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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 · 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.
Side view — the last 2,217 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 2,217 m of the 3,219 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 946 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a taxiing period from the parking to the runway, which took 16 minutes and covered a distance of 2 nautical miles. The aircraft, an Airbus A321, then departed from runway 16 at MMSD Aeropuerto Internacional de Los Cabos. The takeoff distance was 1,772 meters, which accounted for 59% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 169 knots, and the local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 33 degrees Celsius, with a wind speed of 15 knots at 149 degrees.
As the aircraft climbed, it started its enroute climb 1 mile south of MMSD Aeropuerto Internacional de Los Cabos San José del Cabo. The climb took 21 minutes and covered a distance of 111 nautical miles, during which the aircraft ascended from 1,260 feet above sea level to 35,066 feet above sea level, an increase of 33,806 feet. The enroute level cruise started 44 miles north of La Paz, Estado de Baja California Sur, Mexico, and lasted for 52 minutes, covering a distance of 391 nautical miles.
The enroute descent began 3 miles north of Nogales, Arizona, United States, and took 25 minutes to descend from 34,898 feet above sea level to 2,440 feet above sea level, a decrease of 32,458 feet. The descent covered a distance of 132 nautical miles. The final approach to runway 26 at KPHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was made from the east, heading 270.0 degrees, at an altitude of 4 nautical miles and 1,309 feet above ground level.
The landing on runway 26 at KPHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was characterized by a touchdown point that was 541 meters beyond the touchdown zone. The touchdown speed was 144 knots, which was a little fast, and the touchdown rate was firm at -336 feet per minute. The runway touchdown position was misaligned by 10.2 meters from the centerline, and the runway rollout alignment was misaligned by 26.7 meters from the centerline. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius, with a wind speed of 18 knots at 240 degrees.
The total landing distance was 2,147 meters, which accounted for 67% of the runway. The taxiing period from the runway to the parking took 8 minutes and covered a distance of 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 645 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 115 minutes. The aircraft used 5,307 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The Airbus A321 aircraft successfully landed at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (KPHX) on runway 26, but the landing was not without some notable deviations from the ideal. The aircraft was approaching the runway from the east, heading 270.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,309 feet above ground level (agl).
The final approach was conducted with a significant threshold height above the target, indicating that the aircraft was higher than desired when reaching the runway threshold. Additionally, the threshold speed was well above the target, suggesting that the aircraft was traveling faster than necessary when reaching the threshold. This could be attributed to the aircraft's descent rate or the pilot's decision to maintain a higher speed during the approach.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft landed 541 meters beyond the designated touchdown zone, which is a considerable distance. The touchdown speed of 144 knots was slightly faster than the ideal, and the touchdown rate was firm at -336 feet per minute (fpm). This firm touchdown rate may have contributed to the aircraft's misaligned runway touchdown position, which was off-centerline by 10.2 meters.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were characterized by a temperature of 37°C and a wind speed of 18 knots from 240°. This resulted in a crosswind of 9 knots and a headwind of 15 knots, which may have affected the aircraft's approach and landing. The total landing distance of 2,147 meters was 67% of the available runway length, indicating that the aircraft had sufficient runway remaining for a safe stop.
However, the runway rollout alignment was also misaligned by 26.7 meters from the centerline, which could be a concern for the aircraft's stability and control during the rollout phase. Overall, while the landing was successful, there were several areas for improvement, including the threshold height, threshold speed, touchdown speed, and runway alignment.
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