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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 · 14 stages, 12 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 1,156 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 1,156 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 639 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 32 at EGHR Goodwood Aerodrome. The aircraft, a Piper PA-24-250 Comanche, accelerated down the runway and lifted off at a speed of 68 kt, covering a distance of 171 m, which was 18% of the runway length. The local weather conditions at the time of takeoff were characterized by a temperature of 15 °C and a wind speed of 10 kt at 11°, resulting in a crosswind of 8 kt and a headwind of 6 kt.
As the aircraft climbed away from the aerodrome, it began its enroute climb, which started overhead EGHR Goodwood Aerodrome Chichester. The aircraft climbed from an altitude of 796 ft asl to 4,605 ft asl, an increase of 3,809 ft, in just 4 minutes, covering a distance of 4 nm. This rapid climb was followed by a series of enroute descents and level cruises, with the aircraft descending from 4,562 ft asl to 1,929 ft asl over Bosham, and then level cruising for 5 minutes at an altitude of 1,976 ft asl, covering a distance of 9 nm.
The aircraft then began its final descent, which started overhead Lee-on-the-Solent, and descended from 1,976 ft asl to 107 ft asl, a decrease of 1,869 ft, in just 3 minutes, covering a distance of less than 1 nm. The aircraft then landed on runway 23 at EGHF Solent Airport, a runway with a length of 1,156 m. The threshold height at 76 ft agl was well above target, but the threshold speed was good at 70 kt.
The touchdown point was 112 m beyond the touchdown zone, and the touchdown speed was 59 kt, which was good. The touchdown rate was firm at -385 fpm. However, the runway touchdown position was misaligned by 14.6 m from the centreline. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were similar to those at takeoff, with a temperature of 15 °C and a wind speed of 10 kt at 11°, resulting in a crosswind of 6 kt and a tailwind of 8 kt.
The total landing distance was 992 m, which was 86% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was very good, indicating a smooth and controlled landing. The aircraft then taxied to the parking area from the runway, taking less than 1 minute and covering a distance of less than 1 nm. The total flight distance was 19 nm, and the flight duration was 14 minutes, during which the aircraft used 10 kg of fuel.
The Piper PA-24-250 Comanche aircraft successfully landed on runway 23 at EGHF Solent Airport, achieving a score of 61.7%. The landing was executed under favorable conditions, with a threshold height at 76 ft above ground level (agl) that was well above the target, indicating a safe margin for the aircraft to touch down. The threshold speed of 70 kt was also within the acceptable range, demonstrating the pilot's ability to manage the aircraft's approach speed.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft touched down at a speed of 59 kt, which was good, and the touchdown rate of -385 fpm was firm, indicating a controlled descent. However, the touchdown point was 112 m beyond the touchdown zone, which may indicate a slight over-shooting or a slight misjudgment of the landing distance. The runway touchdown position was also misaligned by 14.6 m from the centreline, which could be a result of the pilot's focus on the approach rather than the alignment with the runway.
The local weather conditions were relatively calm, with a temperature of 15 °C and wind speeds of 10 kt at 11 °. The crosswind component was 6 kt, while the tailwind component was 8 kt, which may have contributed to the slight misalignment during the landing. Despite this, the total landing distance of 992 m was 86% of the runway length, indicating a relatively short landing distance. The runway rollout alignment was very good, demonstrating the pilot's ability to maintain control of the aircraft during the rollout phase.
Overall, the landing was successful, but there were some minor issues with the touchdown point and runway alignment. The pilot's ability to manage the aircraft's approach speed and touchdown rate was good, and the calm weather conditions contributed to a relatively smooth landing. However, there is room for improvement in terms of precision and alignment during the landing phase.
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