Bush Pilot Technique Cessna 172 Landing on Short Field 

The majority of pilots have never landed on a genuine short field. I would like to caution novice pilots that it takes more length to takeoff than it did to land.

Thank you for sharing this! And a double-thank you for NOT adding music to the video!!! So many good videos are ruined by crappy music that covers up what we want to hear. Good piloting skills----nicely done. I haven't flown in several years, but would like to get current again. Landing at an uncontrolled field like this brought back so many fun memories. Thanks again!

this is a great video for teaching situational awareness. busy airfield, lots happening, pattern entry options, etc, etc. great job guys.

I'm 80 years old..In my prime we flew patterns around landing areas that allowed us to glide to a landing on the runway from any point in the pattern except immediately after takeoff. Approaches were made high enough that power need not be carried. We called them precision landings. I know this is more difficult to accomplish when there is traffic and ATC, but you can insist on your flying an approach path that insures your landing on the runway in case of a failure. You are the pilot in command and nobody else, including ATC and other traffic will share the blame if you end up buying the farm.

What a pleasure to watch!!! I am a classical musician who knows absolutely nobody else who loves to fly. These two guys were just speaking our language in an every day way! Love it.

Owned a Cessna 172 few years ago, I sold it because flying become to me too boring every weekend drive from orange county to Chino airport for few hours fly all by my self,friends afraid to join each time I asked them to join :) until sky become too boring to me, I wish I had a brother like you guys both involved in activities. Awesome guys enjoy and fly safe, thumbs up.

Don’t ever focus excessively on a smooth touchdown. Far more important to do as you did to have the airplane on speed, on centerline, on glide slope and stabilized.

nice job with traffic and Zero delay in action to bring in a great landing. Thanks for sharing. Shout out for Madrid, Spain

i dont even fly and i love watching these. solid videos brother. really appreciate the nav diagrams to see what you are talking about in your approach. am 35 with a fulltime career in commercial RE but this looks so fun. making me want to take this on.

Bravissimo! I rescind my comment about not having a soft touchdown- this landing is absolutely textbook for a short field approach.

That’s cool. I had some one send this video to me in the comments on my video where I tested out this technique. It definitely works!

There are as many opinions here as there are pilots, as always! My two cents on most of the comments: 1) flaps up in the flare- Cessna's electric flaps take their time to retract (I much preferred the old manual ones.) So, on a short field- they will have more effective wheel braking sooner, and in the event of a go around the flaps will be closer to the desired position. So Although I don't think I've ever done it, I wouldn't criticize it. 2) Engine failure- this engine got them all the way through the flight. Unless fuel or carb ice, it's not likely to quit on final. If it does- best glide and land in the grass before the threshold. Obstacles before the threshold? Clear them and slip it in. Nice video guys.

Brings back old memories, but it didn’t look all that short. Good job!

Holy cow, pilots worth watching. Making me want to be a pilot.

"Chem trails are just my sneezes" hahaha

Little low but spot on the numbers😁 A great landing starts with flying the numbers once you join the circuit. Nice going there.

Very good flying, gentlemen. The keyboard pilots can always find details they would do differently, but then you could to. Enjoy, and be safe!

In this video Mr. Friendly and his twin brother discover the wonders of the exotic *high wing* airplane known as the Cessna 172. They didn't seem to mind not being able to see the runway on their downwind to base turn, at least the fuel is easier to manage.

Pre-stol perform!! Amazing approach! Calm, relax and focus at the airplane limits speed!

should be noted this is an advanced landing technique, by reaching down to pull the flap lever up student pilots are more adapt to loose control of the airplane and possibly, if flying a complex plane pull the gear up. That's why most instructors will teach not to touch anything until landed and off the runway. However this should be demonstrated b/c in a tight spot or a forced landing situation this could get you down, in, and on the brakes ASAP instead of floating down the field. Could be the difference between making it or rolling into the trees/fence

I’ve always landed Cessna 172 at 60MPH, preferably with full flaps and on a high angle glide slope. It’s awesome!

