Events
Events
Events
MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Keep the approach speed on target
Every knot above Vref is stored kinetic energy, and energy stored at the threshold must be dissipated in ground effect before the aeroplane will stop flying. Because kinetic energy scales with the square of speed, the excess you must dissipate grows fast. At a 45-knot approach, five knots hot is over a tenth more speed and roughly a quarter more energy to get rid of in ground effect. This is why the fix is never in the flare. It was decided three miles earlier, on final, at the airspeed indicator.
Read more in Bush Flying 101Start to finish · 16 stages, 14 scored
Events
Events
Events
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.
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 1,814 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 763 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 23 at EGPE Inverness Airport. The aircraft, a Sting S4, required a takeoff distance of 120 meters, which is 7% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was achieved at 64 knots. At the time of departure, the local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 3 knots from a direction of 268 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 2 knots and a headwind of 3 knots.
As the aircraft entered the right-hand pattern from runway 23, it covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile in 19 seconds. The subsequent right-hand pattern crosswind leg was completed in less than 1 nautical mile in 9 seconds. The pattern downwind turn was made at an angle of 78.2 degrees to the runway, covering a distance of 1 nautical mile. The downwind leg itself took 54 seconds to complete, covering a distance of 1 nautical mile.
The pattern base leg turn was made at an angle of 56.0 degrees to the runway, covering a distance of 1 nautical mile. The base leg was completed in less than 1 nautical mile in 11 seconds. The final turn was made in less than 1 nautical mile in 23 seconds. The aircraft then began its final approach to runway 23 from the north-east, heading 231.0 degrees at an altitude of 0 nautical miles and 94 feet above ground level.
The landing on runway 23 was characterized by a touchdown point that was 350 meters beyond the touchdown zone. The touchdown speed was excessively fast at 48 knots, but the touchdown rate was perfect at -26 feet per minute. The runway touchdown alignment was also perfect. The local weather conditions remained the same, with a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 3 knots from a direction of 268 degrees.
The total landing distance was 969 meters, which is 53% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was perfect. The total flight distance was 4 nautical miles, taking 3 minutes to complete, and the aircraft used 0 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The aircraft in question, a Sting S4, successfully landed at EGPE Inverness Airport, with a final approach from the north east. The pilot's approach was executed at a heading of 231.0°, at an altitude of 94 feet above ground level (agl) and 0 nautical miles from the runway. The aircraft touched down on runway 23, which has a length of 1,814 meters.
The threshold height was reported as good, indicating that the pilot maintained a safe altitude above the runway threshold. However, the threshold speed was excessively high at 75 knots, suggesting that the pilot may have been able to reduce their speed before touchdown. The touchdown point was located 350 meters beyond the touchdown zone, which is a significant distance and may indicate that the pilot was unable to slow down sufficiently before touching down.
The touchdown speed of 48 knots was also excessively fast, which may have contributed to the long touchdown distance. On the other hand, the touchdown rate of -26 feet per minute (fpm) was perfect, indicating that the pilot was able to control the aircraft's descent and touch down smoothly. The runway touchdown alignment was also perfect, suggesting that the pilot maintained a stable and aligned approach.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were relatively calm, with a temperature of 15°C and a wind speed of 3 knots from 268°. The crosswind component was minimal at 2 knots, while the headwind component was 3 knots. These conditions would not have presented a significant challenge to the pilot.
The total landing distance of 969 meters was 53% of the runway length, which is a relatively long distance. However, the runway rollout alignment was perfect, indicating that the pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft during the rollout phase. Overall, while there were some areas for improvement, the pilot's landing was generally smooth and controlled.
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