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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Know your rotation speed
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 · 19 stages, 17 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 925 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 925 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 176 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 12 minutes and covered less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, a Cessna C172, then departed from runway 08 at KBWC Brawley Municipal Airport. The takeoff distance was 565 meters, which accounted for 52% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 79 knots, and the local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 1 knot at 180 degrees.
As the aircraft climbed out of Brawley, it began its enroute climb from 451 feet above sea level to 1,774 feet, an increase of 1,323 feet in just 3 minutes, covering a distance of 3 nautical miles. This climb phase was followed by a level cruise that lasted 44 minutes and covered 73 nautical miles, starting 2 miles northwest of Brawley.
The aircraft then began another enroute climb, this time from 3,776 feet above sea level to 4,456 feet, an increase of 680 feet in 2 minutes, covering 3 nautical miles. This climb phase was followed by a short level cruise that lasted 2 minutes and covered 3 nautical miles, starting 4 miles west of Desert Hot Springs.
The aircraft then began another enroute climb, this time from 5,035 feet above sea level to 6,866 feet, an increase of 1,831 feet in 4 minutes, covering 7 nautical miles. This climb phase was followed by a level cruise that lasted 9 minutes and covered 14 nautical miles, starting 5 miles northwest of Morongo Valley.
As the aircraft approached its destination, it began its enroute descent from 6,748 feet above sea level to 4,777 feet, a decrease of 1,971 feet in 7 minutes, covering 11 nautical miles. This descent phase was followed by a level cruise that lasted 21 minutes and covered 29 nautical miles, starting 6 miles southwest of Abraham Ranch Airport.
The final approach to runway 21 at L26 Hesperia was made from the northeast, heading 218.0 degrees at 0 nautical miles and 66 feet above ground level. The landing was successful, with a touchdown distance of 174 meters and a touchdown speed of 40 knots. The touchdown rate was excellent at -97 feet per minute, and the runway touchdown alignment was very good.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 12 knots at 23 degrees. The crosswind was 3 knots, and the tailwind was 12 knots. The total landing distance was 488 meters, which accounted for 53% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was also very good.
In total, the flight covered a distance of 147 nautical miles and took 98 minutes to complete, using 40 kilograms of fuel.
The Cessna C172 aircraft successfully landed at L26 Hesperia, achieving a score of 94.0%. The final approach was conducted from the north-east, heading 218.0° at 0 nm and 66 ft above ground level (agl). The aircraft demonstrated good control and precision during the approach, ultimately landing safely on runway 21.
The landing was executed with a threshold speed of 47 kn, which was well below the target speed, indicating a cautious approach to avoid stalling. The touchdown distance of 174 m was considered good, and the touchdown speed of 40 kn was also within acceptable limits. The most impressive aspect of the landing was the touchdown rate, which was an excellent -97 fpm, indicating a smooth and controlled descent.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were characterized by a temperature of 10 °C and a wind speed of 12 kn at 23°. The crosswind component was relatively low at 3 kn, while the tailwind component was 12 kn. Despite these conditions, the aircraft maintained a very good runway touchdown alignment, which is a testament to the pilot's skill and experience.
The total landing distance of 488 m was 53% of the runway length, indicating a relatively short landing roll. The runway rollout alignment was also very good, suggesting that the pilot maintained control of the aircraft throughout the landing roll. Overall, the landing was a success, with the aircraft demonstrating good control, precision, and adherence to safety protocols.
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