Baron 58 approach speed in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, fly the Beechcraft Baron 58 at 95–100 KIAS on final and ease towards about 90 KIAS over the threshold when light, with landing flap and in calm air. If you need one number, use 100 KIAS, then adjust for weight, configuration, gusts and the specific Baron model.

I need a number: what speed should I fly?

Use 100 KIAS on final as the dependable starting number for a normal two-engine landing. Once the runway is made, let the Baron slow towards approximately 90 KIAS at the threshold rather than trying to hold 100 knots into the flare.

Do not confuse threshold speed with touchdown speed. The Baron should continue slowing during the flare, so the main wheels normally meet the runway below the threshold-crossing speed.

These are practical Microsoft Flight Simulator targets, not aircraft limitations or a substitute for a model-specific performance chart. If your default or add-on Baron supplies weight-based reference speeds, use those. The published manual also takes priority over generic advice.

How do you fly a stable Baron 58 approach?

A repeatable Baron 58 approach comes from reducing speed early, configuring in stages and trimming after every major change.

1. Slow before the busy part. Aim for roughly 115–120 KIAS in the circuit or before intercepting final on a straight-in approach.
2. Configure within the placarded limits. Lower the landing gear in good time and select flap in stages, staying below the applicable extension speeds shown by your aircraft.
3. Settle on base or final intercept. Around 105–110 KIAS leaves time to manage power, descent and trim without rushing.
4. Stabilise on final. Target 95–100 KIAS with the landing checklist complete and no large pitch, power or heading corrections.
5. Reduce power smoothly. As the runway is assured, let the speed move towards about 90 KIAS at the threshold. Avoid chopping the throttles while still high.
6. Go around if it is not working. Being high, fast, badly trimmed or unable to land in the intended touchdown zone is a reason to try again, not force the aeroplane down.

A useful discipline is to be configured, trimmed, on speed and on the correct descent path by about 500 ft AGL in visual conditions or 1,000 ft AGL on an instrument approach. These are sensible stabilised-approach gates rather than Baron limitations.

For a reminder of the gear, flap and before-landing sequence, our default Baron 58 manual and checklist remains useful. It was written for the FSX aircraft, however, so an MSFS add-on’s own checklist and performance data take precedence.

Why does the correct Baron 58 approach speed change?

The appropriate speed changes with weight, flap setting, wind and the flight model used by the particular Baron 58 package.

• Weight: Use the lower end of the range when lightly loaded and the upper end when heavy. If no weight-based reference is supplied, about 5 KIAS is a practical simulator adjustment for a clearly heavier landing.
• Flap: A reduced-flap landing normally needs more speed and produces a longer float and landing roll. Use the aircraft manual where it gives a separate reduced-flap figure.
• Gusts: Add a modest gust margin rather than the entire wind speed. With wind reported as 12 knots gusting 22, for example, half the 10-knot gust spread gives an initial additive of about 5 KIAS.
• Runway: Runway length does not change the speed required by the wing, but it changes how much excess speed and float can be tolerated.
• Aircraft model: The default aircraft and third-party Barons may differ in weight, drag, flap behaviour and ground effect. Follow the developer’s figures when they are supplied.

Do not stack every allowance automatically. A heavy aircraft in gusts does not necessarily need 5 knots for weight plus another 5 for flap plus the full gust value. Excess speed has a real cost in float and landing distance.

Should I add speed for wind and crosswind?

Add speed for gustiness, not simply because a steady headwind or crosswind exists. A steady wind changes groundspeed, while the indicated airspeed required by the wing remains broadly the same.

Use only the margin needed to protect against a sudden loss of gust velocity, then allow that additive to wash off before touchdown. Carrying the full gust correction into the flare can consume a surprising amount of runway.

Should I use IAS or groundspeed?

Use indicated airspeed in KIAS, not GPS groundspeed, true airspeed or the apparent speed of the scenery beneath the aircraft. The wing responds to the airflow represented by IAS.

At a high-elevation airport, the same indicated approach speed corresponds to a higher true airspeed and usually a higher groundspeed. Keep the correct KIAS, but expect a faster-looking arrival and potentially more landing roll.

What speed should I use on an ILS or RNAV approach?

Use the same 95–100 KIAS final target on an ILS or RNAV approach once the Baron is configured to land. Instrument guidance changes how you reach the runway; it does not change the short-final speed required by the aircraft.

Do not chase 90 KIAS while still several miles from the threshold. Hold a stable final speed, complete the landing configuration at a sensible point, and decelerate further only when approaching the runway and the landing is assured. Our guides cover the separate procedures for setting up and flying an ILS in MSFS 2024 and flying a GPS or RNAV approach in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Why does the Baron 58 keep floating?

Persistent floating almost always means the Baron crossed the threshold too fast, retained too much power or both.

• Check the actual IAS. Crossing at 105–110 KIAS instead of about 90 KIAS carries substantially more energy into the flare.
• Verify the throttles reach idle. A miscalibrated hardware axis can leave residual power even when the physical levers appear closed; check the cockpit levers as well.
• Confirm the flap indication. Reduced flap changes the sight picture and allows the aircraft to retain speed more readily.
• Trim before short final. Constant forward pressure is a sign that the aircraft is not properly stabilised.
• Do not force it onto the runway. If the Baron floats beyond the intended touchdown zone, go around rather than pushing the nose down.

Even five extra knots can turn a tidy arrival into a long float, particularly in calm air over a smooth runway.

Why does it sink or touch down hard?

A sinky flare usually results from approaching too slowly for the weight and flap setting, closing the throttles too early or beginning the flare with an excessive descent rate.

• Try the upper end of the range. Use 100 KIAS rather than 95 when heavy or in unsettled air.
• Retain a little power until the runway is made. An abrupt early power reduction can produce a rapid increase in sink.
• Avoid a large pitch-up input. Pulling hard while slow increases drag and can make the aircraft settle more sharply.
• Use power or go around. Do not attempt to stretch the glide with pitch if speed and energy are already low.

Can the Baron 58 land below blue line?

Yes. On a normal two-engine landing, the Baron 58 may be below blue line on short final and at touchdown because blue line marks the best single-engine rate-of-climb speed, not the normal landing speed.

An engine-out approach is a different case. Do not apply these ordinary two-engine landing targets blindly after an engine failure; maintain the model’s prescribed single-engine control and performance speeds until landing is assured, then follow its abnormal checklist.