Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
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 · 18 stages, 16 scored
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
The threshold, the flare and the hold-off. The approach that led to it is the stabilisation gates below.
Two stabilised approach gates, each with seven checks, where the approach path is 1,000 ft and 500 ft above the runway.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 5,594 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 5,594 ft of the 8,612 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 1,139 ft touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the aircraft taxiing from the parking area to the runway, a process that took 9 minutes and covered a distance of 2 nautical miles. The Airbus A320 then departed from runway 28R at KORD Chicago O'Hare International Airport, with a takeoff distance of 7,029 feet, which accounted for 54% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 164 knots, and the local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 67°F and a wind speed of 5 knots from a direction of 230°.
The crosswind component was 3 knots, while the headwind component was 4 knots. As the aircraft took off, it began its enroute climb, which started 1 mile northwest of Bensenville, Illinois. The climb was from an altitude of 1,761 feet above sea level to 33,709 feet above sea level, an increase of 31,947 feet, in 20 minutes and covering a distance of 130 nautical miles.
After completing the enroute climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which started 3 miles northeast of Lowden, Iowa. This phase of the flight lasted for 169 minutes and covered a distance of 1,310 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its enroute descent, which started 4 miles southwest of NV47 Palomino Airport in Sparks, Nevada. The descent was from an altitude of 33,717 feet above sea level to 820 feet above sea level, a decrease of 32,898 feet, in 23 minutes and covering a distance of 110 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 35L at KSMF Sacramento International Airport was made from the south, with a heading of 359.0° at an altitude of 785 feet above ground level and a distance of 3 nautical miles from the runway. The landing was made on runway 35L, which had a length of 8,612 feet. The threshold height was good, and the threshold speed was slightly above the target speed at 143 knots.
The touchdown distance was good at 1,138 feet, but the touchdown speed was a little fast at 139 knots. The touchdown rate was fair at -284 feet per minute. The runway touchdown alignment was very good, and the runway rollout alignment was also very good after the landing. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 62°F and a wind speed of 5 knots from a direction of 230°, with a crosswind component of 4 knots and a tailwind component of 3 knots.
The total landing distance was 5,341 feet, which accounted for 62% of the runway. After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area, a process that took 3 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 1,560 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 227 minutes. The aircraft used a total of 22,813 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The Airbus A320 successfully landed on runway 35L at KSMF Sacramento International Airport, achieving a high score of 98.3%. The aircraft approached the runway from the south, heading 359.0° at a distance of 3 nautical miles and an altitude of 785 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot maintained a good threshold height, which is a critical aspect of a safe landing.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's threshold speed was slightly above the target speed of 143 knots, indicating a slight deviation from the ideal landing speed. However, the touchdown distance of 1,138 feet was within acceptable limits, suggesting that the pilot had sufficient control over the aircraft's descent. The touchdown speed of 139 knots was a little fast, which may have contributed to a slightly higher touchdown rate of -284 feet per minute (fpm). Despite this, the runway touchdown alignment was very good, indicating that the pilot had maintained a stable and controlled approach.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 62°F and a gentle wind of 5 knots from 230°. The crosswind component was minimal at 4 knots, and the tailwind component was 3 knots, which had a negligible impact on the landing. The total landing distance of 5,341 feet was 62% of the runway length, indicating that the pilot had sufficient control over the aircraft's rollout.
The runway rollout alignment was also very good, suggesting that the pilot had maintained a stable and controlled descent throughout the landing. Overall, the Airbus A320's landing on runway 35L at KSMF Sacramento International Airport was a successful one, with the pilot demonstrating good control and precision throughout the approach and landing phases.
Scroll or drag the slider to zoom · double-click to reset · hover for values