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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Avoid steep turns at low altitude
Below a thousand feet the aeroplane is slow, heavy and close to the ground. A steep turn loses lift, raises the stall speed and flattens the climb just when the gradient matters most. A normal turn on course is a rate one — fifteen degrees or so, twenty-five at the outside, this penalty is to acknowledge when a turn has stopped being a turn and become a manoeuvre.
Read more in Improve Your Take-OffsStart to finish · 15 stages, 14 scored
Events
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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.
Side view — the last 5,000 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 5,000 ft of the 5,068 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 845 ft touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 01 at KMTC Selfridge Air National Guard Base Airport. The aircraft, a Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, took off with a takeoff distance of 456 feet, which accounted for 5% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 90 knots, and the local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 61 degrees Fahrenheit and a wind speed of 7 knots from a direction of 350 degrees.
As the aircraft climbed away from the airport, it began its enroute climb 1 mile north of KMTC Selfridge Air National Guard Base Airport, near Mount Clemens in Michigan. The climb started at an altitude of 1,236 feet above sea level and reached a height of 1,933 feet above sea level, an increase of 697 feet, in just 2 minutes. During this time, the aircraft covered a distance of 6 nautical miles.
Following the enroute climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which started 1 mile north of New Baltimore in Michigan. This phase of the flight lasted for 4 minutes and covered a distance of 11 nautical miles.
As the aircraft approached its destination, it began its final approach to runway 04 at KPHN St Clair County International Airport. The approach was made from the southwest, with a heading of 35.0 degrees, and at an altitude of 704 feet above ground level. The aircraft was 4 nautical miles from the runway at this point.
The landing on runway 04 was successful, with a touchdown distance of 842 feet, which was within the acceptable range. However, the touchdown speed of 71 knots was slightly above the target speed, and the touchdown rate of -78 feet per minute was excellent. The runway touchdown alignment was also very good.
After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area, which took approximately 1 minute and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 22 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 10 minutes. The aircraft used a total of 14 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The Beechcraft A36 Bonanza successfully landed at KPHN St Clair County International Airport, achieving a score of 99.9%. The aircraft approached the runway from the southwest, heading 35.0° at 4 nautical miles and 704 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot maintained a good threshold height, which is a crucial aspect of a safe landing.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's threshold speed was slightly above the target speed of 82 knots. However, the touchdown distance of 842 feet was considered good, indicating that the pilot had sufficient control over the aircraft's descent. The touchdown speed of 71 knots was a little fast, but this did not significantly impact the overall performance of the landing.
One of the standout aspects of this landing was the excellent touchdown rate of -78 feet per minute (fpm). This indicates that the pilot had a smooth and controlled approach, which is essential for a safe landing. The runway touchdown alignment was also very good, suggesting that the pilot had maintained a stable and consistent approach path.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 62°F and a wind speed of 7 knots from 350°. The crosswind and headwind components were both 5 knots, which is relatively light and should not have significantly impacted the landing. The total landing distance of 1,746 feet was 34% of the runway length, which is a reasonable distance considering the aircraft's size and the runway's length of 5,068 feet.
Finally, the runway rollout alignment was very good, indicating that the pilot had maintained control over the aircraft during the rollout phase of the landing. Overall, this was a well-executed landing, with the pilot demonstrating good control and judgment throughout the approach and touchdown phases.
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