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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 · 15 stages, 13 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.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 551 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 551 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 23 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a taxiing period from the parking area to the runway, which took approximately 1 minute and covered less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, an XCub, then departed from runway 29 at KLLR Little River Airport. The takeoff distance was 151 meters, which accounted for 10% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 78 knots.
The local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 17 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 3 knots from a direction of 345 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 2 knots and a headwind of 2 knots. The aircraft then entered a level cruise, starting overhead KLLR Little River Airport, and lasted for 7 minutes, covering a distance of 13 nautical miles.
The enroute climb began 8 miles north of Point Arena and involved an ascent from 1,443 feet above sea level to 2,513 feet above sea level, an increase of 1,070 feet, in 2 minutes and covering 3 nautical miles. Following this, the aircraft entered another level cruise, starting 6 miles north of Point Arena, and lasted for 6 minutes, covering a distance of 12 nautical miles.
The enroute descent started 1 mile north of E55 Ocean Ridge Airport and involved a descent from 2,245 feet above sea level to 1,104 feet above sea level, a decrease of 1,141 feet, in 2 minutes and covering 2 nautical miles. The final approach to runway 31 at E55 Ocean Ridge Airport was made from the southeast, heading 322.0 degrees at an altitude of 160 feet above ground level.
The landing on runway 31 was successful, with a touchdown distance of 21 meters. However, the threshold speed was too high at 69 knots, and the touchdown speed was too fast at 68 knots. The touchdown rate was fair at -222 feet per minute. The runway touchdown alignment was perfect, and the runway rollout alignment was also perfect.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were the same as at the time of departure, with a temperature of 17 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 3 knots from a direction of 345 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 1 knot and a headwind of 2 knots. The total landing distance was 197 meters, which accounted for 36% of the runway. The total flight distance was 32 nautical miles, and the flight lasted for 19 minutes. The aircraft used 7 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The XCub aircraft successfully landed on runway 31 at E55 Ocean Ridge Airport, achieving a score of 92.4%. The final approach was initiated from the south east, heading 322.0° at 0 nm and 160 ft above ground level (agl). The aircraft demonstrated good control and precision during the approach, with a perfect runway touchdown alignment.
However, there were some areas for improvement. The threshold speed was too high at 69 kt, indicating that the pilot may have been a bit aggressive during the approach. Additionally, the touchdown speed of 68 kt was also too fast, which could have put additional stress on the aircraft's landing gear. The touchdown rate of -222 fpm was fair, but not ideal.
Despite these minor issues, the XCub performed well in terms of touchdown distance, which was good at 21 m. The total landing distance of 197 m was also within acceptable limits, accounting for only 36% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was perfect, indicating that the pilot maintained good control and stability during the rollout phase.
The local weather conditions were favorable, with a temperature of 17 °C and a gentle wind of 3 kt at 345°. The crosswind component was minimal at 1 kt, while the headwind component was 2 kt. Overall, the XCub aircraft demonstrated good handling and control during the landing, with only minor areas for improvement.
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