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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Departure
Rotate sooner, bringing the nose up at 151 kt rather than letting speed build further.
What happened: You lifted off at 172 kt against a rotation target of 151 kt, rotating late in the ground roll.
Watch for: Watch airspeed and rotate at the target of 151 kt.
See Departure Roll
Arrival
Begin the flare with progressive back pressure and keep it coming until the sink is arrested, rather than flying it on flat.
What happened: The nose was barely raised in the flare and little of the sink was taken out, flying the aircraft onto the runway. This pattern usually carries through to a firm touchdown with a noticeable sink rate.
Watch for: Vertical speed indicator: a smoothly reducing sink through the normal flare band, not a steady rate into the runway.
A typical trainer rotates in the mid-50s of knots - a 172 at around 55 KIAS, climbing out at a Vy in the low 70s, though check your own POH rather than memorising Cessna's numbers - and the transferable rule is that Vr sits just above the stall speed in takeoff configuration. Rotate early because "it felt ready" and the aircraft lifts off inside ground effect, where induced drag is reduced, then climbs out of it into more drag. On a marginal-performance day the result is an aircraft that lifts off and then refuses to climb, sagging back towards the runway.
Read more in Improve Your Take-OffsStart 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.
Two stabilised approach gates, each with seven checks, where the approach path is 1,000 ft and 500 ft above the runway.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 3,739 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 398 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the Airbus A320 taxiing from the parking area to the runway at FACT Cape Town International Airport, a process that took 5 minutes and covered a distance of 1 nautical mile. Departure roll took place on runway 19, with the aircraft taking off after covering 37% of the runway's length. The takeoff distance was 1,172 meters, and the liftoff speed was 172 knots.
The local weather conditions at the time of takeoff were characterized by a temperature of 24 degrees Celsius, with a wind speed of 21 knots blowing from 189 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 9 knots and a headwind of 19 knots. As the aircraft took off, it began its enroute climb, which started overhead FACT Cape Town International Airport. The climb took the aircraft from an altitude of 1,194 feet above sea level to 37,843 feet above sea level, an increase of 36,649 feet, in 18 minutes and covering a distance of 222 nautical miles.
After reaching cruising altitude, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which began 20 miles north of FAOV Knysna Airport. This phase lasted for 22 minutes and covered a distance of 352 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its enroute descent, which started overhead FA39 Veterans Administration Medical Center Heliport in Gainesville. The descent took the aircraft from an altitude of 37,539 feet above sea level to 1,581 feet above sea level, a decrease of 35,958 feet, in 19 minutes and covering a distance of 112 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 06 at FALE King Shaka International Airport was made from the southwest, with the aircraft heading at 37.0 degrees. The aircraft was at an altitude of 1,275 feet above ground level and 4 nautical miles from the runway threshold. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, with a wind speed of 9 knots blowing from 10 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 4 knots and a headwind of 8 knots.
The landing on runway 06 was successful, with the aircraft touching down at a speed of 133 knots. The touchdown distance was 399 meters, which was considered good. However, the touchdown speed was slightly above the target speed, and the touchdown rate was firm at -370 feet per minute. The runway touchdown alignment was perfect, and the runway rollout alignment was very good. The total landing distance was 1,031 meters, which was 28% of the runway's length.
After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area, a process that took 5 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 694 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 76 minutes. The aircraft used 4,621 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The Airbus A320 successfully landed on runway 06 at King Shaka International Airport, achieving a final score of 94.1%. As the aircraft approached the runway from the southwest, it was heading at 37.0° and was 4 nautical miles away at an altitude of 1,275 feet above ground level (agl). The runway length at King Shaka International Airport is 3,739 meters.
Upon landing, the pilot's performance was evaluated in several key areas. The threshold height of 66 feet agl was above the target, indicating a slightly higher-than-ideal approach altitude. The threshold speed of 136 knots was also slightly above the target, suggesting that the pilot may have been slightly too aggressive in their approach. However, the touchdown distance of 399 meters was considered good, indicating a smooth and stable landing.
The touchdown speed of 133 knots was also slightly above the target, indicating a slightly faster-than-ideal touchdown. The touchdown rate of -370 feet per minute (fpm) was firm, but not excessively high, suggesting that the pilot maintained control throughout the landing. The runway touchdown alignment was perfect, indicating that the pilot successfully aligned the aircraft with the runway centerline.
The local weather conditions were favorable for the landing, with a temperature of 20°C and a wind speed of 9 knots at 10°. The crosswind component was minimal at 4 knots, while the headwind component was 8 knots, which helped to stabilize the aircraft during the approach.
The total landing distance was 1,031 meters, which accounted for 28% of the runway length. This indicates that the pilot effectively used the available runway space and managed to bring the aircraft to a stop within a reasonable distance. The runway rollout alignment was also excellent, suggesting that the pilot maintained control and stability throughout the landing process. Overall, the landing was characterized by a good touchdown distance, smooth rollout, and perfect alignment, earning the pilot a respectable score of 94.1%.
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