Events
Events
Events
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 · 12 stages, 10 scored
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: seven checks where the approach path is 300 ft above the runway. The 1,000 ft gate was not assessed, because the approach did not join final that far out.
At the 300 ft gate: off the centreline and speed above the reference speed.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,230 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 1,230 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 268 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 36 at EDFB Reichelsheim Airfield, where the aircraft, a Vertigo 28 Apex, took off with a takeoff distance of 820 meters, which is 67% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was 184 knots. At the time of departure, the local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of 22 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 3 knots from a direction of 225 degrees, resulting in a crosswind of 2 knots and a tailwind of 2 knots.
As the aircraft climbed away from the airfield, it began its enroute climb, which started overhead Reichelsheim, a town in Hessen, Germany. During this phase, the aircraft ascended from an altitude of 863 feet above sea level to 1,244 feet above sea level, an increase of 381 feet in just 1 minute, while covering a distance of 2 nautical miles. This climb phase was followed by an enroute level cruise, which began 1 mile south east of Wolfersheim, another town in Hessen, Germany. This cruise phase lasted for 6 minutes and covered a distance of 4 nautical miles.
As the aircraft approached the end of its flight, it began its final approach to runway 36 at EDFB Reichelsheim Airfield, coming in from the south at a heading of 358.0 degrees and an altitude of 209 feet above ground level. The aircraft landed on the runway, which has a length of 1,230 meters, with a threshold speed of 82 knots and a touchdown speed of 64 knots. The touchdown distance was 265 meters, and the touchdown rate was -168 feet per minute, which is considered good.
However, the aircraft's landing was not entirely smooth, as it touched down 8 meters off-centerline, and the runway rollout alignment was also slightly misaligned by 10.6 meters from the centerline. The total landing distance was 516 meters, which is 42% of the runway length. Despite these minor issues, the flight was considered successful, with a total flight distance of 8 nautical miles and a fuel consumption of 9 kilograms.
The aircraft, Vertigo - 28 Apex, successfully landed at EDFB Reichelsheim Airfield, achieving a high score of 94.1%. The final approach to runway 36 was conducted from the south, with a heading of 358.0° at an altitude of 209 feet above ground level (agl) and 0 nautical miles from the runway.
The pilot executed a good threshold height, which is a critical aspect of landing, and maintained a suitable threshold speed of 82 knots. The touchdown distance was also within acceptable limits at 265 meters, and the touchdown speed was a respectable 64 knots. Furthermore, the touchdown rate of -168 feet per minute (fpm) was well within the desired range, indicating a smooth and controlled descent.
However, there were some minor issues with the landing. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned from the centreline by 8 meters, which may have been due to a slight deviation in the pilot's approach or a minor error in navigation. Additionally, the total landing distance of 516 meters was 42% of the runway length, which is slightly higher than ideal but still within acceptable limits.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 19°C and a gentle wind of 3 knots from 225°. The crosswind and tailwind components were both minimal at 2 knots each, which reduced the risk of any significant deviations during the landing.
After touchdown, the pilot experienced some difficulty with runway rollout alignment, with the aircraft deviating from the centreline by 10.6 meters. This may have been due to a slight overcorrection or a minor issue with the aircraft's directional control. Nevertheless, the pilot was able to recover and maintain control of the aircraft, bringing it to a safe stop. Overall, the landing was a success, with the pilot demonstrating good skills and judgment in executing a safe and controlled touchdown.
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