The paint job on this plane was the exact paint job on the 172 I did all of my training in until it was recently painted. So a good memory revived.

Good day. Nice video as usual. You look like twins brothers! At least you are brothers in flights! Always something to learn watching you. Thank you. Alex

Now that was a nice video and nice to see everyone cooperating to get in and around.

I always retract the flaps right after touchdown. That said, I was flying with my friend the other day who is a CFI, came in a bit hot into my round out and he said "Check this"... then proceeded to pull my flaps up... learn something new everyday!

I fly a Skyhawk II as well. When I do a short-field landing like in the video, I find the airplane bounces. That was interesting how the pilot retracted the flaps as he was touching down. I was never taught that. Also, you guys have the same glasses!

Just a suggestion. If you really want to land a 172 short, leave the flaps in. You may have more float if you're fast but its almost like having a parachute on your airplane once you're fully stalled. Those electric flaps don't come up like the flaps on a carbon cub

That was so beautiful I shed a tear.

Personally I would have been doing a slip and steep descent with full flaps to clear those trees and come down steep. You seem to be going low which makes you fly longer in turbulence being shed off those trees. Sometimes the camera makes the glide slope seem different than in real life though. You made it safe so nice job.

Wow nice! Just learned a new technique to land.

Been there for pancakes several times (in a Citabria, though)! I recognized the silver 170 haha. That's a tight landing for a 172, well done!

Glad to be back to the real flying after the ridiculous number of comments about X-Plane vs FSX in the last video! Love these videos.

Youre visual aids are incredibly professional. Helps me out a lot thanks!

The checklist on my knee is mixture master key. Just great ahahaha

I just discovered this video now. I was there that day and landed just prior to your arrival. It was a great day of flying! Nick, if I had seen you I would have said hello. That is my silver RV 7 with the black nose parked on the opposite side of the runway from where you parked. Nice video to remember the day with! Keep up the great work!

"no guys with taildraggers and no radios!" Tut! cessna drivers! and whats this short field lark, you've got 1700ft of tarmac!

I've never seen a twin 172! :) Great vid, thank you. I've also never seen or heard about taking out the flaps at the flare - maybe a bush technique? Certainly very advanced, and in that case not "textbook." But taking the flaps off during roll-out to increase the contact between the wheels and the runway (and thus braking effectiveness) is textbook.

That landing was nice.

I like the Motion Tracker from Alien in the intro

Not bad, but me, I'm always in a HURRY to get to them PANDCAKES, so I just stall it about midfield and drop in. It's a little rough on the gear, but it's worth getting in line quicker.

Great video. Showed lots of real world scenarios and an insight into the pilots' thoughts and the RT etc. A busy fly-in on a small strip can be challenging. As an onlooker, could that finals have been flown higher then a side slip in to bleed off height and energy? The landing looked safe and the approach grass looked free from obstructions and almost landable - I'm trying to visualize a side slip type approach though.

holy molly, thats a short runway. good job!

Base to final took you right over my house. I have been meaning to get over there for the pancakes.

When I did a checkout in a 172P I was taught to trim for 65 knots with flaps 20 on base when setting up for a short or soft landing. Flaps 30 on final, trim, the plane settles down to 61 knots. Doesn't take much runway to stop at that speed...

"The Civil Air Patrol will tell you where to POK". Oh how I miss my Worcester days!!

I've flown into Cranland multiple times as well as being the CAP on the ground. Pilots that fly in are usually regulars who ignore CAP directions and just park where they want. In some cases, pilots just sit on the runway until we give them directions. Its a hectic place where people fly right patterns and dont use comms.

Cranland is a nice little strip in Halifax....flew in and out of there a few time for Sunday pancakes 👍 nice job.

