I've found that cutting the descent rate to 100 feet per minute gives you a soft touchdown while consuming less than an additional 400 feet. That equates to cutting your approach sink rate by less than half it is a noticeable arrival. Source: G450 Aircraft Operating Manual, §13-03-20Ī 6 FPS sink rate at touchdown equates to 360 feet per minute. Landing distances based on 3.0° glide path at 50 feet and 6 FPS sink rate at touchdown. Assuming the pilot's eyes are at the point used for the center of the pilot's mass, we can deduce: Distance between pilot's eyes and main gear = 39.1 + ( 7.1 / 12 ) = 39.7 feetįurther research leads us to a Gulfstream Eye Wheel Height Paper which tells us the pilot's eyes will be between 10.4 and 10.8 feet off the ground, depending on weight and center of gravity.
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The G450 Weight and Balance Manual tells us the nose wheel has a horizontal arm of 48.1" while the pilot is at 41.0", 7.1" forward of the nose gear. In the case of the G450, the operating manual gives us the distance between wheels: 39' 1-1/4". That may take some detective work or perhaps just a good tape measure. Specifically, you need the distance between the aft-most landing gear and the pilot's eyes. If you want to find the distance between where your eyes are pointed on approach and landing versus where your wheels are, you will need some dimensions.
This kind of thing bends metal all the time. (And if was, KAUS is only 13 nm away and has a 12,250' runway.) Either way, this "brick one" approach was unnecessary. Now let's say they were at a normal landing weight. Even if you add the standard 15 percent landing distance assessment, they only needed 4,025'. The charts say they had a landing distance of 3,500'. We know they had a headwind so let's say no wind. Let's suppose the airplane was landing at its maximum weight (42,000 lbs), let's say it was a very hot day (100F) and that drove the pressure altitude above the field elevation (620') to a PA of 1,000'.