Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Improve the pattern downwind leg
The 45-degrees-behind-the-wing cue assumes you can turn your head and use peripheral vision. Downwind spacing cues like "put the wingtip halfway up the strut" assume a fixed, known eyepoint. Neither survives a monitor unmodified. If you fly on a fixed monitor, stop pretending and fly a numbers-based circuit.
Read more in Pattern WorkStart to finish · 18 stages, 16 in the score
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
The threshold, the flare and the hold-off. The approach that led to it is the stabilisation gates below.
One stabilised approach gate for a circuit: seven checks where the approach path is 300 ft above the runway. The 1,000 ft gate is an instrument-approach check and does not apply.
At the 300 ft gate: gear still up.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,276 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 1,276 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 220 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 09 at Whakatane Airport (NZWK). The aircraft, an SR22, required a takeoff distance of 398 meters, which accounted for 31% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was achieved at 82 knots.
As the aircraft entered the traffic pattern, it followed a right-hand pattern entry from runway 09. This maneuver was completed in less than 1 nautical mile in 18 seconds. The right-hand pattern crosswind leg was also executed, taking approximately 20 seconds to complete. The aircraft then proceeded to the downwind turn, covering a distance of 1 nautical mile at an angle of 77.7 degrees to the runway.
The downwind leg itself was 2 nautical miles long and took 73 seconds to complete. The base leg turn was then executed, covering a distance of 2 nautical miles at an angle of 37.5 degrees to the runway. The base leg was completed in less than 1 nautical mile in 24 seconds. The final turn was also executed, taking approximately 38 seconds to complete.
The aircraft then began its final approach to runway 09 from the west, heading 112.0 degrees at 1 nautical mile and 417 feet above ground level. The landing was executed with a threshold speed slightly above the target at 84 knots. The touchdown distance was good at 218 meters, but the touchdown speed was a little fast at 80 knots. The touchdown rate was good at -165 feet per minute, and the runway touchdown alignment was very good.
The local weather conditions during the landing were a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and a wind of 2 knots at 191 degrees. The crosswind was 2 knots, and the headwind was 0 knots. The total landing distance was 580 meters, accounting for 45% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was also very good.
After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area from the runway, taking less than 1 minute and covering less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 7 nautical miles, taking approximately 5 minutes to complete, and the aircraft used 4 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The aircraft in question, a SR22, successfully landed at Whakatane Airport (NZWK) with a score of 95.8%. The final approach was conducted from the west, heading 112.0° at 1 nautical mile and 417 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot executed a precise landing on runway 09, which has a length of 1,276 meters.
Upon touchdown, the threshold height was reported as good, indicating that the aircraft touched down at the correct point on the runway. However, the threshold speed was slightly above the target speed of 84 knots, which may have been due to various factors such as wind conditions or pilot preference. The touchdown distance of 218 meters was considered good, demonstrating the pilot's ability to control the aircraft's descent and speed.
The touchdown speed of 80 knots was a little fast, which may have resulted in a slightly longer rollout distance. Nevertheless, the touchdown rate of -165 feet per minute (fpm) was reported as good, indicating that the aircraft's descent was controlled and smooth. The runway touchdown alignment was very good, suggesting that the pilot maintained a stable and consistent approach.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 20°C and a wind speed of 2 knots from 191°. The crosswind component was minimal at 2 knots, while the headwind component was zero. These conditions likely contributed to the successful landing.
The total landing distance of 580 meters was 45% of the runway length, which is a reasonable distance considering the aircraft's size and weight. The runway rollout alignment was also very good, indicating that the pilot maintained control of the aircraft during the rollout phase. Overall, the landing was considered successful, with the pilot demonstrating good control and precision throughout the approach and touchdown phases.
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