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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 Bush Flying 101Start to finish · 12 stages, 11 scored
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
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 3,139 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 609 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The VL-3 915 aircraft departed from runway 07 at KLMT Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport, taking off with a distance of 188 meters, which accounted for 14% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 50 knots, and the local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 2 knots at 270 degrees. This resulted in a negligible crosswind and a slight tailwind of 2 knots.
As the aircraft entered the left-hand pattern from runway 07, it covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile in 26 seconds. The subsequent left-hand pattern crosswind leg was completed in 21 seconds, with a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The pattern downwind turn involved a distance of 1 nautical mile, with an angle to the runway of 45 degrees and a heading of 112.2 degrees.
The final approach to runway 14 was initiated from the north, with a heading of 156.0 degrees at an altitude of 74 feet above ground level (agl) and a distance of 0 nautical miles from the runway. However, the landing was not entirely smooth, as the threshold speed was excessively high at 87 knots, and the touchdown speed was also excessively fast at 58 knots.
The touchdown point was located 173 meters beyond the touchdown zone, and the touchdown rate was excellent at -92 feet per minute (fpm). Unfortunately, the runway touchdown position was misaligned by 9.6 meters from the centerline, and the runway rollout alignment was also slightly misaligned by 9.3 meters from the centerline.
After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area, covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile in 10 minutes. The total flight distance was 3 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 7 minutes, during which the aircraft consumed 1 kilogram of fuel.
The aircraft, VL-3 915, successfully landed at KLMT Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport, but with some notable issues. The final approach was initiated from the north, heading 156.0° at 0 nm and 74 ft above ground level (agl). The aircraft touched down on runway 14, which has a length of 3,139 meters.
Upon analysis, it appears that the threshold height was satisfactory, but the threshold speed was excessively high at 87 kt. This indicates that the pilot may have been able to slow down more efficiently before touchdown. The touchdown point was 173 meters beyond the touchdown zone, which suggests that the pilot may have been a bit too aggressive with the landing. The touchdown speed of 58 kt was also excessively fast, which could have contributed to the long touchdown distance.
Despite these issues, the touchdown rate was excellent at -92 fpm, indicating a smooth and controlled descent. However, the runway touchdown position was misaligned by 9.6 meters from the centreline, which could have made the landing more challenging. The local weather conditions were relatively calm, with a temperature of 15°C, a wind speed of 2 kt at 270°, and a crosswind of 2 kt and a tailwind of 1 kt.
The total landing distance was 878 meters, which is 28% of the runway length. This is a relatively long landing distance, but it's not uncommon for aircraft to experience some variation in landing performance. The runway rollout alignment was slightly misaligned by 9.3 meters from the centreline, which suggests that the pilot may have had some difficulty maintaining a straight course during the rollout.
Overall, while the landing was not perfect, the aircraft was able to touch down safely and come to a stop within a reasonable distance. However, the pilot may want to review their landing technique to improve their performance and reduce the risk of accidents.
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