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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 · 13 stages, 12 scored
Events
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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.
At the 500 ft gate: off the runway's 3° glideslope.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 2,431 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 214 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 16 at LGTS Thessaloniki Macedonia International Airport. The Airbus A320 took off with a takeoff distance of 794 meters, which is 33% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was 156 knots, and the aircraft climbed away from the airport.
As the aircraft climbed, it encountered local weather conditions with a temperature of 12 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 8 knots at 140 degrees. The crosswind component was 3 knots, while the headwind component was 7 knots. The enroute climb started overhead the airport, where the aircraft climbed from 1,076 feet above sea level to 1,864 feet above sea level, an increase of 787 feet in just 1 minute, covering a distance of 1 nautical mile.
After reaching the desired altitude, the aircraft began its enroute descent 1 mile north of Kardia, a town in Central Macedonia, Greece. The descent from 1,863 feet above sea level to 690 feet above sea level resulted in a decrease of 1,172 feet in 2 minutes, covering a distance of 4 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 16 at LGTS Thessaloniki Macedonia International Airport was made from the north, heading 156.0 degrees at 1 nautical mile and 662 feet above ground level. The landing on the runway was successful, with a touchdown distance of 215 meters, which is 34% of the runway length. The touchdown speed was 108 knots, and the touchdown rate was fair at -222 feet per minute.
The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 3.2 meters from the centerline, but the runway rollout alignment was very good. The local weather conditions during landing were a temperature of 11 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 5 knots at 140 degrees, with a crosswind component of 2 knots and a headwind component of 5 knots.
After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area from the runway in 2 minutes, covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 8 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 6 minutes. The aircraft used 244 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The Airbus A320 successfully landed at LGTS Thessaloniki Macedonia International Airport, achieving a high score of 98.2%. The aircraft approached the runway from the north, heading 156.0° at 1 nautical mile and 662 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot maintained a good threshold height, which is a critical aspect of a safe landing.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's speed was within the acceptable range, at 108 kt, and the touchdown distance was also satisfactory at 215 meters. However, the touchdown rate was slightly below average at -222 feet per minute (fpm), which may indicate a slightly longer deceleration period. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 3.2 meters from the centerline, but this did not appear to have a significant impact on the overall landing performance.
The local weather conditions were favorable, with a temperature of 11°C and a gentle wind of 5 kt at 140°. The crosswind component was minimal at 2 kt, while the headwind component was 5 kt, which helped to reduce the aircraft's ground speed and make the landing more manageable. The total landing distance was 820 meters, which is 34% of the runway length, indicating a relatively short landing roll.
The runway rollout alignment was very good, suggesting that the pilot maintained control of the aircraft during the deceleration phase and was able to align the aircraft with the runway centerline. Overall, the landing was successful, and the pilot's skills and experience were evident in the high score achieved.
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