Events
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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 · 13 stages, 13 scored
Events
Events
Events
One stabilised approach gate for a circuit: six checks at the point nearest 500 ft above the runway after the base turn. The 1,000 ft gate is an instrument-approach check and does not apply. These checks are the approach's score.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 872 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 872 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 306 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The Cessna 172 taxied to runway 28 at EGSF Peterborough Business Airport and commenced the departure roll, covering a takeoff distance of 586 m which represented 67 % of the runway. Liftoff was achieved at 66 kt. Ambient conditions were 16 °C with a wind of 1 kt from 269°, resulting in a head-wind component of 1 kt and zero cross-wind.
During the left-hand pattern entry the aircraft covered less than 1 nm in 11 seconds, then proceeded on the left-hand crosswind leg for less than 1 nm in 39 seconds. The downwind turn spanned 1 nm at an angle of 62.7°, followed by a downwind leg of 2 nm completed in 67 seconds. The base turn covered 1 nm at an angle of 32.5°, after which the base leg was less than 1 nm in 21 seconds. The final turn was less than 1 nm in 9 seconds, positioning the aircraft for the final approach.
The final approach to runway 28 involved a descent from 539 ft agl to 50 ft agl in 43 seconds, with the aircraft scoring on the stabilisation gates.
Landing was executed on runway 28, which is 872 m long. The threshold speed was recorded at 70 kt, above the target. Touchdown occurred 305 m down the runway at a speed of 58 kt, with a smooth touchdown rate of minus 101 fpm and perfect runway alignment. Weather remained 16 °C with a wind of 1 kt from 269°, head-wind 1 kt and cross-wind 0 kt.
In total the flight covered 7 nm, lasted 4 minutes, and consumed 1 kg of fuel.
The final approach to runway 28 at EGSF Peterborough Business Airport was conducted in a descent from 539 ft agl to 50 ft agl over 43 seconds and was scored on the stabilisation gates.
At threshold the height was good and the threshold speed was well above target at 70 kt.
Touchdown occurred 305 m down the 872 m runway with a speed of 58 kt, noted as a little fast, a smooth vertical rate of minus 101 fpm and perfect runway alignment.
With a score of 92.4 % the landing was solid; reducing the threshold and touchdown speeds to the intended targets will tighten the margin and further improve the score.
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