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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Maintain the centreline
A small uncorrected heading error at 40 knots becomes a metre of offset per second by 100 knots, noticed only at rotation, producing a crabbed liftoff. Root cause is nearly always eyes on the tape instead of the far end of the runway. Small heading changes displace a distant point visibly long before the nearby centreline stripes look wrong.
Read more in Improve Your Take-OffsStart to finish · 19 stages, 17 scored
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One stabilised approach gate for a circuit: six checks at the point nearest 500 ft above the runway after the base turn. The 1,000 ft gate is an instrument-approach check and does not apply.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 5,000 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 5,000 ft of the 5,632 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 1,729 ft past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the Spitfire Mk IX taxiing from the parking area to the runway at KLCI Laconia Municipal Airport. This process took approximately 2 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft then proceeded to depart from runway 08, with a takeoff distance of 1,509 feet, which accounted for 27% of the runway's length. The liftoff speed was achieved at 90 knots.
As the aircraft took to the skies, it encountered local weather conditions with a temperature of 89 °F and a wind speed of 12 knots at 322 °. The crosswind was 11 knots, while the tailwind was 3 knots. The Spitfire then entered a left-hand pattern from runway 08, covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile in just 25 seconds. The subsequent left-hand pattern crosswind leg was completed in 11 seconds, with the aircraft maintaining a steady course.
The pattern continued with a downwind turn, which covered a distance of 1 nautical mile at an angle of 45 degrees to the runway, with a bank angle of 15.7 °. The downwind leg itself was 2 nautical miles long and took 27 seconds to complete. The base leg turn, which covered a distance of 1 nautical mile, had an angle of 45 degrees to the runway, with a bank angle of 34.8 °.
The final approach to runway 08 was made from the west, with the aircraft heading 84.0 ° at an altitude of 1 nautical mile and 358 feet above ground level. However, the pilot decided to execute a go-around at an altitude of 0 feet above ground level. The landing was eventually made on runway 08, which had a length of 5,632 feet. The threshold height was good, but the threshold speed was excessively high at 98 knots.
The touchdown point was 641 feet beyond the touchdown zone, with a touchdown speed of 66 knots, which was considered good. The touchdown rate was excellent at -100 feet per minute, and the runway touchdown alignment was very good. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were a temperature of 88 °F and a wind speed of 8 knots at 322 °, with a crosswind of 7 knots and a tailwind of 2 knots.
The total landing distance was 2,687 feet, which accounted for 48% of the runway's length. The runway rollout alignment was also very good. After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area, taking approximately 2 minutes and covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 6 nautical miles, which was completed in 8 minutes, and the aircraft used -1 pound of fuel during the flight.
The Spitfire Mk IX aircraft successfully landed at KLCI Laconia Municipal Airport, demonstrating a high level of proficiency in its pilot. The final approach to runway 08 was initiated from the west, with the aircraft heading 84.0° at 1 nautical mile and 358 feet above ground level (agl). This approach was executed with precision, as evidenced by the good threshold height and excellent runway touchdown alignment.
However, there were some areas of concern during the landing. The threshold speed was excessively high at 99 kt, which is above the recommended threshold speed. This indicates that the pilot may have been pushing the aircraft too hard, potentially compromising control and stability during the landing. Fortunately, the pilot was able to recover and achieve a good touchdown speed of 66 kt.
The touchdown point was 641 feet beyond the touchdown zone, which is a relatively long distance. This may be attributed to the high threshold speed and the resulting loss of control during the landing. Nevertheless, the touchdown rate was excellent at -100 fpm, indicating that the pilot was able to maintain control and smoothly transition from the air to the ground.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 88°F and a wind speed of 8 kt at 322°. The crosswind component was 7 kt, while the tailwind component was 2 kt. These conditions did not appear to significantly impact the landing, as the runway rollout alignment was very good.
Overall, the Spitfire Mk IX aircraft demonstrated a high level of proficiency in its pilot, with a score of 85.8%. While there were some areas of concern during the landing, the pilot was able to recover and achieve a good touchdown speed and excellent touchdown rate. With some adjustments to the approach and landing technique, the pilot has the potential to achieve even higher scores in the future.
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