opportunity to determine height and speed over the runway  before any landings are performed. These should generally  be performed in mild conditions. Higher energy and greater  heights above the runway are required in windier and bumpier  conditions. During the roundout, the airspeed is decreased to touchdown  speed while the lift is controlled so the aircraft settles gently  onto the landing surface. The roundout should be executed  at a rate at which the proper landing attitude and the proper  touchdown airspeed are attained simultaneously just as the  wheels contact the landing surface. The rate at which the roundout is executed depends on the  aircraft’s height above the ground, the rate of descent, and  the airspeed. A roundout started excessively high must be  executed more slowly than one from a lower height to allow  the aircraft to descend to the ground while the proper landing  attitude is being established. The rate of rounding out must  also be proportionate to the rate of closure with the ground.  When the aircraft appears to be descending very slowly, the  increase in pitch attitude (slowing of the WSC) must be made  at a correspondingly low rate. The roundout is a slow, smooth transition from a normal  approach speed to a landing attitude, gradually rounding out  the fl ightpath to one that is parallel with, and within a very  few inches above, the runway. When the aircraft, in a normal  descent, approaches within what appears to be 10 to 15 feet  above the ground, the roundout or flare should be started and  be a continuous process slowing until the aircraft touches  down on the ground. It should be noted that the terms “roundout” and “fl are” are  defined and used interchangeably throughout the aviation  industry for slowing the aircraft during final approach and  touching down. The term “roundout” is used in this handbook  since it provides a better description for the WSC landing  process and WSC students are more successful learning  landings using the term roundout instead of fl are.  Visual cues are important in roundout at the proper altitude and  maintaining the wheels a few inches above the runway until  eventual touchdown. Roundout cues are dependent primarily  on the angle at which the pilot’s central vision intersects the  ground (or runway) ahead and slightly to the side. Proper  depth perception is a factor in a successful roundout, but the  visual cues used most are those related to changes in runway or  terrain perspective and to changes in the size of familiar objects  near the landing area such as fences, bushes, trees, hangars,  and even sod or runway texture. The pilot should direct central  vision at a shallow downward angle of 10° to 15° toward the  runway as the roundout is initiated.  [Figure 11-10] As the aircraft reaches a height where the back wheels are one  to two inches above the ground, the roundout is continued  by gradually pushing the control bar forward as required to  maintain one to two inches above the runway as the WSC  aircraft slows.  [Figure 11-9]  This causes the aircraft’s  nosewheel to gradually rise to the desired landing attitude.  The AOA should be increased at a rate that allows the aircraft  to continue flying just above the runway as forward speed  decreases until the control bar is full forward and the back  wheels settle onto the runway. Maintaining the same viewing angle causes the point of  visual interception with the runway to move progressively  rearward toward the pilot as the aircraft loses altitude. This is  an important visual cue in assessing the rate of altitude loss.   Roundout ( Flare) Figure 11-9. Changing angle of attack during roundout by slowly and continuously pushing forward on the control bar until  touchdown. 11-6 34 Touchdown Approach Speed Start moving control bar forward to  decrease speed Start to Increase Angle of Attack Continue to move  control bar forward  to decrease speed Continue to Increase Angle of Attack Continue to move  control bar forward  to decrease speed Continue to Increase Angle of Attack Continue to move  control bar forward  to decrease speed until touchdown Continue to Increase Angle of Attack Start roundout about 15 feet above ground 1 inch