Good video.. I understand the flaps up after landing to get some more weight on the wheels.. i did it tens times each way way one day in a 172. The landing distance was actually unaffected.. full aft yoke allowed for more weight on wheels and better breaking. Also the planes were certified leaving the flaps down in roll out. I was wary of having my students touch anything in the fear even they go to complex aircraft they mistake gear for flaps. The FAA also prefers not raising the flaps. In the airlines we can't change configuration from the final approach fix until fully exiting the runway with the exception of thrust reversers as we are advised to stow them at 60 knots.

i was gonna type notification squad but i got carried away watching the video ...MAN THAT WAS SOME TRAFFIC....nAILED IT ON THE approach lol

Nice video, excellent traffic management, and an interesting technique. Not quite a textbook or at least the ones I use :) Looked too much of 4 solid reds for me.

Sometimes you are aiming to touch down on a precise spot, you keep the speed perfect but say at 100 feet agl a sudden shift of wind or a thermal from ground makes your approach flatter and now you are going to over shoot the spot. You can slip the airplane but it is very difficult to do it perfect at 100 feet. You can use the cutting flaps on flare trick. It is a talented pilot trick. Maggots cant do that.

Awesome video!

Awesome video! Thanks guys😀

1D pilots cut the flaps after leaving the runway (afraid), 2D pilots cut the flaps after touchdown (Half afraid), 3D pilots cut the flaps in the flare (Never afraid). 3D pilots are the boss.

The cutting flaps in the flare trick. I learned it in 1996.

Nice David Clamps 🫤🫤🥴

Great job on the editing! Awesome short feild landing...

Sometimes you don't need to be in the bush to encounter a difficult landing and take off. There lots of short runways found in private airports built in cities all over America. There's one not far from the airport I fly out of. It's got an 1600 foot runway but it's got obstructions at both ends of the main north south runway. A vets office with telephone wires on the North end and the south large trees planted on the 8th hole of a golf course. Landing doesn't cause me much problem but the take offs leave no room for error. Flaps down one notch, stand on the brakes bring it to full power then pop the brakes. Don't pull to early and careful not to panic. Your gonna just learn those obstacles.

It's not often a person comes across a video on RU-vid and sees their house from a plane. That was interesting. I was not home my car was gone.

thanks for no music,,rather hear you guys

finally a nice video guys...great job.

Damn that's a lot of traffic for such a small strip!

Awesome landing btw

Nice Video

Love the air freshener swinging in the back.

With all the too and fro - how about this: If you are lowish time or less experienced - you are likely to argue for flying it like the PoH suggests - Fine - it won't kill you at Cranland. If you are higher time, bush experienced, or have just been around the block a bit more - you are more likely to use tricks like aggressive slipping and flaps off just before touch down - Fine - it's not going to kill you either! It is sure going to help you (and me) get into the impossibly tight small field in the trees the day the engine quits in a "difficult" bit of terrain. :-) Cranland is an interesting airport. Coming in 18 - there is a nice grass approach - you see it in this video - and an uphill run to help stop you. Coming in 36 you are coming in over some trees and the downhill run is not going to help you stop. Taildraggers are likely to be using the grass to the left of the paved 18 (right of paved 36). The airport is subject to dead 90 degree crosswinds which can make the runway choice "interesting". If I am the only one there - I'll overfly midfield above pattern and look at the windsock, tetrahedron (quite often at odds with each other) and consider the airflow over the whole area before I pick my runway. If others have chosen - I'll fall in with them. But the reality is at some point on this runway in a crosswind you might end up with a tailwind during part of your landing - so getting down and making it stick is an important part of my playbook here. Here is what I saw in the video: - Lots of energy to always make the runway from downwind to base onwards - Carrying energy to make sure the runway was made at all times. - Killing energy with a dip BELOW glide path (those commenting about a "flat approach") and a pull up to make the runway. - Killing energy with a left slip at the same time. - Flaps up before touchdown to help sink through ground effect and stick the plane on the pavement. - A firm - but by no means bad for the airplane - touchdown. Which is how I usually fly this airport for practice. Calm wind - Runway 18 you can usually get stopped in a 150/2 170/2 in about 300ft without hurting the plane or putting flat spots on the tires. Runway 36 it is a little more challenging with the trees on approach and the downhill run. Maybe 400ft. I think this video is a good conversation piece - but to those offering negative comments - I'd ask you to consider my comments. YMMV

Brings back memories from my flying days out of Charlottetown PEI YYG

Very nice approach and landing, but please explain me, why would you touch the flaps during the flare?

