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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Know your rotation speed
A typical trainer rotates in the mid-50s of knots - a 172 at around 55 KIAS, climbing out at a Vy in the low 70s, though check your own POH rather than memorising Cessna's numbers - and the transferable rule is that Vr sits just above the stall speed in takeoff configuration. Rotate early because "it felt ready" and the aircraft lifts off inside ground effect, where induced drag is reduced, then climbs out of it into more drag. On a marginal-performance day the result is an aircraft that lifts off and then refuses to climb, sagging back towards the runway.
Read more in Improve Your Take-OffsStart to finish · 19 stages, 17 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 5,000 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 5,000 ft of the 8,387 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 1,606 ft touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a short taxiing period from the parking area to the runway, taking approximately 1 minute and covering less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, a Cessna CJ4 Citation, then departed from runway 11 at Coles County Memorial Airport (KMTO) in Mattoon, Illinois. The takeoff distance was 2,768 feet, which accounted for 43% of the runway length. The aircraft lifted off at a speed of 166 knots.
As the aircraft climbed away from the airport, it encountered local weather conditions of 81°F temperature and a 5-knot wind from 250°. The crosswind and tailwind components were both 4 knots. The enroute climb started 1 mile east of the airport and took the aircraft from 1,685 feet above sea level to 15,502 feet, an increase of 13,817 feet in 6 minutes, covering a distance of 25 nautical miles.
The enroute level cruise began 2 miles north of Newman, Illinois, and lasted for 21 minutes, covering a distance of 132 nautical miles. The aircraft then started its enroute descent 1 mile south-east of Three Oaks, Michigan, and descended from 15,438 feet to 3,542 feet, a decrease of 11,896 feet in 10 minutes, covering a distance of 25 nautical miles. The enroute level cruise resumed 1 mile north-east of Edwardsburg, Michigan, and lasted for 4 minutes, covering a distance of 9 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 27L at South Bend Regional Airport (KSBN) was made from the east, heading 269.0° at 4 nautical miles and 1,274 feet above ground level. The landing was made on a runway length of 8,387 feet, with a good threshold height. However, the threshold speed was excessively high at 119 knots. The touchdown point was 216 feet beyond the touchdown zone, and the touchdown speed was 111 knots, which was too fast. The touchdown rate was fair at -209 feet per minute, and the runway touchdown alignment was very good.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were 81°F temperature and a 7-knot wind from 223°, with a 5-knot crosswind and headwind component. The total landing distance was 2,797 feet, which accounted for 33% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was perfect. The taxiing period from the runway to the parking area took approximately 1 minute and covered less than 1 nautical mile.
The total flight distance was 197 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 46 minutes. Notably, the aircraft used 0 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The Cessna CJ4 Citation aircraft successfully landed at KSBN South Bend Regional Airport, achieving a score of 93.4%. The final approach to runway 27L was conducted from the east, with a heading of 269.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,274 feet above ground level (agl).
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down 216 feet beyond the designated touchdown zone, which is a relatively minor deviation. However, the touchdown speed of 111 knots was slightly too high, indicating that the pilot may have been able to flare the aircraft more effectively to achieve a smoother touchdown. The touchdown rate of -209 feet per minute (fpm) was considered fair, suggesting that the pilot was able to control the descent of the aircraft but may have been able to do so more smoothly.
The runway touchdown alignment was very good, indicating that the pilot was able to align the aircraft with the runway centerline during the final stages of the approach. The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 81°F and a wind speed of 7 knots from 223°. The crosswind component was minimal at 5 knots, and the headwind component was also 5 knots, which helped to reduce the overall wind effect on the aircraft.
The total landing distance of 2,797 feet was 33% of the available runway length, which is a relatively short distance considering the aircraft's size and weight. The runway rollout alignment was perfect, indicating that the pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft during the rollout phase and bring it to a stop in a straight line.
Overall, the landing was considered successful, with the pilot demonstrating good control and alignment skills. However, there is room for improvement in terms of touchdown speed and touchdown rate, which could be addressed through additional training and practice.
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