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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 · 14 stages, 12 scored
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One stabilised approach gate for a circuit: six checks at the point nearest 500 ft above the runway after the base turn. The 1,000 ft gate is an instrument-approach check and does not apply.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 596 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 596 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 61 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight, operated by Savage Norden Aerial Advertising, began with a departure roll from runway 21 at Thomas Creek Airport. The aircraft took off with a takeoff distance of 46 meters, which accounted for 8% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was 33 knots, and the local weather conditions at the time were characterized by a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 2 knots from a direction of 268 degrees.
As the aircraft entered the right-hand pattern, it did so from runway 21 at Thomas Creek Airport, completing the maneuver in less than 1 nautical mile in 33 seconds. The pattern consisted of a series of turns and legs, including a downwind turn, downwind leg, base leg turn, base leg, and final turn. The downwind turn covered a distance of 1 nautical mile, with an angle to the runway of 82.6 degrees. The downwind leg was completed in less than 1 nautical mile in 11 seconds, while the base leg turn covered a distance of 1 nautical mile with an angle to the runway of 82.5 degrees. The base leg itself was completed in less than 1 nautical mile in 3 seconds.
The final turn, which brought the aircraft onto the final approach, covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile in 87 seconds. The aircraft then began its final approach to runway 21 at Thomas Creek Airport, flying from the north-east at a heading of 242.0 degrees and an altitude of 376 feet above ground level.
The landing itself was executed on runway 21, which had a length of 596 meters. The threshold height was good, and the threshold speed was slightly below the target speed of 30 knots. The touchdown distance was 56 meters, which was considered good, and the touchdown speed was also 30 knots, which was within the acceptable range. However, the touchdown rate was hard, at -418 feet per minute. Additionally, the runway touchdown position was misaligned by 13.3 meters from the centerline.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were similar to those at takeoff, with a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 2 knots from a direction of 270 degrees. The crosswind component was 1 knot, and the headwind component was also 1 knot.
In total, the flight covered a distance of 3 nautical miles and took 5 minutes to complete. The aircraft used 3 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The aircraft, Savage Norden, successfully landed at 2U8 Thomas Creek Airport, navigating a final approach from the north-east direction, heading 242.0° at an altitude of 376 feet above ground level (agl) and 0 nautical miles from the runway. The aircraft's landing on runway 21 was executed with a good threshold height, indicating a well-controlled descent.
However, the threshold speed was slightly below the target speed, registering at 30 knots. Despite this, the touchdown distance was satisfactory at 56 meters, and the touchdown speed of 30 knots was also within acceptable limits. Unfortunately, the touchdown rate was somewhat hard, with a descent rate of -418 feet per minute (fpm), which may indicate a slightly aggressive approach.
One notable issue with the landing was the runway touchdown position, which was misaligned by 13.3 meters from the centerline. This may have been due to factors such as crosswind or pilot error, and it is essential to address this to ensure a more precise landing in the future.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were relatively calm, with a temperature of 15°C, a wind speed of 2 knots at 270°, and a crosswind of 1 knot and a headwind of 1 knot. These conditions were generally favorable for landing, but the pilot still needs to exercise caution and adjust their approach accordingly.
Overall, the landing was satisfactory, but there are areas for improvement, particularly in terms of touchdown rate and runway alignment. With some adjustments to the approach and landing technique, the pilot can aim to achieve a higher score and a more precise landing in the future.
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