Events
Events
Events
MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Work on the flare
Arrive slow and the sink rate at the threshold is already above schedule, the flare is short because there is no energy to extend it, and the touchdown is hard in a way that feels exactly like a late flare. Diagnosing a slow arrival as a late flare is the catastrophic misread: you respond by flaring earlier, which bleeds more speed, which makes the next one worse. The tiebreaker is threshold speed against VRef, not feel. Never diagnose a flare without it.
Read more in Flare TimingStart to finish · 13 stages, 13 scored
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 for a circuit: five checks where the approach path is 500 ft above the runway. The 1,000 ft gate is an instrument-approach check and does not apply.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 2,737 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 1,076 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight in question was conducted in an Aeroprakt A-32 Vixxen, a pioneering aircraft known for its exceptional performance. The departure roll took place on runway 12 at EGPK Glasgow Prestwick Airport, with a takeoff distance of just 22 meters, which is only 1% of the runway's length. The liftoff speed was a respectable 49 knots, indicating a smooth and efficient takeoff.
As the aircraft entered the local weather conditions, it was clear that the temperature was a moderate 15 degrees Celsius, while the wind was blowing at a gentle 2 knots from a direction of 269 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 1 knot and a tailwind of 2 knots, which would have a minimal impact on the flight's performance.
The pilot then initiated a left-hand pattern entry from runway 12, navigating the aircraft through the air traffic control's designated route. The distance covered during this maneuver was less than 1 nautical mile in just 11 seconds, demonstrating the aircraft's agility and responsiveness.
As the aircraft continued its pattern, it encountered a crosswind from runway 12, which it navigated with ease, covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile in 27 seconds. The pilot then executed a pattern downwind turn, which involved a 45-degree angle to the runway and a distance of 1 nautical mile. This was followed by a pattern downwind leg, which covered a distance of 2 nautical miles in 75 seconds.
The pilot then initiated a pattern base leg turn, which involved a 45-degree angle to the runway and a distance of 1 nautical mile. This was followed by a pattern base leg, which covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile in 38 seconds. The final turn was executed in just 14 seconds, bringing the aircraft into position for its final approach.
The final approach to runway 12 was conducted from the north-west, with the aircraft heading at 121 degrees and at an altitude of 189 feet above ground level. The landing was conducted on runway 12, which has a length of 2,737 meters. However, the threshold height at 92 feet above ground level was significantly above the target, indicating that the aircraft was slightly high on its approach.
The threshold speed was also excessively high at 42 knots, suggesting that the pilot may have been experiencing some difficulty in controlling the aircraft's descent. Despite these challenges, the touchdown point was 652 meters beyond the touchdown zone, and the touchdown speed was a relatively fast 34 knots. However, the touchdown rate was perfect at -10 feet per minute, and the runway touchdown alignment was very good.
In conclusion, the flight in question was a complex and challenging maneuver that required the pilot to navigate the aircraft through a series of tight turns and precise approaches. Despite some difficulties with the approach, the pilot was able to bring the aircraft safely to the ground, using a total of 6 nautical miles of distance and 9 minutes of flight time. The aircraft used a relatively small amount of fuel, just 1 kilogram, indicating its exceptional efficiency.
The Aeroprakt A-32 Vixxen, a pioneering aircraft, successfully landed at EGPK Glasgow Prestwick Airport on runway 12. The final approach was initiated from the north-west, heading 121.0° at an altitude of 189 feet above ground level (agl) and 0 nautical miles from the runway. The aircraft's approach was characterized by a slightly high threshold height of 92 feet agl, which was significantly above the target height.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's speed was excessively high at 42 knots, exceeding the expected threshold speed. This indicates that the pilot may have applied too much power or failed to properly configure the aircraft for landing. The touchdown point was located 652 meters beyond the designated touchdown zone, suggesting that the pilot may have been slightly off-center or failed to properly align the aircraft with the runway.
Despite these issues, the touchdown speed of 34 knots was fast, and the touchdown rate of -10 feet per minute (fpm) was perfect, indicating a smooth and controlled descent. The runway touchdown alignment was very good, suggesting that the pilot had maintained a stable and aligned approach.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 15°C and a gentle wind of 2 knots from 269°. The crosswind component was minimal at 1 knot, and the tailwind component was 2 knots, which may have contributed to the high touchdown speed. Overall, while the landing was not without its issues, the pilot demonstrated good control and stability, and the aircraft performed well under the given conditions.
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