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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Shorten the long landing
Ground effect becomes significant below about one wingspan of height. A Cessna 172, with a 36 ft span, enters ground effect at flare height - the float it feels in the hold-off is ground effect arriving on cue. An A320, with a span around 117 ft, has been in ground effect since before the threshold and there is no sudden cushion to feel, only a gradual reduction in induced drag that lengthens any float you allow.
Read more in Flare TimingStart to finish · 18 stages, 16 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.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 6,345 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 6,345 ft of the 8,612 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 1,598 ft 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 5 minutes and covered a distance of 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, an Airbus A320, then departed from runway 28L at Portland International Airport (KPDX). The takeoff distance was 5,576 feet, which accounted for 51% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was 158 knots.
As the aircraft took to the skies, it encountered local weather conditions with a temperature of 78°F and a wind speed of 2 knots from a direction of 216°. The crosswind was 2 knots, while the headwind was negligible. The enroute climb began approximately 1 mile east of Bridgeton, Oregon, and involved a significant increase in altitude from 1,042 feet above sea level to 35,086 feet above sea level. This climb covered a distance of 83 nautical miles and took 16 minutes to complete.
Following the climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which started 9 miles south of Holley, Oregon. This phase lasted for 24 minutes and covered a distance of 188 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its enroute descent, which started 15 miles northwest of Fall River Mills, California. The descent involved a decrease in altitude from 35,082 feet above sea level to 1,329 feet above sea level, covering a distance of 142 nautical miles in 24 minutes.
The final approach to runway 17R at Sacramento International Airport (KSMF) was made from the north, with the aircraft heading 181.0° at an altitude of 1,286 feet above ground level and a distance of 4 nautical miles from the runway. The landing was made on runway 17R, which had a length of 8,612 feet. The threshold height was good, but the threshold speed was slightly above the target at 141 knots.
The touchdown point was 246 feet beyond the touchdown zone, and the touchdown speed was 135 knots, which was a little fast. The touchdown rate was fair at -207 feet per minute. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 15 feet from the centerline. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were a temperature of 91°F and a wind speed of 5 knots from a direction of 320°, with a crosswind of 3 knots and a tailwind of 4 knots.
The total landing distance was 6,092 feet, which accounted for 71% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was very good. The taxiing period from the runway to the parking took 3 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 422 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 75 minutes. The aircraft used a total of 6,352 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The Airbus A320 successfully landed on runway 17R at KSMF Sacramento International Airport, achieving a score of 98.0%. The aircraft was approaching the runway from the north, heading 181.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,286 feet above ground level (agl). The final approach was executed with a good threshold height, indicating that the aircraft was properly configured for landing.
Upon touchdown, the threshold speed was slightly above the target speed of 140 kt, registering at 141 kt. However, the touchdown point was 246 feet beyond the designated touchdown zone, which may indicate a slight over-shooting. The touchdown speed of 135 kt was also a bit faster than the ideal speed, resulting in a touchdown rate of -207 feet per minute (fpm), which was considered fair.
The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 15 feet from the centerline, which may have been due to a slight deviation in the aircraft's alignment during the final approach. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 91°F and a wind speed of 5 kt from 320°. The crosswind component was minimal at 3 kt, while the tailwind component was 4 kt.
The total landing distance of 6,092 feet was 71% of the available runway length of 8,612 feet, which is a relatively short landing distance. The runway rollout alignment was very good, indicating that the aircraft was properly aligned with the runway centerline during the rollout phase. Overall, the landing was considered successful, with the aircraft achieving a high score and demonstrating good control and precision during the final approach and touchdown phases.
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