Events
Events
MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Improve the pattern base leg
Bank angle in the pattern is conventionally kept to 20 to 30 degrees, and the base-to-final turn is where that convention earns its keep. Stall speed rises with bank because the wing must produce more lift in a turn. Roughly 7 per cent higher at 30 degrees, about 19 per cent at 45, and around 40 per cent at 60. At 65 kt on base you don't have much margin to spend steepening a turn to salvage an overshoot.
Read more in Pattern WorkStart to finish · 14 stages, 14 scored
Events
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.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 2,114 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 356 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a short taxiing period from the parking area to the runway, which took less than a minute and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, a Sirius, then departed from runway 25 at Newcastle Airport (EGNT), with a takeoff distance of 401 meters, which accounted for 19% of the runway's length. The liftoff speed was 80 knots.
As the aircraft took to the skies, it encountered local weather conditions with a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 1 knot from a direction of 270 degrees. The crosswind was negligible, while the headwind was 1 knot. The aircraft then entered a left-hand pattern from runway 25, covering a distance of 1 nautical mile in just 19 seconds.
The left-hand pattern crosswind leg was completed in less than 1 nautical mile in 25 seconds. The aircraft then proceeded to the pattern downwind turn, which covered a distance of 2 nautical miles at an angle of 45 degrees to the runway, with a turn angle of 55.5 degrees. The downwind leg itself took 80 seconds to complete, covering a distance of 2 nautical miles.
The pattern base leg turn was completed in 1 nautical mile, with a turn angle of 51.1 degrees. The base leg itself took 32 seconds to complete, covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The final turn was completed in less than 1 nautical mile in 18 seconds.
The aircraft then began its final approach to runway 25 from the north-east, heading 245 degrees at an altitude of 145 feet above ground level. The landing was completed on the runway, with a threshold height that was considered good. The threshold speed was slightly below the target speed of 51 knots.
The touchdown distance was good, at 354 meters, and the touchdown speed was 37 knots, which was also considered good. The touchdown rate was perfect, at -32 feet per minute, and 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 1 knot from a direction of 270 degrees.
The total flight distance was 9 nautical miles, which was completed in 6 minutes, and the aircraft used 1 kilogram of fuel during the flight.
The aircraft, identified as Sirius, successfully landed on runway 25 at EGNT Newcastle Airport with a score of 100.0%. The final approach was initiated from the north east, heading 245.0° at an altitude of 145 feet above ground level (agl) and 0 nautical miles (nm) from the runway.
The aircraft's approach and landing were executed flawlessly, with a perfect runway touchdown alignment. The threshold height was good, and the threshold speed was slightly below the target at 51 knots. This indicates that the pilot maintained a safe and controlled approach, avoiding any potential risks associated with excessive speed.
The touchdown distance of 354 meters was also within acceptable limits, demonstrating the pilot's ability to manage the aircraft's descent and landing. The touchdown speed of 37 knots was good, and the touchdown rate of -32 feet per minute (fpm) was perfect, indicating a smooth and controlled landing.
The local weather conditions at the time of the 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 headwind of 1 knot, which did not pose any significant challenges to the pilot.
Overall, the landing of the Sirius aircraft on runway 25 at EGNT Newcastle Airport was a textbook example of a safe and controlled approach and landing. The pilot's skills and experience were evident in the aircraft's performance, and the landing was executed with precision and accuracy.
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