Learn where to aim when landing an aircraft, how the aiming point differs from touchdown, and what movement in the windscreen means.
When landing an aircraft, aim at a fixed point inside the usable runway—normally the runway aiming-point markings about 1,000 ft (300 m) beyond the threshold. Hold that point stationary in the windscreen on final. It is your projected flight-path point, not your exact touchdown point; the flare carries the wheels farther along.
In real-world aviation, the aircraft flight manual, pilot’s operating handbook, published approach and operator or instructor procedures take priority over this general rule. The same visual geometry applies in a flight simulator.
What is the difference between aiming point and touchdown point?
The aiming point is where the aircraft’s present flight path would intersect the runway if the pilot did not flare. The touchdown point is where the main wheels actually meet the surface.
During the flare, the flight path becomes shallower, so the aircraft travels beyond the aiming point before touching down. The distance varies with aircraft geometry, approach speed, flare technique, wind and runway slope. A transport aircraft’s main landing gear also sits well behind and below the pilots’ eye position.
This distinction explains why forcing the wheels onto the painted aiming-point markings usually produces a firm or unsafe landing. Our guidance on judging the flare and avoiding excessive float covers the transition from aiming to touchdown.
Which runway reference should you choose?
Choose a clearly identifiable point that gives safe threshold clearance and leaves enough runway after touchdown.
| Landing situation | Suitable reference | Main consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Normal marked runway | The centreline between the broad aiming-point rectangles | These markings are commonly around 1,000 ft or 300 m beyond the threshold, although their location varies. |
| Runway without aiming-point markings | A distinct feature safely beyond the threshold | Select it before final and confirm that the resulting touchdown area meets the landing-distance requirement. |
| Displaced threshold | A point beyond the displaced threshold bar | Do not use the pavement or arrows before that threshold as the touchdown area for that landing direction. |
| Short-field landing | The reference specified by the aircraft procedure or instructor | Use the prescribed speed and technique; do not improvise a threshold-skimming approach. |
| Instrument or airline operation | The published glide path and operator-defined touchdown zone | Treat the painted aiming point as a visual cross-check rather than replacing the procedure. |
Runway numbers sit close to the threshold. They may be used as a reference in some light-aircraft training exercises, but they are not a universal aiming point. On a short runway, combine point selection with a proper performance calculation; our Cessna runway-length example shows why touchdown discipline and available runway must be considered together.
How can you tell whether the aiming point is correct?
A correctly held aiming point remains almost stationary in the windscreen while the runway expands around it.
- Stabilise the approach. Establish the required configuration, speed, descent path and centreline alignment before judging the reference.
- Watch the point’s trend. Ignore a momentary movement caused by a small pitch change; look for sustained movement after the aircraft settles.
- Read upward movement as an undershoot. If the point climbs towards the horizon in the windscreen, the present flight path is tending to reach the runway before that point.
- Read downward movement as an overshoot. If the point sinks beneath the nose, the aircraft is tending to pass over it and land farther along.
- Correct early or go around. Make small, coordinated changes using the technique prescribed for that aircraft. Do not dive at the runway or stretch a low approach.
A stable aiming point does not compensate for excessive speed: the aircraft can follow the right path and still float far beyond the planned touchdown area. Use the aircraft’s approved figures and review how approach speed affects the landing.
Does a crosswind change the aiming point?
A crosswind does not change the intended longitudinal aiming point, but a crab may place it to one side of the aircraft’s nose. Maintain the correct ground track over the runway centreline; do not apply premature rudder merely to centre the point in front of the nose.
Should you follow the PAPI or the painted aiming point?
Use the published glide path or PAPI as the primary vertical reference when one is provided, and use aiming-point movement as a cross-check.
On a standard four-light PAPI, two white and two red lights indicate that the pilot’s eye is on the indicated slope. That slope may not appear to terminate exactly on the painted blocks because of PAPI siting, runway gradient and cockpit eye height. Runway width and slope can also create visual illusions.
If the indications seem inconsistent, confirm that you are using the lights for the correct runway and follow the published procedure rather than chasing both references. Large aircraft may have specific guidance because their wheels pass lower than the pilots’ eye path. Our step-by-step visual approach technique explains how to combine the centreline, runway perspective and PAPI.
When should you stop aiming and begin the flare?
Keep the reference steady until the aircraft reaches its prescribed flare cues, then shift your vision farther along the runway and transition to the landing attitude.
Do not continue pushing the nose towards the aiming point as it disappears beneath the aircraft. Flare height and control movement depend on aircraft type, sight picture, sink rate and procedure; there is no single height suitable for every aeroplane.
Go around if maintaining the selected point requires a large late correction, the aircraft is unstable, excessive speed is likely to cause a long landing, or the intended touchdown area can no longer be reached without forcing the aircraft onto the runway.