appropriate gust factor applied. (CA.IV.B.S7)
    • Maintain directional control and appropriate crosswind correction throughout approach and landing. (CA.IV.B.S8)
    • Make smooth, timely control applications during roundout and touchdown. (CA.IV.B.S9)
    • Touch down at the proper pitch attitude, on or within 200 feet beyond the specified point, without side drift, with the longitudinal axis aligned with and over the runway centerline or landing path. (CA.IV.B.S10)
    • Execute a timely go-around whenever the approach cannot remain within standards or any condition makes continuation unsafe. (CA.IV.B.S11)
    • Use runway-incursion-avoidance procedures during rollout and runway exit. (CA.IV.B.S12)
    • Introduce a wind shift, traffic conflict, unstable energy state, or runway-condition change and require the learner to reassess and either stabilize within established gates or go around.
  • Part 10, Conclude Lesson:
    • Tie lesson back to previous lessons (power-off stalls) to reinforce past experiences (law of readiness).
    • Present the remotivation, conclude, and provide guidance for follow-on lessons.
    • Review student actions required ahead of the next lesson.
  • Update the instructor log and student progress. Select the student and sign off completed objectives. If the student does not have a connected account, record the update manually in the instructor log and student training record.
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Normal Approach & Landing Lesson Plan

Guided Scenario(s)

  • Assign a commercial flight arriving at an unfamiliar airport and require the learner to select and justify the runway, approach path, touchdown area, and planned runway exit using current wind, runway condition, available distance, aircraft performance, and pilot capability.
  • Have the learner calculate landing performance for the assigned weight and atmospheric conditions, then identify a conservative stopping margin and objective go-around criteria.
  • Require a complete arrival and landing briefing that addresses traffic, wake turbulence, wind correction, stabilized-approach gates, touchdown limits, runway-incursion avoidance, and the possibility of a rejected landing.
  • During the approach, introduce one changing condition—such as a wind shift, gust, traffic conflict, runway change, degraded braking action, or unstable energy state—and require the learner to reassess whether the landing remains safe.
  • Have the learner demonstrate or describe the proper transition from crab to wing-low correction, maintain a stabilized approach, touch down on the selected point without drift, and preserve directional control through rollout.
  • If the established criteria are not met, require an immediate go-around and have the learner explain which cue or limit triggered the decision.
  • After the exercise, compare calculated and actual approach, touchdown, and stopping performance and identify any assumptions or technique differences that explain the result.
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Normal Approach & Landing Lesson Plan

Student Actions

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Normal Approach & Landing Lesson Plan

Airman Certification Standards

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Normal Approach and Landing Airman Certification Standards

Knowledge 3 ACS Elements
Risk Management 6 ACS Elements
Skills 12 ACS Elements
  • CA.IV.B.S1:
    Complete the appropriate checklist(s).
  • CA.IV.B.S2:
    Make radio calls as appropriate.
  • CA.IV.B.S3:
    Ensure the airplane is aligned with the correct/assigned runway or landing surface.
  • CA.IV.B.S4:
    Scan the runway or landing surface and adjoining area for traffic and obstructions.
  • CA.IV.B.S5:
    Select and aim for a suitable touchdown point considering the wind, landing surface, and obstructions.
  • CA.IV.B.S7:
    Maintain manufacturer's published approach airspeed or in its absence not more than 1.3 times the stalling speed or the minimum steady flight speed in the landing configuration (VSO), ±5 knots with gust factor applied.
  • CA.IV.B.S8:
    Maintain directional control and appropriate crosswind correction throughout the approach and landing.
  • CA.IV.B.S9:
    Make smooth, timely, and correct control application during round out and touchdown.
  • CA.IV.B.S10:
    Touch down at a proper pitch attitude, within 200 feet beyond or on the specified point, with no side drift, and with the airplane's longitudinal axis aligned with and over the runway center/landing path.
  • CA.IV.B.S11:
    Execute a timely go-around if the approach cannot be made within the tolerances specified above or for any other condition that may result in an unsafe approach or landing.
  • CA.IV.B.S12:
    Utilize runway incursion avoidance procedures.
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Normal Approach & Landing Lesson Plan

Conclusion

  • Re-Motivation:

    • Normal Approach and Landing requires disciplined planning, stabilized energy management, and precise control from the approach through touchdown and rollout.
    • Evaluating wind, runway conditions, obstacles, aircraft performance, and personal limitations helps pilots recognize when an approach remains safe and when a timely go-around is required.
    • Consistent airspeed control, runway alignment, traffic scanning, communication, and checklist discipline integrate aircraft handling with sound operational judgment.
    • Continued practice with Normal Approach and Landing prepares commercial pilots for changing conditions and increasingly demanding landing scenarios in later training.

  • Closure:

    • The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides test-taking guidance and test guides on its website.
    • To learn more about preparing for the practical test, visit the checkride page.
    • Advise students that this lesson will be used as a starting point for the next lesson.
    • Assign study materials for the next lesson.