Which is more challenging for an aircraft pilot, takeoff or landing?
My instructor had told me:“Always make sure your number of take offs is equal to your landings.”Taking off the runway is fairly simple. You learn it by your second or third training flight.You open the throttle post clearance from ATC and wait for the Aircraft to reach take off speed, and pull the stick back until you reach the correct angle on your Artificial horizon or if you are visually flying, the demarcated position on your windshield with respect to Horizon.Unless you are on an aircraft carrier flying a supersonic jet, or your engines fail during take off, the procedure is quite straightforward.The Landing is where the skills of a pilot are tested.Most commercial planes have Instrument Landing Systems and other equipments to guide them.But even then, flaring out at the correct height over the runway and decelerating properly, and knowing if to open throttle and come around for another approach takes a lot of skill and experience.Most of the trainee pilots are re-streamed or grounded for poor landings.Tell me which one is more scary?The one on approach or the one on the runway?Unless, you are doing something like this.Even if you have a look at statistics, the landing phase is where predominantly mishaps occur.Remember, there can be more damage to an aircraft due to a hard landing, or improper landing technique. The tires can burst, the air-frame may take more stress and wear out sooner, or even the undercarriage can break under the pressure of an improper landing.Cheers!