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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Maintain the centreline
See Departure Roll
A small uncorrected heading error at 40 knots becomes a metre of offset per second by 100 knots, noticed only at rotation, producing a crabbed liftoff. Root cause is nearly always eyes on the tape instead of the far end of the runway. Small heading changes displace a distant point visibly long before the nearby centreline stripes look wrong.
Read more in Improve Your Take-OffsStart to finish · 21 stages, 19 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: seven 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.
At the 500 ft gate: off the centreline and speed below the reference speed.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,473 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 1,473 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 138 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with taxiing from the parking to the runway at KSBP San Luis County Regional Airport, taking approximately 4 minutes and covering less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft then departed from runway 11, with a takeoff distance of 599 meters, which was 41% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was 86 knots.
As the aircraft climbed out of KSBP San Luis County Regional Airport, it began its enroute climb, starting 1 mile south east of the airport. The climb took 10 minutes, during which the aircraft ascended from 1,383 feet above sea level to 12,405 feet above sea level, an increase of 11,022 feet. The climb covered a distance of 20 nautical miles.
Following the climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise, starting 3 miles east of Templeton, California. This cruise lasted for 10 minutes and covered a distance of 34 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its enroute descent, starting 6 miles north of San Ardo, California. The descent took 8 minutes, during which the aircraft descended from 12,340 feet above sea level to 5,498 feet above sea level, a decrease of 6,841 feet. The descent covered a distance of 26 nautical miles.
The aircraft then entered another level cruise, starting 2 miles south of the Hummingbird Nest Heliport in Simi Valley, California. This cruise lasted for 7 minutes and covered a distance of 11 nautical miles. The aircraft then began another descent, starting 1 mile south west of Gonzales, California. The descent took 3 minutes, during which the aircraft descended from 5,296 feet above sea level to 1,938 feet above sea level, a decrease of 3,358 feet. The descent covered a distance of 7 nautical miles.
The aircraft then entered another level cruise, starting 2 miles north west of Chualar, California. This cruise lasted for 2 minutes and covered a distance of 3 nautical miles. The aircraft then began another descent, starting 2 miles south east of KSNS Salinas Municipal Airport. The descent took 2 minutes, during which the aircraft descended from 1,702 feet above sea level to 1,196 feet above sea level, a decrease of 506 feet. The descent covered a distance of 3 nautical miles.
The aircraft then entered a level cruise, starting overhead KSNS Salinas Municipal Airport. This cruise lasted for 6 minutes and covered a distance of 2 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its final approach to runway 13 at KSNS Salinas Municipal Airport, approaching from the north west at a heading of 149.0 degrees and at an altitude of 763 feet above ground level.
The aircraft landed on runway 13, which had a length of 1,473 meters. The threshold height was good, and the threshold speed was slightly below the target at 69 knots. The touchdown distance was good at 136 meters, and the touchdown speed was good at 64 knots. However, the touchdown rate was fair at -294 feet per minute. The runway touchdown alignment was perfect.
After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking from the runway, taking approximately 1 minute and covering less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 111 nautical miles, and the flight took 56 minutes. The aircraft used 40 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The DA42 aircraft successfully landed at KSNS Salinas Municipal Airport, achieving a high score of 96.3%. The final approach was conducted from the northwest, heading 149.0° at a distance of 3 nautical miles and an altitude of 763 feet above ground level (agl). This approach was likely a standard instrument approach procedure (SIAP), which is a common method used for instrument landing systems (ILS).
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down on runway 13, which has a length of 1,473 meters. The threshold height was reported as good, indicating that the aircraft was at the correct height as it approached the runway threshold. However, the threshold speed was slightly below the target speed of 69 knots, which may have been due to the pilot's decision to flare the aircraft slightly earlier than expected.
The touchdown distance of 136 meters was considered good, indicating that the aircraft was able to touch down within a reasonable distance from the runway threshold. The touchdown speed of 64 knots was also reported as good, suggesting that the aircraft was able to touch down at a safe speed. However, the touchdown rate of -294 feet per minute (fpm) was only fair, which may indicate that the aircraft was not able to touch down as smoothly as expected.
Despite this, the runway touchdown alignment was perfect, indicating that the aircraft was aligned with the runway centerline as it touched down. This is an important aspect of landing, as it helps to ensure that the aircraft is able to stop safely and avoid any potential hazards.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were reported as having a temperature of 13°C, which is a relatively cool temperature. This may have affected the aircraft's performance, particularly in terms of its climb and descent rates. However, it did not appear to have a significant impact on the landing itself.
Overall, the DA42 aircraft performed well during the landing, achieving a high score and demonstrating good control and precision. The pilots' decision to flare the aircraft slightly earlier than expected may have been a deliberate choice to ensure a safe touchdown, and the aircraft's ability to touch down smoothly and align with the runway centerline was a testament to its handling and stability.
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