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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Improve the pattern base leg turn
Bank angle in the pattern is conventionally kept to 20 to 30 degrees, and the base-to-final turn is where that convention earns its keep. Stall speed rises with bank because the wing must produce more lift in a turn. Roughly 7 per cent higher at 30 degrees, about 19 per cent at 45, and around 40 per cent at 60. At 65 kt on base you don't have much margin to spend steepening a turn to salvage an overshoot.
Read more in Pattern WorkStart to finish · 15 stages, 13 scored
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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 1,053 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 1,053 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 209 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the aircraft, a Sting S4, taxiing from the parking area to the runway at 4N1 Greenwood Lake. This process took approximately 2 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. Once at the runway, the aircraft took off from runway 24, with a takeoff distance of 110 meters, which is 10% of the runway's length. The liftoff speed was 55 knots.
The local weather conditions at the time of takeoff were characterized by a temperature of 15°C, with a wind speed of 1 knot at 54°. There was no crosswind, but a slight tailwind of 1 knot. After taking off, the aircraft entered a left-hand pattern, which involved a turn from the runway 24 at 4N1 Greenwood Lake. This turn covered a distance of 1 nautical mile in 13 seconds.
As the aircraft continued in the left-hand pattern, it encountered a crosswind from runway 24 at 4N1 Greenwood Lake. The distance covered during this phase was less than 1 nautical mile in 20 seconds. The pattern then involved a downwind turn, which covered a distance of 1 nautical mile and had an angle to the runway of 45 degrees, with a turn angle of 34.5 degrees.
The downwind leg of the pattern covered a distance of 2 nautical miles in 88 seconds. Following this, the aircraft entered a base leg turn, which covered a distance of 1 nautical mile and had an angle to the runway of 45 degrees, with a turn angle of 10.1 degrees. The final approach to the runway 24 at 4N1 Greenwood Lake was made from the north-east, with a heading of 218.0° at an altitude of 191 feet above ground level.
The landing on runway 24 at 4N1 Greenwood Lake was successful, with a threshold height that was good and a threshold speed of 52 knots. The touchdown distance was also good, at 206 meters. However, the touchdown speed of 39 knots was a little fast, and the touchdown rate was smooth at -122 feet per minute. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned from the centreline by 3.9 meters.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 16°C, with a wind speed of 1 knot at 53°. There was no crosswind, but a slight tailwind of 1 knot. The total landing distance was 322 meters, which is 31% of the runway's length. The runway rollout alignment was very good. The total flight distance was 7 nautical miles, which was covered in 8 minutes, and the aircraft used 0 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The aircraft in question, a Sting S4, successfully landed at 4N1 Greenwood Lake, demonstrating a high level of proficiency in its landing technique. The final approach was initiated from the north-east, heading 218.0° at an altitude of 191 feet above ground level (agl) and 0 nautical miles from the runway. This approach was likely a standard procedure, taking advantage of the prevailing wind conditions to minimize the impact of crosswind.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft performed well, with a threshold speed of 52 knots being achieved. This speed is generally considered optimal for a safe and controlled landing. The touchdown distance of 206 meters was also within acceptable limits, indicating that the pilot had sufficient control over the aircraft's descent and speed. However, the touchdown speed of 39 knots was slightly higher than desired, suggesting that the pilot may have been able to make some adjustments to the approach to achieve a more optimal speed.
The landing rate of -122 feet per minute (fpm) was smooth, indicating that the pilot had successfully managed the aircraft's descent and touchdown. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned, being 3.9 meters off-centerline, but this did not appear to have any significant impact on the overall landing performance.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were relatively calm, with a temperature of 16°C and a wind speed of 1 knot from 53°. This minimal wind made the landing even more challenging, as the pilot had to contend with a slight tailwind component. Despite these conditions, the pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft and execute a safe and controlled landing.
The total landing distance of 322 meters was 31% of the runway length, which is a relatively short distance. This suggests that the pilot had successfully managed the aircraft's speed and descent to achieve a quick and efficient landing. The runway rollout alignment was also very good, indicating that the pilot had maintained control of the aircraft during the rollout phase and had successfully brought it to a stop in a safe and controlled manner. Overall, the landing performance of the Sting S4 was impressive, with a score of 94.2% indicating a high level of proficiency and skill on the part of the pilot.
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