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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Keep the approach speed on target
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 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 2,295 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 303 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the aircraft, a Cessna 408 SkyCourier Cargo, taxiing from the parking area to the runway at Princess Juliana International Airport, located on the island of Saint Martin. This process took approximately 5 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft then departed from runway 28, with a takeoff distance of 633 meters, which accounted for 28% of the runway's length.
During takeoff, the aircraft lifted off at a speed of 0 knots, and the local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of 16°C and a wind speed of 1 knot from a direction of 270°. The crosswind component was negligible, while the headwind component was 1 knot. After takeoff, the aircraft began its enroute climb, which started 1 mile west of the airport. The climb from 1,039 feet above sea level to 1,183 feet above sea level, an increase of 144 feet, took less than 1 minute and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile.
As the aircraft continued its journey, it began its enroute descent, which also started 1 mile west of the airport. The descent from 1,231 feet above sea level to 82 feet above sea level, a decrease of 1,149 feet, took 2 minutes and covered a distance of 1 nautical mile. The final approach to runway 10 at Princess Juliana International Airport was made from the west, with the aircraft heading 84.0° at an altitude of 71 feet above ground level and a distance of 0 nautical miles from the runway.
The landing on runway 10 was successful, with a touchdown distance of 303 meters, which was well within the runway's length of 2,295 meters. The touchdown speed was 0 knots, and the touchdown rate was smooth at -150 feet per minute. However, the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned from the centerline by 6.1 meters. The local weather conditions during landing were characterized by a temperature of 15°C and a wind speed of 1 knot from a direction of 270°, with a negligible crosswind component and a tailwind component of 1 knot.
After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area, a process that took approximately 3 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 3 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 7 minutes. The aircraft used 46 kilograms of fuel during the flight. Overall, the flight was successful, with a good landing distance and a smooth touchdown rate.
The aircraft, a Cessna 408 SkyCourier Cargo, successfully landed at TNCM Princess Juliana International Airport on runway 10. The final approach was initiated from the west, heading 84.0° at an altitude of 71 feet above ground level (agl) and 0 nautical miles from the runway. The aircraft maintained a good threshold height, which is a critical aspect of a safe landing.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's speed was well below the target threshold speed, indicating a controlled descent and minimizing the risk of stalling. The touchdown distance of 303 meters was also within acceptable limits, demonstrating the pilot's skill in navigating the aircraft to a smooth landing. The touchdown speed was also good, and the rate of descent was smooth at -150 feet per minute (fpm), further indicating a well-executed landing.
However, there was a slight deviation in the runway touchdown position, with the aircraft landing 6.1 meters off-centerline. This may be attributed to factors such as wind or pilot error, but it did not appear to significantly impact the overall landing performance. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 15°C and a gentle wind of 1 knot from 270°.
The total landing distance of 560 meters was within 24% of the runway length, which is a relatively short distance considering the aircraft's size and weight. The runway rollout alignment was also very good, indicating that the pilot maintained control of the aircraft during the post-landing phase. Overall, the landing was considered successful, with the aircraft touching down smoothly and the pilot demonstrating good control and navigation skills.
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