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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Shorten the long landing
Ground effect becomes significant below about one wingspan of height. A Cessna 172, with a 36 ft span, enters ground effect at flare height - the float it feels in the hold-off is ground effect arriving on cue. An A320, with a span around 117 ft, has been in ground effect since before the threshold and there is no sudden cushion to feel, only a gradual reduction in induced drag that lengthens any float you allow.
Read more in Flare TimingStart 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: 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.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 1,719 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 272 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
Departing from Lungi International Airport, located in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone, the Airbus A320 began its journey by taxiing from the parking area to the runway, a process that took approximately 6 minutes and covered a distance of 2 nautical miles. As the aircraft reached the runway threshold, it initiated its departure roll on runway 30, accelerating to a liftoff speed of 164 knots. The takeoff distance of 1,611 meters, which accounted for 50% of the runway length, was achieved in a relatively short period.
Following a smooth takeoff, the aircraft began its enroute climb, which started 2 miles west of the departure airport. The climb phase saw the aircraft ascend from an initial altitude of 975 feet above sea level to a cruising altitude of 25,010 feet, an increase of 24,035 feet in just 11 minutes. This climb phase covered a distance of 69 nautical miles. The enroute level cruise phase that followed lasted for 9 minutes and covered a distance of 66 nautical miles, as the aircraft flew northwest of Sherbro International Airport. The descent phase, which began 23 miles south of Pujehun, saw the aircraft descend from 24,892 feet to 862 feet above sea level, a decrease of 24,029 feet in 16 minutes, covering a distance of 82 nautical miles.
As the aircraft approached its destination, Spriggs Payne Airport, it initiated its final approach to runway 05 from the southwest, aligning itself with the runway at an altitude of 831 feet above ground level. The landing was executed with a threshold speed of 140 knots, and the touchdown distance of 271 meters was within acceptable limits. However, the touchdown speed of 137 knots was slightly higher than desired, resulting in a hard touchdown rate of -448 feet per minute. The aircraft landed 5 meters off the centerline, but the runway rollout alignment was very good. Following a quick taxiing period of less than 1 minute, the aircraft came to a stop, having covered a total distance of 226 nautical miles and consuming 1,969 kilograms of fuel in the process.
The final approach to runway 05 at GLMR Spriggs Payne Airport from the south west was executed with precision, with the aircraft maintaining a heading of 39.0° at 4 nm and 831 ft above ground level. The approach quality was excellent, with a good threshold height and a threshold speed of 140 kt, well within the acceptable range. As the aircraft descended onto the runway, it touched down at a speed of 137 kt, which was a little fast, but still within the limits. The touchdown distance of 271 m was good, indicating a well-executed flare.
However, the touchdown rate was hard at -448 fpm, which may have been due to the slightly fast touchdown speed. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 5.0 m from the centreline, which may have been a result of the crosswind or tailwind conditions. The local weather conditions were favourable, with a temperature of 23 °C and a wind of 2 kt at 229°, resulting in a negligible crosswind and a slight tailwind of 1 kt. Despite the slight misalignment, the total landing distance of 1,081 m was 63% of the runway length, indicating a good overall performance.
The rollout phase was executed smoothly, with the aircraft maintaining a very good alignment with the centreline. The overall score of 95.8% reflects a high level of proficiency in executing a safe and efficient landing. While there were some minor deviations from the ideal, the pilot's skills and experience were evident in the execution of the approach, touchdown, and rollout phases.
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