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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Arrival
Apply steady, continuous back pressure through the flare to arrest the sink smoothly and hold the normal profile, rather than letting it drift.
What happened: The flare did not hold its target profile, with the sink most arrested at 0.5 ft, and this flight then touched down at 115 fpm of sink - a firm arrival. An unsettled flare profile like this usually carries through to a firmer touchdown.
Watch for: Vertical speed indicator: a smooth, steadily decreasing sink rate through the flare to touchdown.
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 · 20 stages, 18 scored
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The threshold, the flare and the hold-off. The approach that led to it is the stabilisation gates below.
Two stabilised approach gates, each with seven checks, where the approach path is 1,000 ft and 500 ft above the runway.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 5,498 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 5,498 ft of the 9,974 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 1,762 ft past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the aircraft, an Airbus A319, taxiing from the parking area to the runway at Chicago Midway International Airport, taking approximately 4 minutes to cover less than 1 nautical mile. The departure roll took place on runway 31C, with the aircraft lifting off at a speed of 141 knots after covering 3,935 feet, which was 73% of the runway length.
As the aircraft took to the skies, it encountered local weather conditions of 85°F temperature and a 7-knot headwind at 309°. The enroute climb started 1 mile east of Summit, Illinois, and lasted for 20 minutes, during which the aircraft ascended from 1,672 feet above sea level to 38,000 feet, an increase of 36,328 feet. This climb covered a distance of 115 nautical miles.
Following the initial climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which started 1 mile west of the Beaver Dam Lake Seaplane Base in Wisconsin. This phase lasted for 16 minutes and covered 102 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its descent from 37,464 feet above sea level to 8,029 feet, a decrease of 29,434 feet, in 17 minutes, covering 88 nautical miles.
The aircraft entered another level cruise phase, this time overhead Saint Paul Park, Minnesota, lasting for 3 minutes and covering 14 nautical miles. The descent from 8,010 feet above sea level to 2,173 feet began 1 mile south of Bloomington, Minnesota, and lasted for 8 minutes, covering 7 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 12R at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport was made from the northwest, with the aircraft heading at 121.0° at 4 nautical miles and 1,328 feet above ground level. The landing took place on a runway length of 9,974 feet, with a threshold speed of 130 knots and a touchdown speed of 123 knots.
The touchdown point was 433 feet beyond the touchdown zone, with a touchdown rate of -270 feet per minute, which was considered fair. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 13 feet from the centerline. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were 88°F temperature and a 4-knot headwind at 189°.
The total landing distance was 5,269 feet, which was 53% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was very good. The aircraft then taxied to the parking area, taking approximately 2 minutes to cover less than 1 nautical mile.
In total, the flight covered a distance of 334 nautical miles, lasting 74 minutes and consuming 6,518 pounds of fuel.
The Airbus A319 successfully landed at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (KMSP) on runway 12R, achieving a high score of 98.2%. The aircraft approached the runway from the northwest, heading 121.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,328 feet above ground level (agl).
The final approach was executed smoothly, with a good threshold height and a threshold speed of 130 knots. The touchdown point was 433 feet beyond the touchdown zone, which is slightly off-center but not significantly impacting the overall performance. The touchdown speed of 123 knots was also within the acceptable range, indicating a controlled descent.
However, the touchdown rate of -270 feet per minute (fpm) was only fair, suggesting that the aircraft could have maintained a more stable rate of descent. Additionally, the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 13 feet from the centerline, which may require some adjustments in the approach procedure.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 88°F and a gentle wind of 4 knots at 189°. The crosswind component was minimal at 3 knots, while the headwind component was 1 knot. These conditions contributed to a relatively smooth landing.
The total landing distance of 5,269 feet was 53% of the runway length, which is within the acceptable range. The runway rollout alignment was very good, indicating that the aircraft maintained a stable and controlled path after touchdown.
Overall, the landing was successful, with the aircraft achieving a high score despite some minor deviations from the ideal performance. The pilots demonstrated good control and management of the aircraft, and the weather conditions were conducive to a smooth landing.
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