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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Departure
Rotate sooner, bringing the nose up at 70 kt rather than letting speed build further.
What happened: You lifted off at 84 kt against a rotation target of 70 kt, rotating late in the ground roll.
Watch for: Watch airspeed and rotate at the target of 70 kt.
See Departure Roll
Arrival
Keep the back pressure coming through the flare so the sink does not return at 211 fpm.
What happened: The flare arrested the sink, but then the sink returned before touchdown.
Watch for: Watch the VSI in the flare and keep arrested sink from returning before touchdown at 278 fpm.
See Arrival Landing
Every knot above Vref is stored kinetic energy, and energy stored at the threshold must be dissipated in ground effect before the aeroplane will stop flying. Because kinetic energy scales with the square of speed, the excess you must dissipate grows fast. At a 45-knot approach, five knots hot is over a tenth more speed and roughly a quarter more energy to get rid of in ground effect. This is why the fix is never in the flare. It was decided three miles earlier, on final, at the airspeed indicator.
Read more in VRef ExplainedStart to finish · 11 stages, 10 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.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 1,529 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 66 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight was conducted in a DA40-NG aircraft, departing from Gibraltar Airport (LXGB). Taxiing from the parking to the runway took a relatively short 2 minutes, covering less than 1 nautical mile. The departure roll began on runway 27, and the takeoff distance required was 478 meters, which translates to about 31% of the runway's length. The liftoff speed was achieved at 84 knots.
Once airborne, the enroute climb commenced, with the aircraft soaring overhead Gibraltar. During this phase, the aircraft ascended from an initial height of 829 feet above sea level to a final height of 1,736 feet, representing an increase of 907 feet in just 2 minutes, while covering a distance of 2 nautical miles. The conditions for this leg were characterized by a relatively calm atmosphere, with a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius, minimal wind at 1 knot flowing from a southerly direction, and a gentle headwind.
Later on, the enroute descent started approximately 1 mile south of Gibraltar. During this phase, the aircraft descended from an initial height of 1,751 feet to a final height of 98 feet above sea level, marking a decrease of 1,652 feet over 2 minutes, with the aircraft covering the same 2 nautical miles. The weather conditions remained consistent throughout this leg as well.
As the aircraft approached the final approach phase, it began its descent towards runway 27 at LXGB Gibraltar Airport, with the heading aligned towards the east at 268.0 degrees, and at an altitude of 88 feet above the ground. Upon landing, the threshold height was reported to be acceptable, while the threshold speed was achieved at 54 knots, which is below the target speed, requiring extra care to prevent stalling.
The touchdown distance was satisfactory at 64 meters, and the touchdown speed was achieved at 50 knots, marking a smooth and controlled descent. Moreover, the touchdown rate of -169 foor-per-minute (fpm) was deemed to be well within acceptable limits. Notably, the runway touchdown position exhibited slight misalignment, being 4 meters off the centerline. The local weather conditions were relatively consistent during the landing, with a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, and no crosswind, while maintaining a gentle headwind of 1 knot flowing from a southerly direction.
The overall flight distance was approximately 6 nautical miles, which was covered in a duration of 9 minutes. The flight operations utilized 2 kilograms of fuel.
The DA40-NG aircraft's landing at LXGB Gibraltar Airport was a success, with a commendable score of 97.6%. The pilot skillfully approached the runway 27 from the east, adhering to a heading of 268.0° at a distance of 0 nm and a height of 88 ft above the ground level.
Upon reaching the threshold height, the pilot successfully executed a smooth touchdown. The threshold speed of 54 kt was remarkably low, well below the target, and this is a notable achievement, considering the aircraft must not stall during this critical moment. The pilot demonstrated exceptional control and finesse in landing the aircraft safely.
An observation was made regarding the touchdown distance of 64 m, which was deemed satisfactory. The speed at touchdown, clocked at 50 kt, also matched the ideal conditions, reflecting the pilot's expertise. The landing rate of -169 feet per minute (fpm) was another significant aspect where the pilot performed admirably. This is crucial because a high touchdown rate could be indicative of an improper landing technique.
However, a small observation was noted in terms of the runway touchdown position, which was positioned 4.0 meters off the centerline. While this issue can potentially affect the aircraft's overall performance and balance, in the context of the given situation, it was likely a minor deviation and not a cause for concern.
Weather conditions surrounding the landing were also benign, with an ambient temperature of 15 °C and light winds of 1 kt from 270°. The absence of any significant crosswind and the presence of a gentle headwind further contributed to a smooth and controlled landing.
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