Events
Events
Events
Events
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 · 9 stages, 8 scored
Events
Events
Events
Events
The threshold, the flare and the hold-off. The approach that led to it is the stabilisation gates below.
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 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 4,001 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 274 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the aircraft, ES30, departing from runway 34 at UBBB Heydar Aliyev International Airport. The takeoff distance was 91 meters, which is only 2% of the runway's total length. The aircraft lifted off at a speed of 101 knots, reaching the desired altitude quickly.
As the aircraft climbed, it started its enroute climb overhead the airport, Baku, in Azerbaijan. The climb began at an altitude of 360 feet above sea level and increased to 55 feet above sea level, a total increase of 304 feet, in just 2 minutes. During this time, the aircraft covered a distance of 2 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 34 was initiated from the south, with the aircraft heading at 345.0 degrees and at an altitude of 40 feet above ground level. The landing on the runway was successful, with the aircraft touching down at a speed of 105 knots, which was slightly faster than the target speed.
The touchdown distance was good, at 272 meters, but the touchdown speed was excessively fast. The touchdown rate was firm, at -319 feet per minute, indicating a smooth landing. However, the runway touchdown position was misaligned by 13.9 meters from the centerline. The total landing distance was 556 meters, which is only 14% of the runway's total length.
After landing, the aircraft experienced a misaligned runway rollout alignment, being off-center by 15.3 meters. The local weather conditions during the flight were characterized by a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 8 knots from a direction of 160 degrees, with a crosswind of 1 knot and a tailwind of 8 knots.
The total flight distance was 2 nautical miles, and the flight used 15 kilograms of fuel. Overall, the flight was successful, with the aircraft performing well in terms of takeoff, climb, and landing. However, there were some minor issues with the touchdown speed and runway alignment.
The aircraft, ES30, successfully landed at UBBB Heydar Aliyev International Airport, but with some notable deviations from ideal landing parameters. The final approach was initiated from the south, heading 345.0° at an altitude of 40 feet above ground level (agl) and 0 nautical miles from the runway. The aircraft touched down on runway 34, which has a length of 4,001 meters.
The threshold height was reported as good, but the threshold speed was significantly above the target speed, reaching 115 knots. This excessive speed may have contributed to the touchdown speed being excessively fast at 105 knots. The touchdown distance of 272 meters was considered good, but the firm touchdown rate of -319 feet per minute may indicate a slightly hard landing.
The runway touchdown position was misaligned by 13.9 meters from the centerline, which could have been due to factors such as crosswind or pilot error. The local weather conditions at the time of landing included a temperature of 10°C, wind speed of 8 knots at 160°, resulting in a crosswind of 1 knot and a tailwind of 8 knots.
The total landing distance of 556 meters was within the acceptable range, accounting for only 14% of the runway length. However, the runway rollout alignment was also misaligned by 15.3 meters from the centerline, which may indicate a loss of directional control during the rollout phase.
Overall, while the landing was successful, there were several areas for improvement, including reducing the threshold speed, improving touchdown speed, and maintaining better alignment during the rollout phase.
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