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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Improve the touchdown
Next time
Keep the back pressure coming through the flare so the sink does not return at 233 fpm.
What happened: The flare arrested the sink, but then the sink returned before touchdown.
Watch for: Watch the VSI in the flare and keep arrested sink from returning before touchdown at 223 fpm.
Departure
Rotate the moment the speed tape reaches 70 kt, not after it.
What happened: Rotation was held until 80 kt, 10 kt past the 70 kt rotation target. Carrying that much extra speed into rotation usually adds unwanted energy right at liftoff.
There are several things that can go wrong during the flare, carrying too much speed over the threshold, starting the flare at the wrong height and inconsistent flight control inputs, all contribute to a poor flare resulting in a hard touchdown or a float down the runway.
Read more in Flare TimingStart to finish · 13 stages, 12 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.
Two stabilised approach gates, each with seven checks, where the approach path is 1,000 ft and 500 ft above the runway. They are the approach's score: the checks passed out of the checks that ran.
At the 1,000 ft gate: centreline 1.3° off, against a 1° limit.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 2,203 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 482 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The DA42-TDI taxied to runway 30 at EGFF Cardiff International Airport and commenced its departure roll, accelerating over a measured takeoff distance of 526 m which represented 24 % of the runway. Liftoff was achieved at 80 kt. Ambient conditions were 15 °C with a wind of 10 kt from 240°, giving a cross-wind component of 8 kt and a head-wind component of 5 kt.
During the climb the aircraft passed overhead Rhoose, rising from 801 ft asl to 3 502 ft asl - a gain of 2 701 ft - in 3 minutes while covering 6 nm.
The first cruise segment began over Wenvoe and was maintained for 11 minutes, during which 24 nm were flown at level altitude.
Descent commenced 1 mile south-east of Rhoose, with the aircraft descending from 3 196 ft asl to 1 917 ft asl - a loss of 1 279 ft - in 2 minutes and covering 4 nm.
A second level cruise started 4 miles south of Barry, lasting 4 minutes and encompassing 9 nm of flight.
The final approach to runway 30 was executed from the south-east on a heading of 294.0°, intercepting the glide path at 4 nm and 1 188 ft agl.
A go-around was initiated on runway 30 at EGFF when the aircraft reached 249 ft agl, after which the missed approach procedure was flown before a subsequent approach.
Landing on runway 30 occurred with a runway length of 2 203 m and a good threshold height. Touchdown speed was recorded at 60 kt, touchdown distance at 481 m, and the vertical speed at touchdown was minus 104 fpm. The touchdown point was offset by 7.4 m from the centreline.
Rollout proceeded smoothly; the threshold speed was noted as 75 kt and the aircraft remained aligned for the remainder of the landing roll.
In total the flight covered 69 nm, required 36 minutes of elapsed time, and consumed 16 kg of fuel.
The final approach to runway 30 at EGFF Cardiff International Airport was flown from the south-east on a heading of 294.0° at 4 nm and 1,188 ft agl. At the 1,000 ft gate the approach was assessed as stabilised, with gear, flaps, sink rate, glideslope and centreline all within limits, and the aircraft was aligned with the runway centreline in the prevailing wind of 17 kt from 237° (crosswind component 14 kt, headwind component 9 kt).
Threshold height was reported as good and the threshold speed was good at 75 kt. Touchdown distance was good at 481 m, touchdown speed was good at 60 kt and the touchdown rate was smooth at minus 104 fpm.
The aircraft landed on runway 30, whose length is 2,203 m, with the touchdown point slightly misaligned by 7.4 m from the centreline.
Maintain the current high standards while refining centreline tracking to reduce the 7.4 m offset at touchdown; a tighter alignment will further improve the already strong score of 95.2 %.
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