Originally Posted by
malgudi
Another related question (re: landing)
Why is that some airlines (LH and SQ, for instance) consistently have the most graceful of landings, IMO? These planes touch down ever so gently, while this isn't always the case in some of the other airlines.
Just curious!
Are you comparing apples with apples here? Same aircraft type, same airport, same runway, same winds, etc.?
As a pilot of a small airplane, I usually strive for gentle, passenger-pleasing landings. That's no problem on a 10,000 ft runway. But on a short runway you don't have the luxury of gradually losing speed, holding the tires a few inches above the surface and waiting for the airplane to gently settle down. That uses up a lot of runway. Sometimes you need to "slam it down" firmly and get the brakes on. Even on a long runway, it's often desirable to slow down in time to exit on one of the first taxiways.
Someone who pilots heavy metal might chime in here with their perspective, but I imagine the principles are the same.