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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 VRef ExplainedStart to finish · 15 stages, 13 scored
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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: seven checks where the approach path is 300 ft above the runway. The 1,000 ft gate was not assessed, because the approach did not join final that far out.
At the 300 ft gate: sink rate above what the glideslope needed, off the runway's 3° glideslope, off the centreline, wings not level and speed above the reference speed.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,027 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 1,027 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 369 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the aircraft, a C400 Corvalis, taxiing from the parking area to the runway at KFHR Friday Harbor Airport. This process took approximately 2 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft then departed from runway 34, with a takeoff distance of 673 meters, which accounted for 66% of the runway's length. The liftoff speed was 61 knots.
As the aircraft climbed, it started its enroute climb 1 mile north of Friday Harbor, Washington, United States. The climb began at an altitude of 1,077 feet above sea level and reached 1,612 feet above sea level, an increase of 535 feet, in just 1 minute and covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The local weather conditions during this time were characterized by a temperature of 15°C and a wind speed of 2 knots at 270°.
The enroute level cruise started overhead 1WA9 Friday West Airport, Friday Harbor, Washington, United States, and lasted for 2 minutes, covering a distance of 3 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its final approach to runway 34 at KFHR Friday Harbor Airport from the south, heading 1.0° at 1 nautical mile and 548 feet above ground level.
The landing on runway 34 was notable for its good threshold height, but the threshold speed was excessively high at 109 knots. The touchdown distance was good at 370 meters, and the touchdown speed was 88 knots, which was considered fast. The touchdown rate was good at -185 feet per minute, and the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 4.7 meters from the centerline. The local weather conditions during the landing were characterized by a temperature of 16°C and a wind speed of 2 knots at 269°.
The total landing distance was 616 meters, which accounted for 60% of the runway's length. The runway rollout alignment was very good. The aircraft then taxied to the parking area from the runway, taking approximately 1 minute and covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 7 nautical miles, and the flight took 10 minutes to complete, using 2 kilograms of fuel.
The aircraft in question, a Cessna 400 Corvalis, successfully landed at KFHR Friday Harbor Airport on runway 34. The pilot achieved a score of 90.4%, indicating a well-executed landing with some minor areas for improvement.
The final approach to the runway was initiated from the south, with the aircraft heading 1.0° at 1 nautical mile and 548 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot maintained a good threshold height, which is a critical aspect of a safe landing. However, the threshold speed was excessively high at 109 knots, which may have been a result of the pilot's experience or the aircraft's performance characteristics.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's touchdown distance was good at 370 meters, indicating that the pilot had sufficient control over the aircraft's descent. The touchdown speed of 88 knots was slightly faster than ideal, but the touchdown rate of -185 feet per minute (fpm) was good, suggesting that the pilot had managed to slow the aircraft down effectively.
One area for improvement was the runway touchdown position, which was slightly misaligned by 4.7 meters from the centerline. This may have been due to a slight deviation in the pilot's alignment or a minor issue with the aircraft's navigation system.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 16°C and a light wind of 2 knots from 269°. The crosswind component was minimal, at 2 knots, and the headwind component was zero. These conditions would have made the landing relatively straightforward.
The total landing distance of 616 meters was 60% of the runway length, which is a reasonable distance considering the aircraft's size and the pilot's experience. The runway rollout alignment was very good, indicating that the pilot had maintained control over the aircraft during the rollout phase.
Overall, the pilot's performance was good, and the landing was executed safely and efficiently. However, there are some areas for improvement, such as reducing the threshold speed and improving the runway touchdown position alignment.
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