Finbar Sheehy <<finbarsheehy>>
writes:

Your recent landing posts are interesting and instructive, but
don't mention a key point: the importance of the legs in the landing flare. The
key piece of advice I received, that really improved my landings in a
night-and-day way, was this: "on final approach, get your legs underneath you -
bend a little at the waist, even - and then, when you flare, stiffen your body
and swing those legs back as a single unit, trying to kick the stinger with your
heels".

Legs are heavy, and because they're also far from the center of gravity,
swinging them back has a big effect. Keeping my body stiff as I flare, is what
makes them swing. Most people think the flare is all about the arms - and your
recent postings also highlight the use of the arms - but my legs give leverage
to what I do with my arms.

It's common to see people flare entirely with their arms, leaving their bodies
relaxed. The arms push the shoulders and upper body back, but the limp body
"gives" at the waist and/or pivots upright around the suspension point on the
harness, the legs barely move, and the flare is weak. Worse, after a few flares
like that, the pilot anticipates the poor result by pushing with the arms while
simultaneously swinging the legs forward to absorb the ground impact (no-one
enjoys face planting).

Flare timing is important, and hand position can be optimized. Getting as
upright as possible is, as you point out, a real help. But a stiff body, a focus
on trying to kick the stinger, is what gives my arms real leverage when I flare.
Once I tried it, I realized that I had a lot more "flare power" than I thought,
which in turn made timing less critical. So, I focus on the legs. It works for
me!

(I base the above on my personal experience. I am not an instructor. My method
may not work for others.)