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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Keep the approach speed on target
Every knot above Vref is stored kinetic energy, and energy stored at the threshold must be dissipated in ground effect before the aeroplane will stop flying. Because kinetic energy scales with the square of speed, the excess you must dissipate grows fast. At a 45-knot approach, five knots hot is over a tenth more speed and roughly a quarter more energy to get rid of in ground effect. This is why the fix is never in the flare. It was decided three miles earlier, on final, at the airspeed indicator.
Read more in VRef ExplainedStart to finish · 10 stages, 8 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: 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 774 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 774 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 83 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight in the Draco X departed from Quintin Lodge Airstrip in Southland, New Zealand, taking off from runway 01 and covering a takeoff distance of 260 ft, which was 17% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 0 kn, with a local temperature of 59 °F and wind speed of 2 kn at 270 °, resulting in a crosswind of 2 kn and a headwind of 0 kn.
During the enroute climb, the aircraft started climbing from 836 ft asl to 7,448 ft asl, covering a distance of 4 nm in 2 minutes. The descent began 4 miles northeast of Quintin Lodge Airstrip, descending from 7,606 ft asl to 200 ft asl in 5 minutes and covering 6 nm.
The final approach to runway 29 at Milford Sound Airport was from the southeast, with a heading of 305.0 ° at 0 nm and 197 ft agl. The landing on runway 29 had a runway length of 2,540 ft, with a good threshold height. The threshold speed was below target, so care was needed to avoid stalling. The touchdown distance was good at 262 ft, with a touchdown speed of 0 kn and a fair touchdown rate of -283 ft/m. The runway touchdown alignment was very good, with local weather conditions showing a temperature of 59 °F and a wind speed of 2 kn at 270 °, resulting in a crosswind of 1 kn and a headwind of 2 kn.
The total landing distance was 400 ft, which was 16% of the runway, with a perfect runway rollout alignment. The total flight distance was 10 nm, taking 8 minutes and using 48 lbs of fuel.
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