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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Shorten the long landing
Every knot above Vref is stored kinetic energy, and energy stored at the threshold must be dissipated in ground effect before the aeroplane will stop flying. Because kinetic energy scales with the square of speed, the excess you must dissipate grows fast. At a 45-knot approach, five knots hot is over a tenth more speed and roughly a quarter more energy to get rid of in ground effect. This is why the fix is never in the flare. It was decided three miles earlier, on final, at the airspeed indicator.
Read more in VRef ExplainedStart to finish · 14 stages, 12 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 5,124 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 73 ft touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 21 at KSEZ Sedona Airport, a small airport located in Sedona, Arizona, United States. The Cessna 152 aircraft accelerated down the runway, covering a distance of 1,476 feet, which was 29% of the total runway length. The liftoff speed was achieved at 59 knots, marking the beginning of the takeoff phase.
As the aircraft climbed away from the airport, it encountered local weather conditions with a temperature of 43°F and a gentle wind of 1 knot from a direction of 34°. The crosswind component was negligible, while the tailwind component was also minimal, contributing to a smooth takeoff. The enroute climb started approximately 1 mile southwest of the airport, where the aircraft ascended from an initial altitude of 5,123 feet above sea level to 5,562 feet, an increase of 439 feet in just 1 minute, covering a distance of 1 nautical mile.
Following the climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which lasted for 3 minutes and covered a distance of 3 nautical miles. This phase was initiated 2 miles southwest of the airport. The cruise altitude was maintained at a steady level, allowing the aircraft to conserve fuel and maintain a stable flight path.
As the aircraft approached the destination airport, it began its descent phase, which started overhead the airport. The descent was from an altitude of 6,051 feet above sea level to 5,221 feet, a decrease of 830 feet in 2 minutes, covering a distance of 1 nautical mile. This phase marked the beginning of the final approach to runway 21 at KSEZ Sedona Airport.
The final approach was initiated from the northeast, with the aircraft heading directly towards the runway. The approach was made at an altitude of 474 feet above ground level, with the aircraft maintaining a steady heading of 0.0°. The landing was made on runway 21, which had a length of 5,124 feet. The threshold height was good, but the threshold speed was slightly above the target speed of 64 knots.
The touchdown point was located 374 feet beyond the touchdown zone, indicating that the aircraft landed slightly beyond the intended point. The touchdown speed was excessively fast at 64 knots, resulting in a heavy touchdown rate of -677 feet per minute. Additionally, the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 12 feet from the centerline. The local weather conditions remained the same, with a temperature of 42°F and a gentle wind of 1 knot from a direction of 34°.
The total landing distance was 2,160 feet, which was 42% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was perfect, indicating that the aircraft maintained a stable and controlled descent during the landing phase. The total flight distance was 7 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 7 minutes. The aircraft used a total of 4 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The Cessna 152 aircraft successfully landed at KSEZ Sedona Airport, but there were some areas for improvement. The final approach was conducted from the north east, heading directly towards the runway, and the aircraft was at an altitude of 474 feet above ground level (agl) and 1 nautical mile from the runway. The pilot maintained a good threshold height, but the threshold speed was slightly above the target speed of 64 knots.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft landed 374 feet beyond the touchdown zone, which indicates that the pilot may have been a bit too aggressive with the landing. The touchdown speed of 64 knots was also excessively fast, which contributed to the heavy touchdown rate of -677 feet per minute (fpm). A heavier touchdown rate can put additional stress on the aircraft's landing gear and may affect the overall safety of the landing.
In terms of runway alignment, the aircraft was slightly misaligned by 12 feet from the centerline, which is not ideal but did not seem to affect the rollout alignment. The local weather conditions were relatively calm, with a temperature of 42°F and a wind speed of 1 knot from 34 degrees. This minimal wind made the landing conditions relatively easy.
The total landing distance of 2,160 feet was 42% of the runway length, which is a reasonable distance considering the aircraft's weight and the landing conditions. However, the pilot could have done a better job of controlling the aircraft's speed and descent rate to achieve a smoother and more controlled landing. Overall, the landing was successful, but there is room for improvement in terms of speed control and touchdown rate.
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