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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Work on the flare
Arrive slow and the sink rate at the threshold is already above schedule, the flare is short because there is no energy to extend it, and the touchdown is hard in a way that feels exactly like a late flare. Diagnosing a slow arrival as a late flare is the catastrophic misread: you respond by flaring earlier, which bleeds more speed, which makes the next one worse. The tiebreaker is threshold speed against VRef, not feel. Never diagnose a flare without it.
Read more in Flare TimingStart to finish · 21 stages, 19 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: seven 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.
At the 500 ft gate: sink rate above what the glideslope needed, off the runway's 3° glideslope, off the centreline, wings not level and speed above the reference speed.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 2,228 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 2,228 m of the 3,046 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 999 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the Airbus A340 taxiing from the parking area to the runway at Paderborn Lippstadt Airport, taking approximately 4 minutes and covering a distance of 2 nautical miles. The aircraft then departed from runway 24, with a takeoff distance of 1,079 meters, which was 50% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was 149 knots, and the local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of 18°C and a wind speed of 1 knot at 270°.
As the aircraft climbed to a higher altitude, it began its enroute climb from 1,769 feet above sea level to 14,129 feet above sea level, an increase of 12,360 feet in just 5 minutes, covering a distance of 12 nautical miles. The climb started overhead the EDLP Paderborn Lippstadt Airport Büren in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. The aircraft then entered a level cruise phase, lasting 51 minutes, during which it covered a distance of 28 nautical miles, 2 miles south-west of Anroechte in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
The enroute descent phase began 1 mile south-east of EDGN Nordenbeck Airport Nordenbeck in Hessen, Germany, where the aircraft descended from 13,692 feet above sea level to 12,697 feet above sea level, a decrease of 995 feet in 2 minutes, covering a distance of 8 nautical miles. The aircraft then underwent several climb and descent phases, including a climb from 12,749 feet above sea level to 14,622 feet above sea level, an increase of 1,873 feet in 3 minutes, covering a distance of 18 nautical miles, and a descent from 14,606 feet above sea level to 13,348 feet above sea level, a decrease of 1,258 feet in 2 minutes, covering a distance of 9 nautical miles.
The final enroute climb phase began 1 mile north-east of Bischoffen in Hessen, Germany, where the aircraft climbed from 13,376 feet above sea level to 13,989 feet above sea level, an increase of 613 feet in 2 minutes, covering a distance of 9 nautical miles. The aircraft then entered a level cruise phase, lasting 9 minutes, during which it covered a distance of 52 nautical miles, 1 mile west of Ehringshausen in Hessen, Germany.
The final approach to runway 23 at ETAD Spangdahlem Air Base began from the north-east, heading 228.0° at 1 nautical mile and 1,008 feet above ground level. The landing on runway 23 was characterized by a touchdown point 610 meters beyond the touchdown zone, a touchdown speed of 201 knots, which was fast, and a touchdown rate of -415 feet per minute, which was hard. The runway touchdown position was misaligned by 8.1 meters from the centreline, and the runway rollout alignment was slightly misaligned by 8.3 meters from the centreline.
The total landing distance was 2,175 meters, which was 71% of the runway length. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 15°C and a wind speed of 1 knot at 270°. The aircraft then taxied to the parking area, taking approximately 1 minute and covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 162 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 42 minutes, during which the aircraft used 6,624 kilograms of fuel.
The Airbus A340 aircraft has successfully landed at ETAD Spangdahlem Air Base, but the landing was not without its issues. The final approach to runway 23 was initiated from the north east, heading 228.0° at 1 nm and 1,008 ft above ground level (agl). The aircraft touched down on the runway, but the touchdown point was 610 meters beyond the designated touchdown zone, indicating a slight deviation from the intended landing spot.
The touchdown speed of 201 kt was higher than the target speed, resulting in a hard touchdown rate of -415 ft per minute (fpm). This excessive speed may have contributed to the hard touchdown, which can be detrimental to the aircraft's landing gear and overall structural integrity. Furthermore, the threshold height at 64 ft agl was above the target, suggesting that the aircraft may have been slightly high on its approach.
The runway touchdown position was also misaligned by 8.1 meters from the centerline, which may have been due to a combination of factors including wind, pilot error, or a navigation issue. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were relatively calm, with a temperature of 15°C and a wind speed of 1 kt at 270°. However, the crosswind and headwind components were both 1 kt, which may have contributed to the slight deviation from the centerline.
The total landing distance of 2,175 meters was 71% of the runway length, indicating that the aircraft had sufficient runway remaining to stop safely. However, the runway rollout alignment was slightly misaligned by 8.3 meters from the centerline, which may have been due to the same factors that contributed to the initial touchdown misalignment.
Overall, while the Airbus A340 aircraft successfully landed at ETAD Spangdahlem Air Base, the landing was not without its issues. The excessive touchdown speed, hard touchdown rate, and misaligned touchdown and rollout positions all suggest that the pilots may have needed to adjust their approach and landing technique to achieve a more precise and controlled landing.
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