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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Know your rotation speed
A typical trainer rotates in the mid-50s of knots - a 172 at around 55 KIAS, climbing out at a Vy in the low 70s, though check your own POH rather than memorising Cessna's numbers - and the transferable rule is that Vr sits just above the stall speed in takeoff configuration. Rotate early because "it felt ready" and the aircraft lifts off inside ground effect, where induced drag is reduced, then climbs out of it into more drag. On a marginal-performance day the result is an aircraft that lifts off and then refuses to climb, sagging back towards the runway.
Read more in Improve Your Take-OffsStart to finish · 19 stages, 17 scored
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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.
Side view — the last 1,533 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,533 m of the 3,344 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 313 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a taxiing period from the parking to the runway, which took 31 minutes and covered a distance of 4 nautical miles. The aircraft, an ATR 72, then departed from runway 03R at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (LGAV). The takeoff distance was 934 meters, which accounted for 27% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 117 knots.
The local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 13°C, with a wind speed of 3 knots at 86 degrees. The crosswind was 3 knots, while the headwind was 2 knots. The aircraft then began its enroute climb, starting 1 mile southwest of Artemida, Attica, Greece. The climb took 16 minutes and covered a distance of 37 nautical miles, with the aircraft rising from an altitude of 1,323 feet above sea level to 17,926 feet above sea level, an increase of 16,603 feet.
Following the enroute climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which started 16 miles northwest of Serifos, South Aegean, Greece. This phase lasted for 140 minutes and covered a distance of 22 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its enroute descent, starting 7 miles south of Serifos. The descent took 21 minutes and covered a distance of 93 nautical miles, with the aircraft decreasing its altitude from 18,078 feet above sea level to 1,966 feet above sea level, a decrease of 16,112 feet.
The aircraft then entered another level cruise phase, which started 4 miles northeast of Kalyves, Crete, Greece. This phase lasted for 10 minutes and covered a distance of 9 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its final approach to runway 11 at Chania International Airport (LGSA), approaching from the west at a heading of 108.0 degrees and at an altitude of 1,230 feet above ground level, 4 nautical miles from the runway.
The landing was successful, with the aircraft touching down on the runway at a speed of 111 knots, which was slightly above the target speed. The touchdown distance was good at 312 meters, and the runway touchdown alignment was perfect. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 12°C. The total landing distance was 1,444 meters, which accounted for 43% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was also very good.
The final phase of the flight involved taxiing to the parking from the runway, which took 5 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 172 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 70 minutes. The aircraft used 624 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The ATR 72 aircraft successfully landed at LGSA Chania International Airport, achieving a high score of 99.6%. The final approach to runway 11 was conducted from the west, with a heading of 108.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,230 feet above ground level (agl). The aircraft's approach was well-executed, with a good threshold height and a slightly above-target threshold speed of 116 knots.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's performance was satisfactory, with a touchdown distance of 312 meters, which is within acceptable limits. However, the touchdown speed of 111 knots was slightly faster than the target speed, indicating that the pilots may have needed to apply more braking force upon touchdown. The touchdown rate of -153 feet per minute (fpm) was good, indicating a controlled descent.
The runway touchdown alignment was perfect, indicating that the pilots maintained a stable and aligned approach to the runway. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 12°C. The total landing distance of 1,444 meters was 43% of the runway length, which is a relatively short distance considering the aircraft's size and weight.
The runway rollout alignment was also very good, indicating that the pilots maintained control of the aircraft during the rollout phase and avoided any deviations from the centerline. Overall, the landing was successful, and the pilots demonstrated good skills and control of the aircraft throughout the approach and touchdown phases.
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