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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 · 15 stages, 14 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.
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 1,524 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 372 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 15 at Ilopango International Airport, where the aircraft, a PA28 Warrior II, took off with a takeoff distance of 497 meters, which is 22% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 76 knots. At the time of departure, the local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 2 knots from 270 degrees, resulting in a crosswind of 2 knots and a tailwind of 1 knot.
As the aircraft climbed away from the airport, it began its enroute climb 1 mile south of Ilopango, rising from an altitude of 2,631 feet above sea level to 4,734 feet above sea level, an increase of 2,103 feet in just 3 minutes, covering a distance of 5 nautical miles. Following this climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise, lasting 3 minutes and covering 5 nautical miles, 5 miles south east of Ilopango.
The enroute descent started 1 mile south of Cojutepeque, where the aircraft descended from 5,023 feet above sea level to 4,280 feet above sea level, a decrease of 744 feet in 2 minutes, covering a distance of 2 nautical miles. Another level cruise followed, lasting 2 minutes and covering 2 nautical miles, 1 mile east of Cojutepeque. The descent continued 3 miles south west of San Sebastian, where the aircraft descended from 3,841 feet above sea level to 3,087 feet above sea level, a decrease of 754 feet in 2 minutes, covering a distance of 2 nautical miles.
The final approach to landing began 2 miles west of San Vicente, where the aircraft descended from 781 feet above ground level to 1 nautical mile, before making a final descent from 47 feet above ground level to 0 feet above ground level in just 11 seconds. The touchdown speed was 55 knots, which was considered good, while the touchdown rate was very heavy at -928 feet per minute. The touchdown distance was also good at 369 meters.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 2 knots from 271 degrees, resulting in a crosswind of 1 knot and a tailwind of 2 knots. The total flight distance was 20 nautical miles, taking 14 minutes to complete, and the aircraft used -59 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The PA28 Warrior II aircraft successfully landed at a location 2 miles west of San Vicente, Departamento de San Vicente, El Salvador. The final approach was conducted from an altitude of 781 feet above ground level (agl) to 1 nautical mile (nm) from the landing site, at which point the aircraft began its descent.
As the aircraft approached the touchdown point, it descended from an altitude of 47 feet agl to 0 feet agl in a remarkably short period of 11 seconds. This rapid descent indicates that the pilot was able to effectively manage the aircraft's rate of descent, ensuring a safe and controlled landing.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's speed was recorded at 55 knots, which is considered good for a PA28 Warrior II. However, the touchdown rate was significantly heavy, measuring -928 feet per minute (fpm). This high rate of descent suggests that the pilot may have been able to reduce the touchdown rate further, potentially resulting in a smoother landing.
Despite the heavy touchdown rate, the aircraft's touchdown distance was recorded at 369 meters, which is considered good. This indicates that the pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft and avoid any significant deviations from the intended landing path.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were characterized by a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 2 knots from a direction of 271 degrees. The crosswind component was minimal, at 1 knot, while the tailwind component was 2 knots. These conditions were relatively calm and did not pose a significant challenge to the pilot's ability to land the aircraft safely.
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