Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
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 · 15 stages, 14 scored
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
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 3,353 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 591 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a taxiing period from the parking area to the runway, which took 13 minutes and covered a distance of 3 nautical miles. The aircraft, an Airbus A321, then departed from runway 08R at London Gatwick Airport (EGKK). The takeoff distance was 537 meters, which accounted for 22% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was 174 knots.
As the aircraft took to the skies, it encountered local weather conditions with a temperature of 17 degrees Celsius and winds blowing at 8 knots from a direction of 130 degrees. The crosswind component was 6 knots, while the headwind component was 5 knots. The enroute climb began approximately 1 mile south of Horley in Surrey, England, and involved a significant ascent from 1,236 feet above sea level to 32,106 feet above sea level, an increase of 30,870 feet in 26 minutes, covering a distance of 159 nautical miles.
Following the enroute climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which started overhead Bourdonne in the Ile-de-France region of France. This phase lasted for 121 minutes and covered a distance of 862 nautical miles. The enroute descent began 34 miles southwest of Siculiana in Sicily, Italy, and involved a descent from 32,797 feet above sea level to 1,546 feet above sea level, a decrease of 31,252 feet in 18 minutes, covering a distance of 95 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 13 at Malta International Airport (LMML) was made from the northwest, heading 135.0 degrees at an altitude of 1,277 feet above ground level and a distance of 4 nautical miles from the runway. The landing was executed on runway 13, which had a length of 3,353 meters. The threshold height was good, and the threshold speed was also satisfactory at 146 knots.
However, the touchdown point was 173 meters beyond the touchdown zone, and the touchdown speed was a little fast at 137 knots. The touchdown rate was excellent at -73 feet per minute. Additionally, the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned from the centerline by 3.7 meters. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were similar to those encountered during takeoff, with a temperature of 17 degrees Celsius and winds blowing at 8 knots from a direction of 130 degrees. The crosswind component was 1 knot, while the headwind component was 8 knots.
In total, the flight covered a distance of 1,125 nautical miles and lasted for 177 minutes, consuming 9,203 kilograms of fuel.
The Airbus A321 aircraft successfully landed at LMML Malta International Airport, achieving a score of 97.9%. The final approach was conducted from the north-west, heading 135.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,277 feet above ground level (agl). The aircraft was on a steady course for a landing on runway 13, which has a length of 3,353 meters.
Upon touchdown, the threshold height was reported as good, indicating that the aircraft was at the correct height as it approached the runway. The threshold speed of 146 knots was also within the acceptable range, demonstrating the pilot's ability to manage the aircraft's speed during the landing phase. However, the touchdown speed of 137 knots was slightly faster than the ideal speed, which may have resulted in a slightly longer rollout.
The touchdown rate of -73 feet per minute (fpm) was excellent, indicating that the aircraft was able to touch down smoothly and maintain control. Unfortunately, the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 3.7 meters from the centerline, which may have been due to a slight deviation in the aircraft's course during the final approach.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 17°C and a wind speed of 8 knots from a direction of 130°. The crosswind component was minimal at 1 knot, while the headwind component was 8 knots, which helped to stabilize the aircraft during the landing phase. Overall, the landing was successful, and the aircraft was able to come to a stop safely on the runway.
Scroll or drag the slider to zoom · double-click to reset · hover for values