Tips for Improving Landings in first Solo?

I'm struggling to land smoothly in the first solo mission in career mode (or anywhere, honestly). I've retried it a dozen times, but I just can't seem to get it right.

I'm trying to understand the best approach, but I'm not sure about the optimal engine RPM, vertical speed, altitude, or airspeed. The mission mentions maintaining a specific speed, but I’m confused about whether I should adjust that by changing vertical speed or engine RPM.

To make it harder, the mission disables the landing path indicator, so I can’t tell what angle I’m coming in at. I’m also finding it really difficult to align the plane with the runway in the first place.

Does anyone have any tips for a true beginner? Is there a training mode or something similar that can help me practice landings? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!