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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Work on the flare
Arrive slow and the sink rate at the threshold is already above schedule, the flare is short because there is no energy to extend it, and the touchdown is hard in a way that feels exactly like a late flare. Diagnosing a slow arrival as a late flare is the catastrophic misread: you respond by flaring earlier, which bleeds more speed, which makes the next one worse. The tiebreaker is threshold speed against VRef, not feel. Never diagnose a flare without it.
Read more in Flare TimingStart to finish · 18 stages, 16 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.
One stabilised approach gate for a circuit: five checks where the approach path is 500 ft above the runway. The 1,000 ft gate is an instrument-approach check and does not apply.
Side view — the last 1,435 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 1,435 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 545 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with taxiing from the parking area to the runway, which took approximately 4 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, a DA40-XLS, then departed from runway 03 at KMGJ Orange County Airport. The takeoff distance was 251 meters, which accounted for 18% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was 61 knots.
After takeoff, the aircraft entered a left-hand pattern, beginning with a turn from the runway. This maneuver took less than 1 nautical mile to complete in 17 seconds. The aircraft then proceeded to a left-hand pattern crosswind turn, which took 21 seconds to complete. The downwind turn was a significant part of the pattern, covering a distance of 1 nautical mile and featuring an angle to the runway of 45 degrees at 33.8 degrees. The downwind leg itself was 2 nautical miles long and took 98 seconds to complete.
The base leg turn was another key component of the pattern, covering a distance of 1 nautical mile and featuring an angle to the runway of 45 degrees at 39.3 degrees. The base leg itself was less than 1 nautical mile long and took 25 seconds to complete. The final turn was the shortest part of the pattern, taking less than 1 nautical mile to complete in 13 seconds.
The final approach to runway 03 was made from the south, with a heading of 18.0 degrees at an altitude of 1 nautical mile and 373 feet above ground level. The landing was successful, with the touchdown point being 106 meters beyond the touchdown zone. The touchdown speed was 48 knots, which was good, and the touchdown rate was also good at -170 feet per minute. The runway touchdown alignment was very good.
However, the threshold height at 117 feet above ground level was excessively over target, and the threshold speed was a little below target at 63 knots. The total landing distance was 653 meters, which accounted for 46% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was slightly misaligned by 13.4 meters from the centerline.
After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area, which took approximately 2 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 8 nautical miles, and the flight took 11 minutes to complete. The aircraft used 4 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The DA40-XLS aircraft successfully landed on runway 03 at KMGJ Orange County Airport, with a score of 69.0%. The final approach was initiated from the south, heading 18.0° at 1 nm and 373 ft above ground level (agl). The aircraft's performance during the landing was evaluated based on several key parameters.
The threshold height at 117 ft agl was found to be excessively over the target, indicating that the aircraft descended more than expected before reaching the runway threshold. However, the threshold speed was a little below the target at 63 kt, suggesting that the aircraft was able to slow down sufficiently before touchdown. The touchdown point was located 106 m beyond the touchdown zone, which is a relatively safe distance but still requires attention to ensure that the aircraft remains within the designated area.
The touchdown speed of 48 kt was considered good, as it was within the acceptable range for a safe landing. The touchdown rate of -170 fpm was also good, indicating that the aircraft was able to touch down smoothly and without excessive deceleration. The runway touchdown alignment was very good, suggesting that the aircraft was properly aligned with the runway centerline during touchdown.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 22 °C. The total landing distance of 653 m was 46% of the runway length, which is a relatively short distance considering the aircraft's size and weight. However, the runway rollout alignment was slightly misaligned by 13.4 m from the centerline, which may require attention to ensure that the aircraft remains properly aligned during the rollout phase.
Overall, the landing was considered successful, but there are areas for improvement, particularly with regards to the threshold height and runway rollout alignment. With some adjustments to the approach and landing technique, the pilot can aim to achieve a higher score and improve the overall safety and efficiency of the landing.
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