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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 · 18 stages, 16 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 4,959 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the full 4,959 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 391 ft touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a taxiing period from the parking area to the runway, which took approximately 2 minutes and covered less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, a Cessna 208B, then departed from runway 35 at KBTF Skypark Airport. The takeoff distance was 1,044 feet, which accounted for 27% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 49 knots.
The local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 81 degrees Fahrenheit and a wind speed of 3 knots from a direction of 230 degrees. The crosswind was 2 knots, and the tailwind was also 2 knots. As the aircraft climbed, it began to ascend from an altitude of 5,024 feet above sea level to 10,402 feet above sea level, an increase of 5,378 feet in 8 minutes, covering a distance of 8 nautical miles.
The enroute climb started 1 mile west of West Bountiful, Utah, and continued until the aircraft reached its cruising altitude. The enroute level cruise then began 4 miles southwest of the 15UT Field Of Dreams Morgan, Utah, and lasted for 219 minutes, covering a distance of 671 nautical miles. The aircraft then started its descent 2 miles southwest of Madison, South Dakota, and descended from 10,656 feet above sea level to 3,133 feet above sea level, a decrease of 7,524 feet in 5 minutes, covering a distance of 10 nautical miles.
The enroute level cruise started again 3 miles west of Chester, South Dakota, and lasted for 2 minutes, covering a distance of 5 nautical miles. The final approach to runway 33 at KMDS Madison Municipal Airport was made from the southeast, heading 334.0 degrees at 4 nautical miles and 1,245 feet above ground level. The landing on runway 33 was successful, with a touchdown distance of 376 feet and a touchdown speed of 53 knots.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 88 degrees Fahrenheit and a wind speed of 21 knots from a direction of 170 degrees. The crosswind was 6 knots, and the tailwind was 21 knots. The threshold speed was slightly below the target at 58 knots, but the touchdown distance was good, and the touchdown speed was also good at 53 knots. However, the touchdown rate was hard at -465 feet per minute. The runway touchdown alignment was very good, but the runway rollout alignment was slightly misaligned by 26 feet from the centerline.
The total landing distance was 2,765 feet, which accounted for 56% of the runway. The total flight distance was 698 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 252 minutes. The aircraft used 1,602 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The Cessna 208B aircraft successfully landed at KMDS Madison Municipal Airport, achieving a score of 94.7%. The final approach was conducted from the southeast, heading 334.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,245 feet above ground level (agl). The aircraft touched down on runway 33, which has a length of 4,959 feet.
The threshold height was reported as good, indicating that the aircraft was at the correct height as it approached the runway. However, the threshold speed was slightly below the target speed of 58 knots, which may have been due to the aircraft's descent rate or the pilot's decision to flare earlier than expected. Despite this, the touchdown distance of 376 feet was considered good, and the touchdown speed of 53 knots was also within acceptable limits.
The touchdown rate of -465 feet per minute (fpm) was reported as hard, which may indicate that the aircraft was touching down with a higher rate of descent than desired. However, this may have been mitigated by the aircraft's ability to stop within a reasonable distance. The runway touchdown alignment was very good, indicating that the aircraft was aligned with the centerline of the runway as it touched down.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were characterized by a temperature of 88°F and a wind speed of 21 knots from a direction of 170°. This resulted in a crosswind of 6 knots and a tailwind of 21 knots, which may have affected the aircraft's performance during the landing. The total landing distance of 2,765 feet was 56% of the runway length, which is a reasonable distance considering the wind conditions.
During the rollout, the aircraft's alignment with the centerline of the runway was slightly off by 26 feet. This may have been due to the pilot's decision to apply brakes or reverse thrust earlier than expected, or it may have been a result of the aircraft's tendency to drift during the rollout. Overall, the landing was considered successful, and the aircraft was able to stop within a reasonable distance.
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