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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 · 25 stages, 23 scored
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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.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 3,040 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 3,040 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 1,901 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The F-35A Lightning II took off from runway 31 at Winnipeg / James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, a distance of 982 meters, which is 37% of the runway. The aircraft lifted off at a speed of 194 knots. The local weather conditions at the time of takeoff were a temperature of 22 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 8 knots from a direction of 229 degrees, resulting in a crosswind of 8 knots and a headwind of 0 knots.
As the aircraft climbed out of Winnipeg, it reached an altitude of 2,296 feet above sea level, an increase of 847 feet in just 1 minute, covering a distance of 3 nautical miles. The enroute level cruise started 2 miles south west of the airport and lasted for 2 minutes, covering 5 nautical miles. The aircraft then began another climb, this time from 2,203 feet to 2,809 feet, an increase of 606 feet in 2 minutes, covering 6 nautical miles.
The F-35A continued its journey, making several more climbs and level cruises, including a notable climb from 3,273 feet to 4,250 feet in 2 minutes, covering 12 nautical miles. The aircraft then entered a level cruise, lasting 20 minutes, covering 139 nautical miles. As it continued its journey, the F-35A climbed from 4,838 feet to 7,673 feet in 2 minutes, covering 15 nautical miles.
The aircraft then began its descent, starting 1 mile south east of Becker, Minnesota, and descending from 8,101 feet to 2,809 feet in 3 minutes, covering 21 nautical miles. The F-35A then entered another level cruise, lasting 9 minutes, covering 34 nautical miles. The final descent started 3 miles south east of St Paul Park, Minnesota, and the aircraft descended from 2,396 feet to 1,876 feet in 3 minutes, covering 10 nautical miles.
The F-35A then began its final approach to runway 30L at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, heading 303.0 degrees at 3 nautical miles and 1,039 feet above ground level. The aircraft landed on the runway, which was 3,040 meters long, and the touchdown point was very long, using more than 50% of the available runway. The touchdown speed was 146 knots, which was good, but the touchdown rate was fair at -216 feet per minute.
The F-35A taxied to the parking area from the runway, taking 296 minutes and covering less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 378 nautical miles, and the aircraft used -9 kilograms of fuel. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were a temperature of 23 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 2 knots from a direction of 257 degrees, resulting in a crosswind of 2 knots and a headwind of 2 knots.
The F-35A Lightning II aircraft successfully landed on runway 30L at KMSP Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, but the landing was not without its challenges. The final approach was initiated from the southeast, heading 303.0° at 3 nautical miles and 1,039 feet above ground level (agl). The aircraft's performance during the landing was evaluated, and it scored 67.7%.
One of the notable issues during the landing was the threshold height, which was significantly above the target height at 90 feet agl. This indicates that the aircraft may have been higher than desired when approaching the runway threshold. Additionally, the threshold speed was well above the target at 173 knots, suggesting that the aircraft may have been traveling too fast when reaching the threshold.
The touchdown point was also a concern, as it was very long, using more than 50% of the available runway. This indicates that the aircraft may have been unable to stop within the desired distance. However, the touchdown speed of 146 knots was good, and the touchdown rate of -216 feet per minute (fpm) was fair. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 3.6 meters from the centerline, which may have contributed to the long touchdown point.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 23°C and a wind speed of 2 knots at 257°. The crosswind and headwind components were both 2 knots, which suggests that the wind was not a significant factor in the landing.
The total landing distance was 2,988 meters, which is 98% of the available runway length. This indicates that the aircraft was able to stop within the desired distance, but the long touchdown point and misaligned runway touchdown position may have contributed to the high landing distance. The runway rollout alignment was also slightly misaligned by 12.3 meters from the centerline, which may have affected the aircraft's ability to stop within the desired distance.
Overall, while the F-35A Lightning II was able to land safely on runway 30L at KMSP, the landing was not without its challenges. The aircraft's performance during the landing was evaluated, and it scored 67.7%. The issues identified during the landing, including the high threshold height and speed, long touchdown point, and misaligned runway touchdown position, highlight the need for further training and practice to improve the aircraft's landing performance.
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