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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 · 17 stages, 15 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 300 ft above the runway. The 1,000 ft gate was not assessed, because the approach did not join final that far out.
At the 300 ft gate: no landing flap set, off the centreline and wings not level.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 5,000 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 5,000 ft of the 5,004 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 891 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 3 minutes and covered less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, a Piper Aerostar 600 with the registration NI22PC, then departed from runway 15 at KHYA Cape Cod Gateway Airport. The takeoff distance was 1,470 feet, which accounted for 29% of the runway. The aircraft lifted off at a speed of 96 knots.
The local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 63°F and a wind speed of 8 knots from a direction of 180°. This resulted in a crosswind of 5 knots and a headwind of 6 knots. The aircraft then began its enroute climb, which started overhead Hyannis, Massachusetts. During this climb, the aircraft ascended from an altitude of 651 feet above sea level to 4,635 feet above sea level, an increase of 3,984 feet in just 3 minutes, covering a distance of 6 nautical miles.
Following the initial climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise, which began overhead 2B1 Cape Cod Airport Marston Mills, Massachusetts. This cruise phase lasted for 8 minutes and covered a distance of 27 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its descent, which started 1 mile southeast of 1M8 Myricks Airport Berkley, Massachusetts. During this descent, the aircraft descended from an altitude of 4,448 feet above sea level to 2,349 feet above sea level, a decrease of 2,098 feet in 5 minutes, covering a distance of 14 nautical miles.
The aircraft then entered another level cruise phase, which started overhead North Seekonk, Massachusetts, and lasted for 2 minutes, covering a distance of 5 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its final descent, which started overhead Lincoln, Rhode Island. During this descent, the aircraft descended from an altitude of 2,115 feet above sea level to 496 feet above sea level, a decrease of 1,619 feet in just 2 minutes, covering a distance of 3 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 23 at KSFZ North Central State Airport was made from the northeast, with a heading of 211.0° at an altitude of 66 feet above ground level. The aircraft landed on the runway, which had a length of 5,004 feet. The threshold height was good, and the threshold speed was also satisfactory at 94 knots. The touchdown distance was 890 feet, and the touchdown speed was 73 knots, both of which were considered good. The touchdown rate was smooth at -104 feet per minute, and the runway touchdown alignment was very good.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 66°F and a wind speed of 5 knots from a direction of 155°. This resulted in a crosswind of 5 knots and a headwind of 3 knots. The total landing distance was 2,070 feet, which accounted for 41% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was also very good.
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 57 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 29 minutes. The aircraft used a total of 76 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The aircraft, a Piper Aerostar 600 with the registration NI22PC, successfully landed at KSFZ North Central State Airport, achieving a high score of 97.9%. The pilot's approach to runway 23 from the north east, heading 211.0°, was precise, with the aircraft at 0 nm and 66 ft above ground level (agl) at the final approach point.
Upon landing, the pilot demonstrated excellent control, achieving a good threshold height and speed of 94 kt. The touchdown distance of 890 ft was also within acceptable limits, indicating a smooth and controlled descent. The touchdown speed of 73 kt was well within the recommended range, and the touchdown rate of -104 fpm was smooth, suggesting a gentle impact on the runway.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 66°F and a relatively light wind of 5 kt at 155°. The crosswind component was minimal at 5 kt, while the headwind component was 3 kt, which had a negligible effect on the landing. The runway length of 5,004 ft was more than sufficient to accommodate the aircraft's landing distance of 2,070 ft, which was only 41% of the available runway.
The pilot's performance during the rollout was also commendable, with the aircraft maintaining a very good alignment with the runway. Overall, the landing was executed with precision and control, demonstrating the pilot's expertise and skill in handling the aircraft.
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