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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Avoid steep turns at low altitude
Below a thousand feet the aeroplane is slow, heavy and close to the ground. A steep turn loses lift, raises the stall speed and flattens the climb just when the gradient matters most. A normal turn on course is a rate one — fifteen degrees or so, twenty-five at the outside, this penalty is to acknowledge when a turn has stopped being a turn and become a manoeuvre.
Read more in Improve Your Take-OffsStart to finish · 13 stages, 11 scored
Events
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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.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 2,228 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the full 2,228 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 1,065 ft touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
This flight was conducted in a Piper PA28-236 Dakota aircraft, registered as N1303W. The pre-flight taxiing process took approximately 5 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile from the parking area to the runway. The aircraft departed from runway 20 at Y04 Sugar Loaf Resort Airport, with a takeoff distance of 642 feet, which accounted for 22% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was achieved at 70 knots.
The local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 79°F and a wind speed of 9 knots from 241°. This resulted in a crosswind of 6 knots and a headwind of 7 knots. The aircraft began its enroute climb after departing the airport, reaching an altitude of 1,668 feet above sea level (asl) from an initial altitude of 1,204 feet asl. This climb of 464 feet was achieved in just 1 minute and covered a distance of 3 nautical miles.
The enroute level cruise phase of the flight started 3 miles west of 28MI Miller-Herrold Airport and lasted for 6 minutes, during which the aircraft covered a distance of 7 nautical miles. The final approach to runway 27 at Y87 William B Bolton Airport was conducted from the east, with the aircraft heading 265.0° at an altitude of 77 feet above ground level (agl) and a distance of 0 nautical miles from the runway.
The landing on runway 27 was executed with a threshold speed of 79 knots, and the touchdown point was located very far down the runway, using more than 50% of the available runway. The touchdown speed was 63 knots, and the touchdown rate was perfect at -32 feet per minute (fpm). However, the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 14 feet from the centerline. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 77°F and a wind speed of 7 knots from 228°, resulting in a crosswind of 4 knots and a headwind of 6 knots.
The total landing distance was 1,662 feet, which accounted for 75% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was very good, indicating a smooth and controlled descent. The total flight distance was 11 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 8 minutes. The aircraft used 7 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The aircraft, a Piper PA28-236 Dakota with the registration N1303W, successfully landed at Y87 William B Bolton Airport on runway 27. The final approach was conducted from the east, aligning with the heading of 265.0° at an altitude of 77 feet above ground level (agl) and 0 nautical miles from the runway threshold.
The pilot executed a precise touchdown, achieving a score of 99.3%. The threshold speed of 79 knots was maintained, and the touchdown point was slightly long, utilizing more than 50% of the available runway. However, the touchdown speed of 63 knots was within acceptable limits, and the touchdown rate of -32 feet per minute (fpm) was perfect, indicating a smooth and controlled descent.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 77°F and a gentle wind of 7 knots from 228°. The crosswind component was minimal at 4 knots, while the headwind component was 6 knots, providing a relatively stable approach environment.
The total landing distance of 1,662 feet was 75% of the available runway length of 2,228 feet. This indicates that the pilot had sufficient runway remaining for a safe rollout. The runway rollout alignment was also very good, demonstrating the pilot's ability to maintain control and stability during the landing phase.
Overall, the landing was executed with precision and control, and the pilot's skills and experience were evident in the smooth and safe touchdown.
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