What is the Learjet 45 landing speed in FSX and how do I land it?

For the default Learjet 45 in FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, fly a stabilised final at 130–135 KIAS with gear down and full landing flap, crossing the threshold at about 125–130 KIAS at a normal landing weight. Adjust for weight and gusts, then touch down on the main wheels first.

Learjet 45 landing speed: is it 125 or 130 knots?

Use 130–135 KIAS while established on final, then aim for approximately 125–130 KIAS as you cross the threshold at about 50 feet.

These are practical handling targets for the stock simulator aircraft, not one fixed Vref for every load. Read KIAS from the primary flight display rather than using groundspeed, and do not force the aircraft onto the runway to meet a particular touchdown number.

A crossing speed near 125 KIAS suits a lighter aircraft; use the upper end when heavier. The stock panel does not provide dispatch-quality performance calculations for every combination of weight, runway and weather, so review the Kneeboard data or our stock Learjet 45 manual and checklist download. These simulator targets must not be used as real-aircraft performance data.

How should weight and wind change the speed?

A heavy Learjet 45 should use the upper end of the range, while a lightly loaded aircraft can use the lower end.

• Heavy landing weight: favour approximately 135 KIAS on final and 130 KIAS at the threshold.
• Ordinary gusts: add about 5 KIAS to the approach target, then avoid carrying that entire additive into the flare.
• Steady headwind: do not subtract the headwind from indicated airspeed.
• Tailwind or high elevation: indicated speed remains broadly similar, but true airspeed, groundspeed and landing distance increase.

A mistake we see frequently in FSX is departing with 100% fuel for a short flight. The unnecessary fuel leaves the aircraft heavy at destination, raises its appropriate reference speed and makes stopping more difficult.

Should I use full flap in the Learjet 45?

Full landing flap, normally the 40° position in the default FSX Learjet 45, is the standard configuration behind the 125–130 KIAS threshold target.

Some older blog advice compresses the technique to full flap and 125/130, but that shorthand misses the configuration and weight changes leading up to it. Select each flap stage only below the limit shown in the aircraft reference material. If an add-on specifies flaps 20° for landing, follow its documented speed instead and expect a higher approach speed and longer landing roll.

How do you land the Learjet 45 smoothly in FSX?

The reliable method is to finish slowing, trimming and configuring before short final rather than trying to lose excess energy over the runway.

1. Check the landing conditions. Confirm runway length, wind, altimeter setting and aircraft weight. Review the flap limits and reduce an unrealistic fuel load before starting the approach.
2. Plan the descent early. Jets resist slowing while descending, especially with excess thrust. Level briefly or reduce the descent rate if necessary; our guidance on setting up the runway alignment and energy plan for a visual approach explains how to avoid arriving high and fast.
3. Configure in stages. Reduce speed below the applicable extension limits, select flaps progressively, lower the landing gear and use flaps 20° while establishing final. Select full flap and retrim before short final.
4. Stabilise the approach. Hold 130–135 KIAS with small thrust changes and use pitch to stay on the glidepath. A three-degree path at 130 knots groundspeed requires roughly 650 feet per minute of descent.
5. Cross the threshold correctly. Aim for 125–130 KIAS at about 50 feet. Shift your view towards the far end of the runway so that changes in height and pitch are easier to judge.
6. Flare without ballooning. Near 20–30 feet, ease the thrust towards idle and make a small nose-up input. The Learjet needs less flare than a light piston aircraft; a large pull causes a balloon, float or tail-strike risk.
7. Complete the rollout. Touch down on the main wheels, deploy the spoilers, let the nose wheel settle and remain on the centreline. Use reverse thrust and wheel braking only after the aircraft is firmly on the runway.

A useful simulator rule is to be fully configured and stable by 500 feet above the runway in visual conditions, or 1,000 feet in poor visibility. Go around if the speed keeps changing, the sink rate is excessive, the aircraft is badly out of trim or the runway alignment cannot be corrected without aggressive inputs.

What should I check now on short final?

If you are already approaching the runway, make this quick check before continuing:

• Landing gear is indicated down.
• Full landing flap is selected and the aircraft has been retrimmed.
• Airspeed is stable near 130–135 KIAS and trending towards the correct threshold speed.
• The descent rate and runway alignment require only small corrections.
• The landing checklist is complete and the spoilers, brakes and reverse-thrust controls are ready.

If any major item remains unresolved below about 500 feet, apply go-around power, control the pitch, retract flap in stages and try again.

Why does the Learjet 45 float, bounce or land hard?

Long floats normally come from excess threshold speed or retained thrust, while hard landings usually result from low speed, an early power reduction or a flare started too high.

• Long float: cross the threshold nearer 125–130 KIAS and reduce thrust smoothly. An unnecessary extra 10–15 knots can consume a large amount of runway.
• Sudden sink: correct a falling airspeed before reaching the threshold and retain enough thrust to prevent the sink developing.
• Balloon: stop increasing pitch. If the balloon is substantial, add power and go around rather than pushing the nose down.
• Bounce or porpoise: go around after a significant bounce. Repeated attempts to force the nose down can damage the simulated aircraft or produce loss of control.
• Aircraft will not slow: begin decelerating earlier. Do not rely on a steep descent or aggressive spoiler use near the ground.
• Sideways touchdown: use aileron to control drift and rudder to align the nose before touchdown instead of landing in a full crab.

For a closer treatment of Vref, sight picture and flare errors, see our guide to diagnosing Learjet float, bounces and hard landings. Repeat the same weight, weather and runway while learning; our instructions for building repeatable landing-practice flights help isolate one technique at a time.

Can the FSX Learjet 45 autopilot land the aircraft?

The default Learjet 45 autopilot can track an ILS localiser and glideslope, but it cannot provide a complete automatic flare, touchdown and rollout.

The pilot must still manage thrust and landing configuration. While learning in visual conditions, disconnect the autopilot by about 500 feet above the runway and hand-fly the final correction and flare. If the approach mode will not capture, check the NAV1 frequency, selected course, NAV/GPS source and that the glideslope is being intercepted from below.

Which FSX control bindings matter during the rollout?

The critical bindings are throttle idle or decrease, reverse thrust, spoilers, wheel brakes and rudder steering.

With the standard FSX keyboard assignments, move the throttles to idle after touchdown and hold F2 to enter reverse thrust. A joystick throttle that is not reaching idle can prevent reverse from engaging, while a shared controller profile may remap the command entirely. Check the active control profile rather than assuming another simmer's binding will work on your installation.

Do these Learjet 45 speeds apply in MSFS?

These figures apply specifically to the default Learjet 45 in FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, not automatically to a Learjet 45 add-on in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

MSFS uses different flight models, and each add-on developer may define different weights, flap drag and reference speeds. Follow the aircraft's own checklist, electronic flight bag or documentation. The same applies if you have modified the FSX aircraft's flight dynamics or replaced its aircraft.cfg; stock speed targets may no longer produce stock behaviour.

Is the Boeing 737 MAX landing speed also about 130 knots?

A Boeing 737 MAX has no single landing speed; its calculated Vref commonly falls somewhere in the broad 130–150 KIAS range in normal configurations, depending on variant, landing weight and flap setting.

That overlap does not make its speed interchangeable with the Learjet 45's 125–130 KIAS threshold target. For either aircraft, use the value calculated or documented for the specific model, weight and configuration rather than treating 130 knots as a universal landing speed.