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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Improve the touchdown
There are several things that can go wrong during the flare, carrying too much speed over the threshold, starting the flare at the wrong height and inconsistent flight control inputs, all contribute to a poor flare resulting in a hard touchdown or a float down the runway.
Read more in Flare TimingStart to finish · 16 stages, 14 scored
Events
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.
Side view — the last 5,000 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 5,000 ft of the 6,083 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 2,292 ft past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The 2.00 G arrival is the firm side of smooth.
The rest of the report
The Cessna 172 taxied from the parking area to runway 36 at KAAO Colonel James Jabara Airport in 4 minutes, covering less than 1 nm during the taxi-out.
During the departure roll on runway 36, the aircraft accelerated to a liftoff speed of 67 kt and became airborne after a ground roll of 1,558 ft, which represented 26 % of the available runway. Ambient conditions were 60 °F with a 2 kt wind from 060°, no cross-wind component and a 2 kt head-wind component.
The right-hand pattern entry commenced from runway 36, traversing less than 1 nm in 78 seconds, followed by a brief cross-wind segment of less than 1 nm in 8 seconds. The downwind turn covered 1 nm at an angle of 40.8° to the runway, after which the downwind leg proceeded for less than 1 nm in 5 seconds. The base-leg turn spanned 2 nm with a 152.4° angle to the runway, and the subsequent base leg extended 2 nm in 79 seconds. The final turn completed a 4 nm arc in 125 seconds, positioning the aircraft for the final approach.
Landing was executed on runway 18, whose length is 6,083 ft. The threshold height of 83 ft AGL and the prescribed threshold speed of 79 kt were noted as higher than expected. Touchdown occurred 433 ft beyond the designated touchdown zone at a speed of 59 kt, with a hard vertical rate of minus 468 fpm and a lateral deviation of 15 ft from the centreline. Weather at the time was 59 °F with a 2 kt wind from 060°, no cross-wind and a 2 kt tail-wind component.
The rollout covered a total landing distance of 2,581 ft, representing 42 % of the runway, and the aircraft maintained very good alignment throughout the deceleration phase.
After clearing the runway, the aircraft taxied back to the parking area in 2 minutes, traveling less than 1 nm during the taxi-in.
In summary, the flight encompassed 8 nm of distance, required 13 minutes of elapsed time, and consumed 7 lb of fuel.
The Cessna 172 approached runway 18 at KAAO and crossed the threshold at 83 ft AGL, a height that was significantly above the target, while the threshold speed was recorded at 79 kt, an excessively high value for the aircraft.
Touchdown occurred 433 ft beyond the designated touchdown zone, with a speed of 59 kt that was fast for the configuration, and the vertical rate was hard at minus 468 fpm. The aircraft landed 15 ft off the centreline and required a total landing distance of 2,581 ft, representing 42 % of the available runway.
Runway rollout alignment was very good, keeping the aircraft on the centreline through the deceleration phase.
With a score of 75.2 %, focus on reducing the threshold speed to the appropriate target and refining the flare to achieve a touchdown within the zone and a softer vertical rate. Adjusting these parameters will bring the landing performance closer to optimal standards.
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