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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Keep the approach speed on target
Every knot above Vref is stored kinetic energy, and energy stored at the threshold must be dissipated in ground effect before the aeroplane will stop flying. Because kinetic energy scales with the square of speed, the excess you must dissipate grows fast. At a 45-knot approach, five knots hot is over a tenth more speed and roughly a quarter more energy to get rid of in ground effect. This is why the fix is never in the flare. It was decided three miles earlier, on final, at the airspeed indicator.
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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 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: sink rate above what the glideslope needed, off the runway's 3° glideslope, off the centreline, wings not level and speed above the reference speed.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 756 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 756 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 53 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the OV-10 Bronco taxiing from the parking area to the runway at 74S Anacortes, a process that took 3 minutes and covered less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft then departed from runway 18, with a takeoff distance of 614 meters, which was 67% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was 99 knots.
As the aircraft climbed to a higher altitude, it encountered local weather conditions of a temperature of -1°C and winds of 4 knots at 97°. The crosswind was 4 knots, and the tailwind was 1 knot. The enroute climb started overhead the 21H Skyline Seaplane Base in Anacortes, where the aircraft climbed from 230 feet above sea level to 633 feet, an increase of 402 feet in 1 minute, covering 4 nautical miles.
The enroute level cruise began 3 miles north of the KNUW Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor, and lasted for 3 minutes, covering 7 nautical miles. The aircraft then climbed again, this time from 1,146 feet to 3,167 feet, an increase of 2,021 feet in 3 minutes, covering 12 nautical miles. The enroute descent started 2 miles east of Big Lake, where the aircraft descended from 3,680 feet to 2,672 feet, a decrease of 1,008 feet in 2 minutes, covering 5 nautical miles.
The enroute level cruise resumed 5 miles north of the 89WA Williams Airpatch Airport in Arlington, and lasted for 2 minutes, covering 5 nautical miles. The aircraft then climbed again, this time from 3,056 feet to 3,535 feet, an increase of 478 feet in 2 minutes, covering 5 nautical miles. The enroute level cruise started again 5 miles northwest of Swede Heaven, and lasted for 3 minutes, covering 11 nautical miles.
The enroute descent started 1 mile south of Darrington, where the aircraft descended from 4,119 feet to 3,634 feet, a decrease of 486 feet in 2 minutes, covering 6 nautical miles. The enroute level cruise resumed 7 miles southeast of Darrington, and lasted for 2 minutes, covering 5 nautical miles. The aircraft then climbed again, this time from 3,533 feet to 10,634 feet, an increase of 7,101 feet in 6 minutes, covering 10 nautical miles.
The enroute descent started 19 miles southeast of the KDAR Darrington Airport, where the aircraft descended from 10,583 feet to 1,729 feet, a decrease of 8,854 feet in 5 minutes, covering 16 nautical miles. The enroute level cruise resumed 4 miles east of the KDAR Darrington Airport, and lasted for 4 minutes, covering 8 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 28 at the 1S2 Darrington Municipal Airport was from the southeast, with a heading of 290.0° at 0 nautical miles and -167 feet above ground level. The landing on runway 28 was successful, with a touchdown distance of 52 meters, which was good. However, the touchdown speed of 134 knots was excessively fast, and the touchdown rate was very heavy at -1,136 feet per minute. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 5.2 meters from the centerline.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were a temperature of 3°C and winds of 1 knot at 53°. The crosswind was 1 knot, and the tailwind was 1 knot. The total landing distance was 570
The OV-10 Bronco aircraft successfully landed at 1S2 Darrington Municipal Airport, but with some notable areas for improvement. The final approach was initiated from the southeast, heading 290.0° at an altitude of -167 feet above ground level (agl) and 0 nautical miles from the runway. The aircraft maintained a good threshold height, but the threshold speed was excessively high at 134 knots, which is a concern for safety.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's touchdown distance was good at 52 meters, but the touchdown speed was also excessively fast at 134 knots. This excessive speed resulted in a very heavy touchdown rate of -1,136 feet per minute, which could have put additional stress on the aircraft's landing gear. Furthermore, the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 5.2 meters from the centerline, which may have been due to the pilot's judgment or the aircraft's handling characteristics.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were relatively calm, with a temperature of 3°C and winds of 1 knot from 53°. This minimal wind made the landing conditions ideal, but it also highlighted the need for the pilot to maintain control and precision during the approach and touchdown phases.
Despite some areas for improvement, the aircraft's runway rollout alignment was very good, indicating that the pilot was able to maintain control and stability after touchdown. The total landing distance of 570 meters was 75% of the runway length, which is a reasonable distance considering the aircraft's size and weight.
Overall, the landing was successful, but it highlights the importance of maintaining a safe and controlled approach and touchdown phase, particularly in terms of speed and alignment. With some adjustments to the pilot's technique and the aircraft's handling characteristics, the OV-10 Bronco can achieve even better landing performance.
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