That approach was mint, dude!!

I had more fun footage of pancakes and Aviation movie trivia that I wanted to include, but I lost it somehow! So sorry :(

thats a nice approach

The good old days,nice vid ✈

Good Landings! Thanks for providing some tips for a low time pilot!

I love flying to cranland in x plane

Nicely done

Great video. Did you land harder than expected because you pulled flaps in your flare?

Great Video - was surprised at the moment of touchdown how much stress is put on the landing gear legs.

I usually touchdown on the numbers and go no further. Because I'm flying a helicopter.

Nicely done but I hope you don't fly retractables because retracting the flaps on landing roll (or during the flare) has caused many a good pilot to land wheels up! Nice to see you have your Christmas decorations up early. I see the tree hanging in front of the rear window. Keep on enjoying your flying. I flew for 30 years but unfortunately there were no GoPro cameras in my time.

Nicely done. Too fast flare?? Just cut the flaps to cut the lift . That is a Bush Pilot trick i learned in 1995. Glad more smart pilots are using it lately. I have seen too many runway overshots and damaged tires from bad pilots floating too much and not cutting the flaps, or with flaps down braking. Those are student pilot errors. Also Panicky Braking can cause a runway excursion and flip over, wrecking you or the airplane

Hey Nick nice vid mate! I reckon you could re-upload this vid, unedited, as a demonstration of the need for precise & constant communication when operating in a busy uncontrolled airfield scenario. Watcha reckon mate?

Why pull the flaps up? They aid you in slowing down through aerodynamic braking.

Solid approach man! I fly at KLNA in West Balm Beach, FL, and it too, like Cranland, is an uncontrolled field, and it turns into a zoo on the weekends! Glad I found your channel, look forward to more videos. PS - My favorite part, "Piper **such and such** holding short on the active" -_____- .......why? hahaha

Things that piss me off with unicom/ctaf calls: Not saying the altitude you're at... You're in an aeroplane not a car, report position accordingly.

Awesome footage guys and very interesting. Cheers :)

Loved this, keep them coming...

Love the videos!

Nice video! Greetings from Switzerland!

Great video

The guy with the glass and dark hair may have more experience then the other guy.

From a non pilot: the retracting of the flaps just before touchdown is because it makes it easier to brak just after touchdown. The flaps would create more updraft and makes the wheels braking system less efficient

Did he say Civil air patrol at 8:47, yep! Those are my bro's!

I heard they opened the grass strip at minute man. You should take your warrior there. Its a 1600 ft runway

I just performed a textbook walk to the bathroom after performing a difficult walk around the laundry pile, Almost didnt make it but for my great skill! You guys are too funny!

7:46 You're welcome.

And here I am struggling with the short feild landings in my training. Curious as to why he retracted the flaps before touchdown as I've been taught to retract them after touchdown to increase aerodynamic braking.

Nice ! I want to try Cranland one of these days.. I like how you pulled the flaps up to give some extra planting force.

George, I watched your [other] short field landing video. So... what was your headwind component and how heavy were you? ;)Hey, mad props for the postage stamp landing but why didn't you use a similar method when you landed at the other runway (that I squawked about)? I will mildly concur that had you had to go around, it likely would have been a non event, but probably due in large part that [when you retracted the flaps] you were in ground effect, in a light high wing airplane. Fair enough? Safe flying and I'll definitely do the same!

Nice video, thanks for the advanced look at the airport. We are going to drop in there one of these days. Also thinking of purchasing the headset your buddy is using, any feed back on those?...thanks!

We just took a cessna to Chicago and flew around the city