Single-engine Class B - En Route and Descent — Page 327, Lesson 398

We're moving into the landing phase now — Chapter 10, Single-engine Class B — Landing. This is where we take everything we've done in the cruise and bring it down to the runway. Let me start with the structure of what we're about to cover, because it sets up how you'll actually use this in the cockpit. The chapter opens with the Landing Requirement — that's the core regulatory and performance rule you must satisfy before you even consider dispatching the aircraft. Then there's a worked Example Landing Requirement so you can see the calculation in action. After that come the Factors to Be Accounted for — the variables that affect your landing distance — and then the Correction Factors, which is where you apply adjustments to the raw figures. Then we get to the Despatch Rules — and I want you to note the spelling here, it's "Despatch" with a 'p', which is the British aviation spelling you'll see in the manual. These are the operational limits you must respect. Next is the Reference Landing Speed (VREF) — that's the target speed you fly on final approach, and it's a critical number. Then we have the Presentation of Landing Data / Using the Graphs — that's how you actually read the performance charts. And finally, the chapter closes with Questions and Answers for practice. Now, before we dive into the detail, I want to connect this to what we just did. In the previous chapter, we looked at the endurance and range graphs for a light single-engine aeroplane. The range graph — Figure 9.7 — works exactly like the endurance graph, except instead of working out airborne time, it shows distance flown. And there was a crucial caution there: to achieve those range and endurance figures, you must follow the techniques in the manual, especially regarding correctly leaning the mixture. That's a real operational point — leaning the mixture properly is what actually delivers the performance the graphs promise. So now, as we step into landing, keep that mindset: the graphs and rules we're about to use are only valid if you fly the aircraft exactly as the manual prescribes. The landing requirement isn't just a number on a page — it's a safety margin that depends on your technique. Let's begin with the Landing Requirement itself. This is the fundamental rule: before you can dispatch the aircraft, you must be able to land within the distance available. We'll work through the example, then the factors, the correction factors, the despatch rules, VREF, and finally how to read the graphs. Let's take it step by step.