to within 900 feet( 270m) of the midpoint between the thresholds are eliminated. A touchdown zone marking shall be provided in the touchdown zone of a paved precision approach runway where the code number is 2, 3 or 4. The code numbers refer to the size of the runway, where a Code 1 runway is less than 800 meters( 2,625 feet) and the higher numbers are longer. The aiming point marking serves as a visual aiming point for a landing aircraft. These two rectangular markings consist of a broad white stripe located on each side of the runway centerline and approximately 1,000 feet from the landing threshold. An aiming point marking shall be provided at each approach end of a paved instrument runway where the code number is 2, 3 or 4. The aiming point marking to the threshold than the distance indicated [ below ], except that, on a runway equipped with a visual approach slope indicator system, the beginning of the marking shall be coincident with the visual approach slope origin. The location of the aiming point marking depends on the landing distance available. For a runway between 1,200 meters( 3,947 feet) and 2,400 meters( 7,874 feet) landing distance the aiming point begins at 300 meters( 984 feet). An aiming point marking shall consist of two conspicuous stripes. Your aim point, as your very first flight instructor told you, should be that point on the windscreen that doesn’ t move. That instructor would also add a lie:“ If you don’ t do anything, that is where the airplane is going to first contact the runway.” statement is that you have airplane underneath you, and as the type ratings accumulated, there was more and more airplane below and behind you to consider. If it were just your eyes doing the flying, then your aim point would indeed be the same as your touchdown point. Where the airplane will touch down, then, depends on where the wheels are in relation to your eyes, the things doing the aiming. The answer varies with aircraft. We’ ll used the Gulfstream 450 as an example, but you can do the math for you airplane if you wish. Or you can just take away the bottom line message: don’ t aim for brick one. Figure: G450 dimensions, side view, from G450 Aircraft Operating Manual, § 2A- 06-00, figure 2, part 2. shall commence no closer The problem with that last 6 | MDN | www. mdnvirtual. org | January Issue