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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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Two stabilised approach gates, each with five checks, where the approach path is 1,000 ft and 500 ft above the runway.
At the 1,000 ft gate: gear still up and off the runway's 3° glideslope.
At the 500 ft gate: off the runway's 3° glideslope.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,800 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,800 m of the 3,053 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 1,011 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The Airbus A320 taxied from the parking area to runway 33L at KBOS Logan International Airport, a movement that lasted 12 minutes and covered 3 nm.
During the departure roll on runway 33L, the aircraft used a takeoff distance of 1,957 m, representing 64 % of the runway, and achieved a liftoff speed of 167 kt. Ambient conditions were a temperature of 34 °C with wind 17 kt from 310°, a crosswind component of 2 kt and a headwind component of 17 kt.
Climb commenced overhead Chelsea, Massachusetts, with the flight ascending from 1,022 ft asl to 34,112 ft asl, a gain of 33,090 ft achieved in 21 minutes while covering 138 nm.
Cruise began approximately 1 mile south east of Water Mill, New York, and persisted for 254 minutes, during which the aircraft traversed 1,926 nm at level flight.
Descent was initiated 32 miles north of Isla Grande, Provincia de Colon, Panama, with the aircraft descending from 33,906 ft asl to 1,642 ft asl, a loss of 32,264 ft over 17 minutes and a distance of 99 nm.
The final approach to runway 03R at MPTO Tocumen International Airport was conducted from the south west, on a heading of 31.0°, at 3 nm and 1,605 ft agl.
Landing on runway 03R was recorded with a runway length of 3,053 m; the threshold height at 105 ft agl was noted as excessively over target and the threshold speed was high at 162 kt. Touchdown occurred 532 m beyond the touchdown zone, at a speed of 141 kt, with a hard touchdown rate of minus 590 fpm and a lateral deviation of 3.9 m from the centreline. Local weather reported a temperature of 27 °C, wind 4 kt at 0°, a crosswind of 2 kt and a headwind of 3 kt. Total landing distance measured 1,657 m, equal to 54 % of the runway.
Runway rollout alignment was assessed as very good.
The aircraft taxied from the runway to the parking area in 4 minutes, covering less than 1 nm.
In total, the flight covered 2,172 nm, required 303 minutes of elapsed time, and consumed 12,696 kg of fuel.
The final approach to runway 03R at MPTO Tocumen International Airport was flown from the south-west on a heading of 31.0 ° at 3 nm and 1,605 ft agl. At the 1,000 ft gate the approach was assessed as unstable, with a sink rate too high and the aircraft off the glideslope. Ambient conditions were 27 °C with a wind of 4 kt from 0 °, including a 2 kt crosswind component and a 3 kt headwind.
At threshold the aircraft was 105 ft agl, a height described as excessively over target, and the threshold speed was too high at 162 kt. The flare commenced from this elevated position and speed, leading to a high-energy touchdown.
Touchdown occurred 532 m beyond the designated touchdown zone, with a speed of 141 kt that was fast for the configuration. The aircraft impacted the runway with a very hard rate of minus 590 fpm and was slightly misaligned by 3.9 m from the centreline. The total landing distance used was 1,657 m, representing 54 % of the 3,053 m runway.
Rollout alignment was very good, keeping the aircraft on the centreline through the deceleration phase.
To improve future performance, focus on achieving a stabilized approach by the 1,000 ft gate, ensuring sink rate and glideslope adherence and reducing speed to the target before flare. Managing speed and descent rate will help place the touchdown within the zone and lessen the vertical impact, supporting a smoother landing.
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