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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Avoid steep turns at low altitude
Below a thousand feet the aeroplane is slow, heavy and close to the ground. A steep turn loses lift, raises the stall speed and flattens the climb just when the gradient matters most. A normal turn on course is a rate one — fifteen degrees or so, twenty-five at the outside, this penalty is to acknowledge when a turn has stopped being a turn and become a manoeuvre.
Read more in Improve Your Take-OffsStart to finish · 16 stages, 14 scored
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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 490 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 490 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 47 m 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 area to the runway, which took approximately 3 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, a Cessna C172, then departed from runway 27 at the Yakima Air Terminal McAllister Field, with a takeoff distance of 468 meters, which accounted for 20% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 65 knots.
As the aircraft climbed, it started its enroute climb 1 mile south east of West Valley, Washington, and ascended from 2,074 feet above sea level to 2,608 feet, an increase of 534 feet, in 2 minutes, covering a distance of 3 nautical miles. The enroute level cruise then began 1 mile south of Ahtanum, Washington, and lasted for 5 minutes, covering a distance of 10 nautical miles.
The aircraft then started another enroute climb 2 miles south of the WA26 Harrah Airport Brownstown, Washington, and climbed from 2,607 feet to 4,693 feet, an increase of 2,086 feet, in 3 minutes, covering a distance of 6 nautical miles. The enroute level cruise then resumed 6 miles south of the KWAP Wapato Airport Wapato, Washington, and lasted for 37 minutes, covering a distance of 74 nautical miles.
As the aircraft began its descent, it started 2 miles north of the 9OR1 Shaniko Ranch Airport Shaniko, Oregon, and descended from 4,406 feet to 3,560 feet, a decrease of 846 feet, in 2 minutes, covering a distance of 2 nautical miles. The final approach to runway 11 at the 9OR1 Shaniko Ranch Airport was made from the north west, with a heading of 127.0 degrees at 1 nautical mile and 251 feet above ground level.
The landing on runway 11 was successful, with a touchdown distance of 45 meters, a touchdown speed of 49 knots, and a touchdown rate of -356 feet per minute. The runway touchdown alignment was very good, and the runway rollout alignment was perfect. The total landing distance was 338 meters, which accounted for 69% of the runway. The local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius.
The total flight distance was 98 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 54 minutes. The aircraft used 34 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The Cessna C172 aircraft successfully landed at 9OR1 Shaniko Ranch Airport, achieving a high score of 98.6%. The final approach was conducted from the northwest, heading 127.0° at 1 nautical mile and 251 feet above ground level (agl). The aircraft demonstrated good control and precision during the approach, ultimately landing on runway 11.
The landing was characterized by a good threshold height, which is a critical factor in ensuring a safe and controlled touchdown. However, the threshold speed was slightly below the target speed of 51 knots, indicating a slight deviation from the ideal approach speed. Despite this, the touchdown distance was good at 45 meters, and the touchdown speed of 49 knots was also within acceptable limits.
The touchdown rate was firm at -356 feet per minute (fpm), which is a desirable outcome as it indicates a controlled and stable descent. The runway touchdown alignment was very good, suggesting that the aircraft was properly aligned with the runway centerline at the moment of touchdown.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 15°C. This temperature is relatively mild and would not have presented any significant challenges for the aircraft or the pilot.
The total landing distance was 338 meters, which is 69% of the runway length. This is a relatively short landing distance, indicating that the aircraft was able to touch down and come to a stop within a relatively short distance. The runway rollout alignment was perfect, suggesting that the aircraft was properly aligned with the runway centerline during the rollout phase.
Overall, the landing was a success, with the aircraft demonstrating good control and precision throughout the approach and landing phases. The pilot's skills and experience were evident in the smooth and controlled manner in which the aircraft was brought to a stop on the runway.
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