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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Work on the flare
Arrive slow and the sink rate at the threshold is already above schedule, the flare is short because there is no energy to extend it, and the touchdown is hard in a way that feels exactly like a late flare. Diagnosing a slow arrival as a late flare is the catastrophic misread: you respond by flaring earlier, which bleeds more speed, which makes the next one worse. The tiebreaker is threshold speed against VRef, not feel. Never diagnose a flare without it.
Read more in Flare TimingStart 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: seven 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.
At the 500 ft gate: no landing flap set, sink rate above what the glideslope needed and speed below the reference speed.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 7,081 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 7,081 ft of the 11,968 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 2,989 ft past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight in question was conducted on an F-23A aircraft, registered with the 411th OT. The pre-flight taxiing process took 4 minutes and covered a distance of 2 nautical miles (nm) as the aircraft moved from the parking area to the runway.
Departure from KPMD Palmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 Airport, located in the United States, took place on runway 25. The takeoff distance covered 19% of the runway, measuring 2,233 feet. The aircraft lifted off at a speed of 194 knots (kt), with local weather conditions consisting of a temperature of 87°F and winds of 7 kt at 19°. The crosswind was 6 kt, while the tailwind was 3 kt.
Following takeoff, the aircraft began its enroute climb, starting overhead KPMD Palmdale Regional Airport. The climb from 3,513 feet above sea level (asl) to 4,350 ft asl, an increase of 837 ft, was achieved in less than 1 minute and covered a distance of less than 1 nm. This was the first of several climbs and descents that the aircraft underwent during the flight.
The first descent started 1 mile west of KPMD Palmdale Regional Airport, with the aircraft descending from 4,395 ft asl to 2,946 ft asl, a decrease of 1,449 ft, in 3 minutes and covering 4 nm. The second climb began 2 miles east of KPMD Palmdale Regional Airport, with the aircraft ascending from 2,881 ft asl to 44,098 ft asl, an increase of 41,217 ft, in 2 minutes and covering 5 nm.
The second descent started 2 miles north of Desert View Highlands, with the aircraft descending from 44,496 ft asl to 4,088 ft asl, a decrease of 40,409 ft, in 3 minutes and covering 1 nm. The final approach to runway 07 at KPMD Palmdale Regional Airport was conducted from the west, with the aircraft heading 88.0° at 2 nm and 1,481 feet above ground level (agl).
The landing on runway 07 took place at a threshold height of 69 ft agl, which was above the target height. The threshold speed was 162 kt, and the touchdown point was 1,656 ft beyond the touchdown zone. The touchdown speed was 140 kt, and the touchdown rate was perfect at -11 feet per minute (fpm). However, the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 18 ft from the centreline.
The local weather conditions during landing consisted of a temperature of 79°F and winds of 7 kt at 20°, with a crosswind of 6 kt and a headwind of 3 kt. The total landing distance was 6,847 ft, covering 57% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was also slightly misaligned by 26 ft from the centreline.
The post-flight taxiing process took 1 minute and covered a distance of less than 1 nm as the aircraft moved from the runway to the parking area. The total flight distance was 16 nm, taking 13 minutes, and the aircraft used 6,837 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The F-23A aircraft, part of the 411th OT, successfully landed at KPMD Palmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 Airport. The final approach was initiated from the west, heading 88.0° at 2 nautical miles and 1,481 feet above ground level (agl). The aircraft successfully touched down on runway 07, which has a length of 11,968 feet.
The threshold height at 69 feet agl was above the target, indicating that the aircraft was slightly higher than desired at the point of touchdown. However, the threshold speed of 162 knots was met, demonstrating the pilot's ability to control the aircraft's speed during the approach. The touchdown point was 1,656 feet beyond the touchdown zone, which is a relatively long distance, but the touchdown speed of 140 knots was within acceptable limits.
The touchdown rate of -11 feet per minute (fpm) was perfect, indicating that the aircraft touched down smoothly and without any significant deceleration. However, the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 18 feet from the centreline, which may indicate a slight deviation from the intended landing path.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 79°F and a wind speed of 7 knots at 20°. The crosswind component was 6 knots, while the headwind component was 3 knots. These conditions did not appear to significantly impact the landing.
The total landing distance was 6,847 feet, which is 57% of the runway length. This is a relatively long landing distance, but it is not uncommon for military aircraft, which often prioritize precision and control over short landing distances. The runway rollout alignment was also slightly misaligned by 26 feet from the centreline, which may indicate a slight deviation from the intended path during the rollout phase.
Overall, the landing was successful, but there were some minor deviations from the intended path. The pilot's ability to control the aircraft's speed and touchdown rate was demonstrated, but there may be opportunities for improvement in terms of alignment and landing distance.
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