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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Know your rotation speed
Next time
Rotate the moment the speed tape reaches 70 kt, not after it.
What happened: Rotation was held until 91 kt, 21 kt past the 70 kt rotation target. Carrying that much extra speed into rotation usually adds unwanted energy right at liftoff.
Watch for: Airspeed indicator against the 70 kt rotation target.
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 · 14 stages, 13 scored
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The threshold, the flare and the hold-off. The approach that led to it is the stabilisation gates below.
Two stabilised approach gates, each with seven checks, where the approach path is 1,000 ft and 500 ft above the runway. They are the approach's score: the checks passed out of the checks that ran.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 1,826 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 412 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The Diamond DA42 Twin Star taxied to runway 25R at KDAB Daytona Beach International Airport and commenced its take-off roll, covering 649 m which represents 20 % of the available runway. Liftoff was achieved at 91 kt. Ambient conditions were 16 °C with a wind from 269° at 4 kt, including a 2 kt cross-wind component and a 4 kt head-wind component.
Climb began approximately one mile southwest of KDAB, with the aircraft ascending from 990 ft asl to 5,010 ft asl, a gain of 4,020 ft achieved in three minutes while traversing six nautical miles.
The first cruise segment started two miles northwest of Samsula-Spruce Creek and lasted three minutes, during which the aircraft covered nine nautical miles at level flight.
Descent commenced two miles southeast of FA63 Leffler Airport, with altitude decreasing from 5,002 ft asl to 4,006 ft asl, a loss of 996 ft over two minutes and four nautical miles.
A second cruise phase began three miles northeast of 0FL2 Alligator Drink Seaplane Base, lasting two minutes and covering four nautical miles at constant altitude.
The subsequent descent was initiated overhead 01FL Cedar Knoll Flying Ranch Airport, dropping from 3,873 ft asl to 1,101 ft asl, a reduction of 2,772 ft in five minutes while covering thirteen nautical miles.
Final approach to runway 25 at KORL Orlando Executive Airport was flown from the northeast on a heading of 245.0°, beginning four nautical miles out and 996 ft above ground level.
Landing was executed on runway 25, whose length is 1,826 m. The threshold speed was recorded at 79 kt, above the target. Touchdown occurred 411 m down the runway at 68 kt with a descent rate of minus 189 fpm, and runway alignment was perfect.
Rollout distance measured 585 m, representing 32 % of the runway, and alignment remained perfect throughout the deceleration phase.
In total the flight covered 42 nm, required 20 minutes of elapsed time, and consumed 12 kg of fuel.
The Diamond DA42 Twin Star approached runway 25 at KORL Orlando Executive Airport from the north-east on a heading of 245.0° at 4 nm and 996 ft agl, and the approach was assessed as stabilised at the 1,000 ft gate with gear, flaps, sink rate, glideslope and centreline all within limits.
During the threshold and flare the runway length of 1,826 m and a good threshold height were noted; threshold speed was well above target at 79 kt, touchdown distance was good at 411 m, touchdown speed at 68 kt was a little fast and touchdown rate was good at minus 189 fpm, with runway touchdown alignment perfect.
Touchdown occurred with the aircraft aligned perfectly on the centreline, the total landing distance measured 585 m (32 % of runway) and the local weather was 15 °C, wind 4 kt at 262°, crosswind 1 kt and headwind 4 kt.
Rollout continued with runway rollout alignment perfect.
Reduce the threshold and touchdown speeds toward their targets to eliminate the “well above target” and “a little fast” observations; tighter speed control will further improve the already high score of 97.3 %.
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