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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Improve the takeoff
A typical trainer rotates in the mid-50s of knots - a 172 at around 55 KIAS, climbing out at a Vy in the low 70s, though check your own POH rather than memorising Cessna's numbers - and the transferable rule is that Vr sits just above the stall speed in takeoff configuration. Rotate early because "it felt ready" and the aircraft lifts off inside ground effect, where induced drag is reduced, then climbs out of it into more drag. On a marginal-performance day the result is an aircraft that lifts off and then refuses to climb, sagging back towards the runway.
Read more in Improve Your Take-OffsStart to finish · 17 stages, 15 scored
Events
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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 for a circuit: five checks where the approach path is 500 ft above the runway. The 1,000 ft gate is an instrument-approach check and does not apply.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,279 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 1,279 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 134 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the aircraft taxiing from the parking area to the runway, a process that took 3 minutes and covered less than 1 nautical mile. The departure roll from runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (KSBA) was smooth, with a takeoff distance of 119 meters, which accounted for 6% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 52 knots.
As the aircraft took to the skies, it encountered local weather conditions of 25°C temperature and a wind speed of 4 knots at 229°. The crosswind was 2 knots, while the headwind was 3 knots. The pilot then entered a left-hand pattern from runway 25, covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile in just 14 seconds. The subsequent left-hand pattern crosswind maneuver was completed in 28 seconds, with the aircraft covering a similar distance.
The pattern continued with a downwind turn, which covered a distance of 1 nautical mile and had an angle to the runway of 90.0°. The downwind leg itself was 2 nautical miles long and took 69 seconds to complete. The base leg was less than 1 nautical mile long and took 38 seconds, while the final turn was completed in 83 seconds.
As the aircraft approached the runway, it was on a heading of 166.0° at an altitude of 213 feet above ground level (agl) and 0 nautical miles from the runway. The final approach was made to runway 15R at KSBA, which had a length of 1,279 meters. The threshold height was good, and the threshold speed was slightly above the target at 59 knots.
The landing was successful, with a touchdown distance of 132 meters, which was good. However, the touchdown speed of 54 knots was a little fast. The touchdown rate was excellent at -72 feet per minute (fpm), and the runway touchdown alignment was very good. The local weather conditions remained the same, with a temperature of 25°C and a wind speed of 4 knots at 229°. The crosswind was 4 knots, while the headwind was 2 knots.
The total landing distance was 242 meters, which accounted for 19% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was perfect, and the aircraft came to a stop quickly. The taxiing to the parking area from the runway took less than 1 minute and covered less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 6 nautical miles, and the flight took 8 minutes to complete. The aircraft used 1 kilogram of fuel during the flight.
The Sirius aircraft successfully landed at KSBA Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, achieving a high score of 98.2%. The final approach to runway 15R was conducted from the north, with a heading of 166.0° at an altitude of 213 feet above ground level (agl) and 0 nautical miles from the runway.
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down on the runway with a good threshold height, indicating a smooth and controlled descent. However, the threshold speed was slightly above the target speed of 59 knots, suggesting that the pilot may have been slightly aggressive in their approach. Despite this, the touchdown distance of 132 meters was good, indicating that the pilot had sufficient control over the aircraft's descent.
The touchdown speed of 54 knots was a little fast, which may have been due to the pilot's slightly aggressive approach. Nevertheless, the touchdown rate of -72 feet per minute (fpm) was excellent, indicating a smooth and controlled touchdown. The runway touchdown alignment was very good, suggesting that the pilot had maintained a stable and consistent approach.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 25°C and a wind speed of 4 knots from 229°. The crosswind component was 4 knots, while the headwind component was 2 knots. These conditions did not appear to have significantly impacted the landing, with the aircraft maintaining a stable and controlled approach.
The total landing distance of 242 meters was 19% of the runway length, indicating a relatively short landing distance. The runway rollout alignment was perfect, suggesting that the pilot had maintained control over the aircraft's roll-out and had brought the aircraft to a stop in a stable and controlled manner. Overall, the landing was a success, with the Sirius aircraft demonstrating excellent handling and control characteristics.
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