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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Work on the flare
Arrive slow and the sink rate at the threshold is already above schedule, the flare is short because there is no energy to extend it, and the touchdown is hard in a way that feels exactly like a late flare. Diagnosing a slow arrival as a late flare is the catastrophic misread: you respond by flaring earlier, which bleeds more speed, which makes the next one worse. The tiebreaker is threshold speed against VRef, not feel. Never diagnose a flare without it.
Read more in Flare TimingStart to finish · 21 stages, 19 scored
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The threshold, the flare and the hold-off. The approach that led to it is the stabilisation gates below.
Two stabilised approach gates, each with five checks, where the approach path is 1,000 ft and 500 ft above the runway.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,826 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,826 m of the 3,807 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 448 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
This Airbus A321 took off from runway 23L at Düsseldorf Airport (EDDL) in Düsseldorf, Germany, after a taxiing period of 8 minutes and a distance of 3 nautical miles (nm). The aircraft departed with a local temperature of 24 °C and a wind blowing at 7 knots (kt) from a direction of 150 °. The crosswind component was also 7 kt, while the headwind was a mere 1 kt.
As the plane took off, it utilized 60% of the 1,432-meter runway, reaching a liftoff speed of 156 kt. With a takeoff distance of 1,432 meters, the aircraft initiated its enroute climb over the Düsseldorf airport, gradually ascending from an altitude of 1,116 feet above sea level (asl) to 7,251 ft asl within 3 minutes while covering a distance of 9 nm.
Following the initial climb, the aircraft engaged in various enroute maneuvers. It began an enroute descent 3 miles northeast of Grevenbroich, Germany, where it dropped 2,197 ft in 3 minutes, covering a distance of 10 nm. The aircraft then entered a level cruise approximately 1 mile southwest of Hilden, Germany, staying at this altitude for 3 minutes while covering 11 nm.
This cruise phase was interrupted by another descent 1 mile southeast of Rommerskirchen, Germany, where the plane decreased 985 ft in 2 minutes while covering 5 nm. Further level cruising took place 2 miles northeast of Pulheim, Germany, for 2 minutes, covering an additional 5 nm. The aircraft continued its descent 1 mile northeast of Nippes, Germany, where it dropped 1,483 ft in 2 minutes while covering 4 nm.
With its final destination being Cologne Bonn Airport (EDDK), the plane initiated a final approach to runway 13L from a distance of 4 nm, flying at an altitude of 1,145 feet agl (above ground level). Local conditions at this time featured a temperature of 22 °C and winds blowing at 6 kt from a direction of 140 ° with crosswind and headwind components of 0 kt and 6 kt, respectively.
The aircraft landed on runway 13L, which was 3,807 meters long, with the threshold height being above the target. The threshold speed, in contrast, was well above the target at 145 kt. The touchdown distance was 450 meters, indicating that the pilot landed the plane with a good distance left in the runway. The touchdown speed was slightly above the target at 138 kt, while the touchdown rate was hard at -416 feet per minute (fpm). The runway touchdown alignment was precise, and the runway rollout alignment was excellent.
After landing, the plane took 11 minutes to taxi to the parking area, covering a distance of 2 nm. The aircraft's total flight distance was 56 nm, taking a flight time of 33 minutes and consuming a total of 1,280 kg of fuel.
A comprehensive report of the Airbus A321 landing at EDDK Cologne Bonn Airport reveals a 94% successful landing, indicating that the aircraft performed well within expectations. The final approach to runway 13L was initiated from the northwest, heading 137.0° at 4 nm and an altitude of 1,145 ft above ground level (agl). The landing was conducted with favorable local weather conditions, with a temperature of 22 °C and a wind speed of 6 kt blowing from 140°.
As the aircraft made its approach, it successfully landed on the 3,807 m long runway, but the threshold height at 62 ft agl was slightly above the target height, indicating that the aircraft may have touched down with a bit more altitude than intended. However, the threshold speed, which was well above the target at 145 kt, suggests that the aircraft was approaching the runway with a considerable amount of excess speed.
Despite the slight deviation in threshold height, the touchdown distance of 450 m was deemed good, and the touchdown speed, although a little fast at 138 kt, did not pose a significant issue. However, the touchdown rate of -416 fpm was harder than anticipated. These slight deviations did not appear to affect the runway alignment, as the touchdown alignment was reported as perfect. This suggests that the aircraft maintained its intended approach path and touched down within the desired location on the runway.
The local weather conditions contributed positively to the landing, with a 6 kt headwind, but a minimal crosswind of 0 kt. This headwind component helped to reduce the aircraft's ground speed and stabilize the approach. As a result, the total landing distance of 1,743 m, equivalent to 46% of the runway length, was within acceptable limits.
Upon landing, the aircraft maintained excellent rollout alignment, with a very good alignment with the runway, ensuring a smooth and stable deceleration process. Overall, the crew's handling and control of the Airbus A321 resulted in a relatively successful landing at EDDK Cologne Bonn Airport.
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