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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 · 14 stages, 13 scored
Events
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Events
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 300 ft above the runway. The 1,000 ft gate was not assessed, because the approach did not join final that far out.
At the 300 ft gate: sink rate above what the glideslope needed, off the runway's 3° glideslope and off the centreline.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 827 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 827 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 476 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 22 at KCDW Essex County Airport. The aircraft, a Cessna C172, accelerated down the runway and lifted off at a speed of 86 kt, covering 37% of the 462 m runway. The local weather conditions at the time of takeoff were characterized by a temperature of 20 °C and a gentle wind blowing at 5 kt from a direction of 334 °, resulting in a crosswind of 4 kt and a tailwind of 3 kt.
As the aircraft climbed away from the airport, it began its enroute climb, which started overhead KCDW Essex County Airport in Caldwell, New Jersey. The aircraft climbed from an initial altitude of 410 ft above sea level to a final altitude of 1,204 ft, an increase of 794 ft in just 1 minute, while covering a distance of 1 nm. Following the enroute climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which lasted for 2 minutes and covered a distance of 2 nm, as it flew overhead Fairfield, New Jersey.
The final approach to runway 28 at KCDW Essex County Airport was initiated from the east, with the aircraft heading in a direction of 269.0 ° at an altitude of 171 ft above ground level. The landing on runway 28 was the first of three attempts, and it was characterized by a threshold height that was good, but a threshold speed that was excessively high at 83 kt.
The second landing attempt on runway 28 was notable for a threshold height that was well above the target, and a threshold speed that was well below the target at 44 kt. This required the pilot to exercise caution to avoid stalling the aircraft.
The third and final landing attempt on runway 28 was successful, with a good threshold height and a threshold speed that was well above the target at 69 kt. The touchdown point was located very far down the runway, using more than 50% of the available runway. The touchdown speed was good at 57 kt, but the touchdown rate was fair at -286 fpm. The runway touchdown alignment was perfect, and the local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 19 °C and a wind blowing at 7 kt from a direction of 345 °, resulting in a crosswind of 7 kt and a headwind of 1 kt.
The total landing distance was 699 m, which accounted for 85% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was very good, indicating a smooth and controlled descent. The total flight distance was 6 nm, and the flight duration was 14 minutes. The aircraft used a total of 6 kg of fuel during the flight.
The Cessna C172 aircraft successfully landed on runway 28 at KCDW Essex County Airport, but the pilot's performance was not without its flaws. The final approach was initiated from the east, heading 269.0° at 0 nm and 171 ft above ground level (agl). The pilot's ability to maintain a good threshold height was inconsistent, with the first landing having a threshold height that was well above the target, while the second and third landings had good threshold heights.
However, the pilot's control over the aircraft's speed during the landing was a major concern. The threshold speed was excessively high at 83 kt during the first landing, which could have resulted in a hard landing. Conversely, the threshold speed was well below target at 44 kt during the second landing, posing a risk of stalling the aircraft. The third landing had a threshold speed that was well above target at 69 kt, which is still not ideal.
The touchdown point was very long, using more than 50% of the available runway, which indicates that the pilot may have been able to flare the aircraft more effectively to achieve a shorter touchdown distance. The touchdown speed of 57 kt was good, but the touchdown rate of -286 fpm was only fair. The runway touchdown alignment was perfect, which suggests that the pilot was able to maintain a steady course during the landing.
The local weather conditions were relatively calm, with a temperature of 19 °C and a wind speed of 7 kt at 345°. The crosswind was 7 kt, while the headwind was 1 kt. The total landing distance was 699 m, which is 85% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was very good, indicating that the pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft during the rollout phase.
Overall, while the pilot was able to successfully land the aircraft, there were several areas for improvement, including maintaining a consistent threshold height and speed, and achieving a shorter touchdown distance.
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