Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Improve the landing
Not the biggest loss in points — the one thing on this flight a check pilot would raise first, and the guide passage for it.
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 · 17 stages, 15 scored
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Two stabilised approach gates, each with six checks at 1,000 ft and 500 ft above the runway.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 2,997 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 507 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 Pago Pago International Airport, with the Airbus A320 taking off after a distance of 934 meters, which is 37% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 152 knots. At the time of departure, the local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 1 knot from a direction of 270 degrees, resulting in a negligible crosswind and a slight headwind.
As the aircraft climbed to a higher altitude, it began its enroute climb, which started overhead Taputimu in the Western District of America Samoa. The aircraft climbed from an initial altitude of 1,231 feet above sea level to a maximum altitude of 13,956 feet above sea level, an increase of 12,725 feet in just 6 minutes, covering a distance of 33 nautical miles. Following the enroute climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which lasted for 5 minutes and covered a similar distance of 33 nautical miles, starting 14 miles east of Lalomanu in the Atua district of Samoa.
As the aircraft continued its journey, it began its enroute descent, which started 11 miles northeast of Apia in the Tuamasaga district of Samoa. The descent phase saw the aircraft decrease its altitude from 14,002 feet above sea level to 1,366 feet above sea level, a decrease of 12,636 feet in 8 minutes, covering a distance of 26 nautical miles. The aircraft then entered the final approach phase, heading towards runway 08 at Faleolo International Airport from the west, at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,318 feet above ground level.
The final approach was characterized by a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 1 knot from a direction of 270 degrees, resulting in a negligible crosswind and a slight tailwind. The aircraft landed on runway 08, which has a length of 2,997 meters. The touchdown point was 100 meters beyond the touchdown zone, with a touchdown speed of 147 knots, which was faster than the target speed. The touchdown rate was also heavy at -652 feet per minute. However, the runway touchdown alignment was perfect.
Following the landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area from the runway, taking 2 minutes and covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 101 nautical miles, taking 26 minutes, and the aircraft used 430 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The Airbus A320 successfully landed at NSFA Faleolo International Airport, achieving a score of 89.2%. The aircraft approached the runway from the west, heading 89.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,318 feet above ground level (agl). The final approach was made to runway 08, which has a length of 2,997 meters.
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down 100 meters beyond the touchdown zone, indicating a slight overshoot. The touchdown speed of 147 knots was faster than the target speed, resulting in a heavy touchdown rate of -652 feet per minute (fpm). However, the runway touchdown alignment was perfect, indicating that the aircraft was properly aligned with the runway.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 15°C and a wind speed of 1 knot from 270°. This resulted in a negligible crosswind and a slight tailwind of 1 knot. The total landing distance of 1,117 meters was 37% of the runway length, which is within an acceptable range.
During the rollout, the aircraft maintained perfect alignment with the runway, indicating a smooth and controlled deceleration. Overall, the landing was successful, but there were some areas for improvement, such as reducing the touchdown speed and touchdown rate.
Scroll or drag the slider to zoom · double-click to reset · hover for values