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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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The threshold, the flare and the hold-off. The approach that led to it is the stabilisation gates below.
Two stabilised approach gates, each with seven checks, where the approach path is 1,000 ft and 500 ft above the runway. They are the approach's score: the checks passed out of the checks that ran.
At the 1,000 ft gate: centreline 1.1° off, against a 1° limit.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 2,735 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 618 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
Aircraft departed from runway 13 at KCYS Cheyenne Regional Jerry Olson Field, navigating through a local weather scenario characterized by a temperature of 21 °C and a wind of 22 kt at 149°. The crosswind component was 6 kt, while the headwind component was 22 kt. The takeoff distance of 909 m was 67% of the runway length, and the aircraft lifted off at a speed of 138 kt.
As the aircraft climbed to 38,003 ft asl, it traversed a distance of 135 nm in 19 minutes, representing a significant increase in altitude. The enroute climb phase was followed by a level cruise, which lasted 27 minutes and covered 227 nm. The aircraft then began its descent, reducing its altitude from 37,941 ft asl to 6,471 ft asl in 19 minutes, covering 138 nm. The descent phase was punctuated by several level cruise segments, including a brief 2-minute cruise at 1 mile north of East Helena, Montana. The aircraft then climbed to 7,002 ft asl in 2 minutes, before descending to 5,172 ft asl in 2 minutes.
The final approach to runway 27 at KHLN Helena Regional Airport was initiated from the east, with the aircraft heading 280.0° at 4 nm and 1,297 ft agl. The landing was executed with a threshold speed of 128 kt, and the touchdown point was 205 m beyond the touchdown zone. The touchdown speed was 118 kt, and the touchdown rate was -406 fpm, indicating a hard touchdown. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 5.3 m from the centreline, and the runway rollout alignment was also slightly misaligned by 8.2 m from the centreline. The total landing distance was 1,337 m, representing 49% of the runway length. The aircraft then taxied to the parking area, covering less than 1 nm in 2 minutes. The total flight distance was 529 nm, and the aircraft used 2,848 kg of fuel during the flight, which lasted 82 minutes.
The final approach to runway 27 at KHLN Helena Regional Airport from the east was executed with good quality, with the aircraft maintaining a steady heading of 280.0° at 4 nm and 1,297 ft above ground level. The approach was characterized by a stable descent, with the threshold height being well managed. The threshold speed of 128 kt was also within the acceptable range, indicating a smooth and controlled approach.
As the aircraft touched down on the runway, the touchdown speed of 118 kt was good, but the touchdown rate was hard at -406 fpm, which may have resulted in a slight jolt for the passengers. The touchdown point was 205 m beyond the touchdown zone, which is slightly longer than ideal. The runway touchdown position was also slightly misaligned by 5.3 m from the centreline, which may have required some corrective action from the pilots. Local weather conditions, with a temperature of 24 °C and a gentle wind of 4 kt at 68°, did not pose any significant challenges to the landing.
The total landing distance of 1,337 m was 49% of the runway length, which is within the acceptable range. However, the runway rollout alignment was slightly misaligned by 8.2 m from the centreline, which may have required some additional control from the pilots to maintain a straight path. Overall, the landing was executed with a high degree of proficiency, earning a score of 90.3%.
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