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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, 13 scored
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One stabilised approach gate for a circuit: six checks at the point nearest 500 ft above the runway after the base turn. The 1,000 ft gate is an instrument-approach check and does not apply.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 2,737 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 932 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 30 at EGPK Glasgow Prestwick Airport. The Cessna 414A aircraft accelerated down the runway, covering a distance of 517 meters, which accounted for 19% of the runway's length. The liftoff speed was achieved at 87 knots, marking the start of the flight.
As the aircraft entered the local airspace, it encountered a relatively calm environment, with a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius and a gentle wind of 1 knot blowing from the northwest. The aircraft then entered a left-hand pattern, navigating the circuit from runway 30. The entry into the pattern was swift, with the aircraft covering less than 1 nautical mile in 188 seconds.
The left-hand pattern crosswind leg was slightly longer, requiring the aircraft to cover 2 nautical miles in 41 seconds. The pilot then initiated a pattern downwind turn, which involved a 5-nautical-mile distance and an angle of 45 degrees to the runway. This was followed by a downwind leg, where the aircraft covered 1 nautical mile in 39 seconds.
As the aircraft began its final approach to runway 12, it was heading northwest at an altitude of 1,010 feet above ground level. The approach was made from the north-west, with the aircraft maintaining a steady heading of 115 degrees. The landing was executed on the 2,737-meter-long runway, with the threshold height being above the target at 70 feet above ground level.
The touchdown speed was well above the target at 100 knots, but the touchdown point was 497 meters beyond the touchdown zone. The touchdown speed of 72 knots was considered good, and the touchdown rate of -77 feet per minute was excellent. However, the runway touchdown position was misaligned by 13.7 meters from the centerline, likely due to the tailwind of 1 knot.
The flight concluded with a total distance of 9 nautical miles, which was covered in 8 minutes. The aircraft used 12 kilograms of fuel during the flight, indicating a relatively efficient operation.
The Cessna 414A aircraft successfully landed at EGPK Glasgow Prestwick Airport, with a score of 81.0%. The final approach was initiated from the north-west, heading 115.0° at a distance of 3 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,010 feet above ground level (agl). The aircraft was on a steady course for a landing on runway 12, which has a length of 2,737 meters.
Upon reaching the threshold height of 70 feet agl, the aircraft was found to be above the target height, indicating a slight delay in the descent. However, the threshold speed of 100 knots was significantly above the target, suggesting that the pilot may have been able to make adjustments to the approach to achieve a more optimal speed. The touchdown point was located 497 meters beyond the touchdown zone, which may indicate a slight over-shooting of the intended landing spot.
The touchdown speed of 72 knots was within the acceptable range, and the touchdown rate of -77 feet per minute (fpm) was excellent, indicating a smooth and controlled descent. However, the runway touchdown position was misaligned by 13.7 meters from the centerline, which may have been due to a slight deviation in the approach or a miscalculation of the landing spot.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were relatively calm, with a temperature of 16°C and a wind speed of 1 knot from 269°. The crosswind and tailwind components were both 1 knot, which suggests that the aircraft was not significantly affected by wind during the approach. Overall, the landing was successful, but there were some minor deviations from the optimal approach and landing parameters.
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