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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Know your rotation speed
A typical trainer rotates in the mid-50s of knots - a 172 at around 55 KIAS, climbing out at a Vy in the low 70s, though check your own POH rather than memorising Cessna's numbers - and the transferable rule is that Vr sits just above the stall speed in takeoff configuration. Rotate early because "it felt ready" and the aircraft lifts off inside ground effect, where induced drag is reduced, then climbs out of it into more drag. On a marginal-performance day the result is an aircraft that lifts off and then refuses to climb, sagging back towards the runway.
Read more in Improve Your Take-OffsStart to finish · 18 stages, 16 scored
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The threshold, the flare and the hold-off. The approach that led to it is the stabilisation gates below.
One stabilised approach gate: five checks where the approach path is 500 ft above the runway. The 1,000 ft gate was not assessed, because the approach did not join final that far out.
Side view — the last 5,000 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 5,000 ft of the 9,969 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 1,502 ft touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the aircraft, a Cessna CJ4 Citation, taxiing from the parking area to the runway at KARR Aurora Municipal Airport. This process took approximately 1 minute and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft then departed from runway 27, with a takeoff distance of 1,544 feet, which accounted for 24% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 155 knots.
As the aircraft took off, it encountered local weather conditions of 40°F temperature and a wind speed of 20 knots at 260°. The crosswind was 3 knots, while the headwind was 20 knots. After departing from KARR, the aircraft began its enroute climb, which started overhead the airport. The climb took the aircraft from an altitude of 1,723 feet above sea level to 33,310 feet, an increase of 31,587 feet, in 11 minutes and covering a distance of 50 nautical miles.
Following the enroute climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise, which started 2 miles west of Chebanse, Illinois. This phase of the flight lasted for 94 minutes and covered a distance of 609 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its enroute descent, which started 5 miles northeast of Graham, Georgia. The descent took the aircraft from an altitude of 35,152 feet to 1,212 feet, a decrease of 33,940 feet, in 22 minutes and covering a distance of 92 nautical miles.
As the aircraft approached its destination, KJAX Jacksonville International Airport, it began its final approach to runway 26 from the east, heading 250° at 4 nautical miles and 1,179 feet above ground level. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were 64°F temperature and a wind speed of 11 knots at 230°. The crosswind was 4 knots, while the headwind was 10 knots.
The aircraft landed on runway 26, which had a length of 9,969 feet. The threshold height was good, but the threshold speed was too high at 117 knots. The touchdown distance was good at 1,501 feet, and the touchdown speed was 102 knots, which was fast. The touchdown rate was fair at -214 feet per minute. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 12 feet from the centerline. The total landing distance was 2,434 feet, which accounted for 24% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was very good.
After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area, which took approximately 1 minute and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 757 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 133 minutes. Notably, the aircraft used 0 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The Cessna CJ4 Citation successfully landed at KJAX Jacksonville International Airport, achieving a score of 96.9%. The aircraft approached the runway from the east, heading 250.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,179 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot executed a smooth final approach, ultimately landing on runway 26, which has a length of 9,969 feet.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's threshold height was deemed good, indicating that the pilot maintained a suitable altitude before touching down. However, the threshold speed was slightly too high at 117 knots, suggesting that the pilot may have been able to slow down more efficiently before landing. The touchdown distance of 1,501 feet was considered good, indicating that the pilot had sufficient control over the aircraft's descent.
Despite a good touchdown distance, the touchdown speed of 102 knots was faster than ideal, which may have resulted in a slightly higher touchdown rate of -214 feet per minute (fpm). This rate is considered fair, suggesting that the pilot may have been able to improve their touchdown speed to achieve a more optimal rate.
The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 12 feet from the centreline, which may have been due to a slight deviation in the pilot's approach or a minor issue with the aircraft's navigation system. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 64°F and a wind speed of 11 knots from 230°. The crosswind component was relatively low at 4 knots, while the headwind component was 10 knots, which may have contributed to the slightly higher touchdown speed.
The total landing distance of 2,434 feet was 24% of the runway length, which is a relatively efficient use of the available runway. The runway rollout alignment was very good, indicating that the pilot maintained control over the aircraft's direction and speed during the rollout phase. Overall, the landing was considered successful, with the pilot achieving a high score despite a few minor issues with the touchdown speed and runway alignment.
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