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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Know your rotation speed
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.
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 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 1,833 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 465 m touchdown sits inside 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 6 minutes and covered a distance of 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, a FFX P180, then departed from runway 12 at SBSG Governador Aluízio Alves International Airport in Natal, Brazil. The takeoff distance was 1,078 meters, which accounted for 36% of the runway. The aircraft lifted off at a speed of 140 knots.
The local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 29 degrees Celsius, with a wind speed of 8 knots blowing from a direction of 140 degrees. The crosswind component was 5 knots, while the headwind component was 6 knots. The aircraft then began its enroute climb, which started overhead the airport and took the aircraft up to an altitude of 20,803 feet above sea level. This climb phase covered a distance of 32 nautical miles and took 10 minutes to complete.
Following the climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which lasted for 25 minutes and covered a distance of 138 nautical miles. This phase took place 25 miles east of Natal. The aircraft then began its enroute descent, which started 41 miles southwest of SBFN Fernando de Noronha Airport. The descent took the aircraft down from an altitude of 20,781 feet to 1,450 feet above sea level, covering a distance of 39 nautical miles in the process. This phase took 9 minutes to complete.
The final approach to runway 12 at SBFN Fernando de Noronha Airport was made from the west, with the aircraft heading 95.0 degrees at an altitude of 1,262 feet above ground level and 4 nautical miles from the runway. The landing was made on runway 12, which had a length of 1,833 meters. The threshold height was good, and the threshold speed was well above the target speed of 128 knots. The touchdown distance was also good, at 466 meters, and the touchdown speed was 114 knots, which was within the acceptable range. The touchdown rate was smooth, at -123 feet per minute, and the runway touchdown alignment was very good.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, with a wind speed of 6 knots blowing from a direction of 140 degrees. The crosswind component was 4 knots, while the headwind component was 4 knots. The total landing distance was 1,068 meters, which accounted for 58% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was perfect, indicating a smooth and controlled landing.
The final phase of the flight involved taxiing to the parking from the runway, which took 1 minute and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 216 nautical miles, and the flight took a total of 55 minutes to complete. The aircraft used a total of 323 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The aircraft, identified as FFX P180 03 01, successfully landed at SBFN Fernando de Noronha Airport, achieving a score of 99.4%. The final approach to runway 12 was conducted from the west, with a heading of 95.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,262 feet above ground level (agl).
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down on the runway with a speed of 114 kt, which was within the acceptable range. The touchdown distance of 466 meters was also considered good, indicating a smooth and controlled descent. The threshold speed was slightly above the target, reaching 128 kt, but this did not affect the overall performance of the landing.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 30°C and a relatively light wind of 6 kt at 140°. The crosswind component was minimal at 4 kt, while the headwind component was also 4 kt, which helped to stabilize the aircraft during the approach and landing.
The total landing distance of 1,068 meters was 58% of the runway length, indicating a controlled and efficient use of the available runway space. The runway touchdown alignment was very good, and the rollout alignment was perfect, demonstrating the pilot's skill and control during the landing phase.
Overall, the landing was considered successful, with the aircraft touching down smoothly and coming to a stop within a short distance. The high score of 99.4% reflects the pilot's expertise and the aircraft's performance under the given conditions.
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