Flare Timing Mastery: The Art of the Perfect Touchdown

By the PilotLeague Team - January 2026

The flare is arguably the most rewarding and most dreaded moment of any flight. It's that split second where you transition from a tense descent path to level flight just above the runway. Perfect timing separates a legendary Butter Landing from a brutal bounce.

In this guide, we break down the physics of the flare and explain how to use PilotLeague data to refine your technique on MSFS 2024.

A perfect flare is the key to a legendary Butter Landing. Poor timing can make you overshoot the touchdown zone. To succeed, maintain a stabilized approach speed.

Analyze Your Flare with PilotLeague

PilotLeague doesn't just record your FPM. Our application analyzes the quality of your transition to help you perfect your technique.

PilotLeague gives you precise metrics on every flare:

V/S Curve: Visualize your descent rate reduction in the final seconds before touchdown.
Touchdown G-Load: Detect if your flare was too late (hard impact) or too early (stall).
TDZ Distance: See if you floated too long and overshot the optimal touchdown zone.

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The Physics of the Flare: The Transition Curve

The flare involves increasing the angle of attack to reduce vertical speed while allowing horizontal speed to gradually decrease.

Step-by-Step Timing (Standard Airliner)

While every aircraft is different, here's the classic timing sequence for an airliner like the A320 or B737:

50 ft: This is the moment to stabilize your gaze toward the end of the runway to better judge your height.
30 ft: Begin a gentle and constant pull on the stick. The goal is to raise the nose about 2 to 3 degrees.
20 ft: Progressively reduce thrust toward "Idle" (while managing "Retard" on Airbus).
10 ft: The aircraft should be level, floating very slightly above the ground. Let the speed bleed off until touchdown.

Fatal Timing Errors

Bad timing directly impacts your PilotLeague score. Here's how to identify your errors through your statistics:

Error	Consequence	PilotLeague Data
Flare too high/early	Aircraft stalls or drops heavily.	High G-Load (> 1.5G)
Flare too late	Hard impact with nose gear first.	High descent rate (FPM)
Speed too high	Aircraft "floats" and overshoots the zone.	Long Landing (TDZ Distance)

How PilotLeague Perfects Your Flare

Our application doesn't just record your landing. It analyzes the quality of your transition.

When reviewing your dashboard after each flight, monitor your vertical speed curve. A successful flare shows a smooth, non-jerky decrease in descent rate in the 3 seconds before impact.

Pro Tip: Compare your average descent rate at 50 ft with your rate at touchdown. If the gap is too small, your flare was non-existent. If it's too large too early, you risk a "Long Landing".

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Take Your Training Further

Complete Butter Landing Guide →Touchdown Zone Precision Guide →Crosswind Landing Techniques →