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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Know your rotation speed
Not the biggest loss in points — the one thing on this flight a check pilot would raise first, and the guide passage for it.
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 · 16 stages, 14 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 550 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 550 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 147 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 27 at EGRT Bute Airfield, where the DA40-NG aircraft took off with a takeoff distance of 183 meters, which accounted for 33% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 59 knots, and the local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 2 knots from a direction of 270 degrees. This resulted in a negligible crosswind and a headwind of 2 knots.
As the aircraft entered the right-hand pattern from runway 27, it demonstrated impressive agility, completing the turn in less than 1 nautical mile in 24 seconds. The subsequent right-hand pattern crosswind turn was even quicker, taking less than 1 nautical mile in 9 seconds. The pattern downwind turn covered a distance of 1 nautical mile, with an angle to the runway of 45.3 degrees. The downwind leg itself was 2 nautical miles long and took 63 seconds to complete.
The base leg turn was another swift maneuver, covering 1 nautical mile in 25.3 degrees to the runway. The base leg itself was less than 1 nautical mile long and took just 8 seconds to complete. The final turn into the runway was also quick, taking less than 1 nautical mile in 24 seconds. The aircraft then began its final approach to runway 27 from the east, flying at a heading of 268.0 degrees and an altitude of 294 feet above ground level, 1 nautical mile from the runway.
The landing itself was smooth, with the aircraft touching down on the runway at a speed of 57 knots and a distance of 144 meters. The touchdown speed was slightly below the target speed of 65 knots, but the touchdown rate of -244 feet per minute was fair. The runway touchdown alignment was very good, and the aircraft's rollout alignment was also excellent.
The total landing distance was 375 meters, which accounted for 68% of the runway. The local weather conditions remained the same throughout the landing, with a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 2 knots from a direction of 270 degrees. The aircraft used a total of 1 kilogram of fuel for the flight, which covered a distance of 5 nautical miles and took 6 minutes to complete.
The DA40-NG aircraft successfully landed at EGRT Bute Airfield, achieving a score of 96.5%. The final approach was conducted from the east, heading 268.0° at 1 nautical mile and 294 feet above ground level (agl). The aircraft landed on runway 27, which has a length of 550 meters.
The pilot demonstrated good control during the approach, with a threshold height that was satisfactory. However, the threshold speed was slightly below the target speed of 65 knots. Despite this, the touchdown distance was good at 144 meters, and the touchdown speed of 57 knots was also within acceptable limits.
The touchdown rate of -244 feet per minute (fpm) was fair, indicating that the pilot could have managed the descent more smoothly. Nevertheless, the runway touchdown alignment was very good, indicating that the pilot maintained a stable and aligned approach.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 15°C and a light headwind of 2 knots from 270°. There was no crosswind, which made the landing even more manageable.
The total landing distance of 375 meters was 68% of the runway length, which is a reasonable distance considering the aircraft's size and the runway's length. The runway rollout alignment was also very good, indicating that the pilot maintained control and stability during the rollout phase.
Overall, the landing was successful, and the pilot demonstrated good control and management of the aircraft during the approach and landing phases. However, there is room for improvement in terms of managing the descent and maintaining a smoother touchdown rate.
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