My parents will never get me a joystick or Y&P before mastering the keyboard first, my parents know I don't always get the centerline, especially true in challenging approaches like TNCM and VHHX RWY13. For my parents, it means being able to shoot a checkerboard approach (VHHX RWY13) on keyboard and touch down on the runway centerline with enough runway to get myself to 10-20 kts by hold short point of RWY31, with a 747-400 (since that's the largest thing that landed in Kai Tak).

I know these two are hard to perform even with the best joystick and the best operator. Last time I landed in Kai Tak through the checkerboard, I touched down B-KPA (a 773ER) on the runway with enough runway to stop but halfway between the centerline and the runway edge. This is proof that my mastery of the keyboard is far from anything reasonable.

How should I use the keyboard better to increase my chances to get the centerline of the runway and enough runway to get myself to 10-20 kts by hold short point of RWY31? All I used in my last try was the arrow and F1-F4 buttons.

Yvan Ung wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2007 at 12:20pm:

Pawn it, and buy http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826102505 .

Or do something, anything to get a joystick, they don't fly 747's with a keyboard...

Not ONLY is the stick a good thing to have, but getting a stick with throttle and flaps levers are REALLY good two. I got a Saitek Aviator for $40 at Best Buy which was a lot but was well worth it. Also, the rudder control on the stick is must easier to use on a twist stick. I was a keyboard flier for over 6 months and only mastered the ILS approach to TNCM and KLAX but landed horrible. Now I make spot-on ILS landings at KLAX, KDEN, KJFK, TNCM, VHHX and Checkerboard ILS rnwy 13 VHHX in 747's.  (I don't know if Denver flies 747's there but I do it anyways.

beaky wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2007 at 3:31pm:


To shoot a RWY13 approach into VHHX and still get to the runway centerline (provided that you have enough runway to slow yourself down to a safe speed to turn on a taxiway) with a keyboard alone is the ultimate demonstration of keyboard mastery, no matter which combination of buttons you use. It's easier with a C208 but I know the real airport saw 747s land every day when it still was open. When I'll succeed that, even once, with any of the aircraft I (and they) took to or from Kai Tak as passengers (A330-300, A340-300 or 747-400), then my parents will consider that I have enough skill on the keyboard for them. Basically, they want me to become the best pilot on keyboard in the world (since there is no one, to my knowledge, that did so on a keyboard alone).

My parents want me to master the keyboard since they claim that since joysticks can fail just like any piece of equipment, you have to be ready when joystick issues come.

matt2190 wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2007 at 4:17pm:


They obviously want me to master the backup before mastering the main system, as they will not consider getting the "main system" (the joystick) before I have gained the best out of the keyboard.

Yvan Ung wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2007 at 3:48pm:

I'd be more interested in mastering a parachute if my joystick failed.  I've never seen any aircraft that you can fly with a keyboard.

I've always flown keyboard...and almost always hit centerline...Experience I suppose

DONTREADMYUSERNAME wrote on Oct 27^th, 2007 at 5:18pm:


The autopilot is of use after I get a positive rate of climb, I disengage it when in the ILS feather (if the RWY in use has an ILS).