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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Improve the pattern downwind leg
The 45-degrees-behind-the-wing cue assumes you can turn your head and use peripheral vision. Downwind spacing cues like "put the wingtip halfway up the strut" assume a fixed, known eyepoint. Neither survives a monitor unmodified. If you fly on a fixed monitor, stop pretending and fly a numbers-based circuit.
Read more in Pattern WorkStart to finish · 16 stages, 14 scored
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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.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,613 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,613 m of the 2,737 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 909 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 30 at EGPK Glasgow Prestwick Airport. The Cessna 414A aircraft accelerated down the runway, reaching a liftoff speed of 87 kt. The takeoff distance was 496 m, which accounted for 18% of the runway length. The local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 16 °C and a wind speed of 1 kt from a direction of 270 °, resulting in a negligible headwind or crosswind component.
As the aircraft entered the left-hand traffic pattern, it followed a standard procedure, with the pilot navigating the aircraft through a series of turns and legs. The entry into the pattern was completed in less than 1 nm in 184 seconds, and the subsequent crosswind turn was accomplished in 1 nm in 53 seconds. The downwind turn was a significant portion of the pattern, covering a distance of 4 nm at an angle of 45 degrees to the runway, with a turn radius of 2.2 °.
After completing the downwind turn, the aircraft began its final approach to runway 12, which was located at a distance of 3 nm and an altitude of 915 ft above ground level (agl). The pilot maintained a heading of 120.0 ° as the aircraft descended towards the runway. The landing was executed with a threshold height that was slightly above the target, and a threshold speed that was well above the target at 98 kt.
The touchdown point was located 474 m beyond the touchdown zone, with a touchdown speed of 68 kt and an excellent touchdown rate of -57 fpm. However, the runway touchdown position was misaligned by 10.2 m from the centreline. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were similar to those at departure, with a temperature of 16 °C and a wind speed of 1 kt from a direction of 270 °, resulting in a negligible tailwind component.
The total landing distance was 1,513 m, which accounted for 55% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was slightly misaligned by 10.9 m from the centreline. The total flight distance was 9 nm, and the flight duration was 8 minutes. Notably, the aircraft used 0 kg of fuel during the flight, indicating an extremely efficient operation.
The Cessna 414A aircraft successfully landed at EGPK Glasgow Prestwick Airport, with a final approach score of 89.8%. The aircraft was approaching the runway from the north-west, heading 120.0° at a distance of 3 nautical miles and an altitude of 915 feet above ground level (agl). The landing was conducted on runway 12, which has a length of 2,737 meters.
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down 474 meters beyond the touchdown zone, which is a significant deviation from the target. However, the touchdown speed of 68 knots was within the acceptable range, and the touchdown rate of -57 feet per minute (fpm) was excellent, indicating a smooth and controlled descent. The threshold height at 58 feet agl was slightly above the target, and the threshold speed of 98 knots was well above the target, suggesting that the aircraft was descending at a faster rate than intended.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 16°C and a wind speed of 1 knot from 270°. The crosswind and tailwind components were both 1 knot, indicating minimal wind effect on the landing. The total landing distance of 1,513 meters was 55% of the runway length, which is a relatively short distance considering the aircraft's size and weight.
However, there were some issues with the landing alignment. The runway touchdown position was misaligned by 10.2 meters from the centerline, and the runway rollout alignment was slightly misaligned by 10.9 meters from the centerline. These deviations suggest that the pilot may have had some difficulty maintaining the correct alignment during the landing. Despite these issues, the overall performance of the aircraft was satisfactory, and the pilot demonstrated good control and handling skills during the landing.
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