Events
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 · 14 stages, 14 scored
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 2,585 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 1,368 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
Departure from Cibao International Airport's runway 29 was initiated with a departure roll, utilizing 56% of the available runway length of 2,606 meters. The aircraft, a Cessna 152, accelerated to a liftoff speed of 72 knots, clearing the ground at a distance of 1,461 meters. Local weather conditions at the time of departure featured a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, with a gentle headwind of 1 knot from a direction of 270 degrees.
As the aircraft entered the left-hand traffic pattern, it proceeded to complete a series of standard maneuvers, including a left-hand pattern entry, crosswind turn, and downwind leg. The aircraft's performance during these phases was satisfactory, with the left-hand pattern entry and crosswind turn being completed in 32 and 19 seconds, respectively. The downwind leg, which spanned a distance of 2 nautical miles, was flown at an angle of 71.9 degrees to the runway, while the base leg turn and final approach were executed with precision. The aircraft then aligned itself with the runway and began its final approach, descending from an altitude of 427 feet above ground level (agl) at a heading of 283.0 degrees.
The landing on runway 29 was completed with a touchdown point that utilized more than 50% of the available runway length. The aircraft's touchdown speed of 48 knots was higher than the target speed, resulting in a smooth touchdown rate of -109 feet per minute. However, the runway touchdown position was misaligned by 15.1 meters from the centerline. The total flight distance of 11 nautical miles was covered in 6 minutes, with the aircraft consuming 2 kilograms of fuel.
The final approach to runway 29 at MDST Cibao International Airport from the east was initiated at 1 nm and 427 ft above ground level, heading 283.0°. The approach quality was satisfactory, with a threshold height of 61 ft above ground level, which was above the target. However, the threshold speed was excessively high at 106 kt, indicating a potential for a long rollout.
The aircraft touched down very long, utilizing more than 50% of the available runway. The touchdown speed of 48 kt was also fast, which may have contributed to the long rollout. Despite this, the touchdown rate was smooth at -109 fpm. Unfortunately, the runway touchdown position was misaligned by 15.1 m from the centreline, which may have been due to a slight deviation in the approach path. The local weather conditions were calm, with a temperature of 15 °C, a wind of 1 kt at 270°, and a negligible crosswind and headwind.
The overall performance of the landing was satisfactory, with a score of 74.8%. However, there were some areas for improvement, particularly in terms of threshold speed and touchdown position. The pilot's ability to maintain a smooth touchdown rate was a positive aspect of the landing. With some adjustments to the approach and touchdown technique, the pilot may be able to achieve a more optimal landing performance in the future.
Scroll or drag the slider to zoom · double-click to reset · hover for values