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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Shorten the long landing
Ground effect becomes significant below about one wingspan of height. A Cessna 172, with a 36 ft span, enters ground effect at flare height - the float it feels in the hold-off is ground effect arriving on cue. An A320, with a span around 117 ft, has been in ground effect since before the threshold and there is no sudden cushion to feel, only a gradual reduction in induced drag that lengthens any float you allow.
Read more in Flare TimingStart to finish · 14 stages, 12 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 1,376 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 1,376 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 394 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 6 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, a Cessna Skyhawk, then departed from runway 37W at the PALH Lake Hood Seaplane Base. The takeoff distance was 256 meters, which accounted for 44% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was 45 knots, and the local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of -13°C, with no wind at 225 degrees.
As the aircraft climbed away from the runway, it began its enroute climb 1 mile west of Anchorage, Alaska. The climb started from an altitude of 1,010 feet above sea level and reached 1,939 feet above sea level, an increase of 928 feet, in just 2 minutes while covering a distance of 2 nautical miles.
After reaching the desired altitude, the aircraft began its enroute descent 1 mile northwest of Anchorage. The descent started from 1,937 feet above sea level and ended at 151 feet above sea level, a decrease of 1,787 feet, in 4 minutes while covering a distance of 4 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 39W at the PALH Lake Hood Seaplane Base was made from the north, heading 114.0 degrees at an altitude of 81 feet above ground level and a distance of 0 nautical miles from the runway. The landing was made on the runway, which had a length of 1,376 meters. The threshold height was good, and the threshold speed was also satisfactory at 63 knots.
The touchdown point was 176 meters beyond the touchdown zone, and the touchdown speed was 55 knots, which was considered good. The touchdown rate was excellent at -97 feet per minute. However, the runway touchdown position was excessively misaligned by 109.6 meters from the centerline. The local weather conditions remained the same, with a temperature of -13°C and no wind.
The total landing distance was 675 meters, which accounted for 49% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was also excessively misaligned by 98.9 meters from the centerline. After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area, which took 2 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile.
The total flight distance was 8 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 13 minutes. The aircraft used 4 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The Cessna Skyhawk has successfully landed at PALH Lake Hood Seaplane Base, achieving a score of 76.4%. The aircraft's final approach to runway 39W was from the north, heading 114.0° at 0 nm and 81 ft above ground level (agl). The pilot demonstrated good control during the approach, maintaining a steady altitude and heading.
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down at a speed of 55 kn, which was within the acceptable threshold speed of 63 kn. The touchdown point was 176 m beyond the touchdown zone, indicating that the pilot may have slightly over-extended the landing. However, the touchdown rate of -97 fpm was excellent, suggesting that the pilot had good control over the aircraft's descent.
One area for improvement was the runway alignment, as the aircraft touched down 109.6 m off the centreline. This excessive misalignment was also observed during the runway rollout, where the aircraft was 98.9 m off the centreline. This may indicate that the pilot could benefit from additional training on maintaining a straight course during landing.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were relatively calm, with a temperature of -13 °C and a wind speed of 0 kn from 249°. There was no crosswind or headwind to contend with, which made the landing conditions ideal. Overall, the pilot demonstrated good skills during the landing, but could benefit from refinement in maintaining a straight course during the rollout.
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