Being in the military in a Special Operations Forces (SOF) unit, I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of shooting and hung around high-speed soldiers (Green Beret’s, SEAL’s, snipers, etc.) who are the best of the best with a weapon. All are in agreement, if you want to hit the target which you are aiming, the manner in which the trigger is pulled is critical. The trigger is never jerked, it is always pulled slowly and methodically. When the round actually fires, it should be a surprise. Otherwise, you will jerk the weapon in anticipation of the recoil.
Landing an airplane is exactly the same. Far too many pilots simply put the airplane into a landing attitude on short final and brace for impact, hoping it will be soft. A much better plan is to fly each wheel down to the runway individually, being “surprised” each time the wheel touches down. For example, if you’ve got a bit of a crosswind from the right, even if it is a slight crosswind, the right wheel should touch down first. So, in this scenario, fly the airplane down the runway without “putting the airplane in a landing attitude”. Don’t think “flare” at all. Think about simply flying the airplane, or in this case, flying the right wheel to the ground as the power is being reduced. When the wheel then touches, it should surprise you. This way, you are actually flying the airplane all the time, and never are you “timing” your flare or “misjudging” the height above the ground. You are continually flying the airplane and the main wheel will just happen to touch down at a time which you are unaware. Then, you can hold off the left wheel and then hold off the nose wheel. In strong crosswinds, all three wheels can be “flown” to the ground, and all three can be flown so the actual touchdown is a surprise to you. This method will provide the most consistently smooth and manageable landing.
When landing the Malibu, a smooth touchdown on the main tires is usually a function of flying the airplane as illustrated above. However, the nose wheel is a different story, potentially. If the Malibu is flown with the front seats occupied, and little else in the airplane, then the CG will probably be in range, but it will be at the forward limit. Most of my landings have been in this configuration as I fly a lot on my own. When touchdown of the mains occurs, the nose wheel will “plop” down with little that can be done by the pilot. I usually counter a nose-heavy airplane by using the aft baggage compartment almost exclusively if I plan to fly alone or with one other in the front. If you fly a lot with a forward CG, you’ll notice that your landings with an aft CG are much, much better.
