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Yosemite Valley
4 miles south west of Yosemite Valley, California, United States
Elevation3,628 ft asl
Weight1,582 kg
Fuel445 kg
Wind243° · 2 kn

Flight Score

83.06 %
Yosemite Valley
4 miles south west of Yosemite Valley, California, United States
Elevation3,620 ft asl
Weight1,569 kg
Fuel432 kg
Wind158° · 2 kn
11 Nov 2026 0:07 4 nm Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama 13 kg
Departure Score
77.98 %
Enroute Score
85.86 %
Arrival Score
85.35 %

What went well

Touched down at 165 fpm — a soft arrival
No sideways movement at touchdown

What held you back

Departure Transition — Nose down by up to 33 ° at 12 %, bank angle up to 31.5 ° at 45 %, −4.06 points
Enroute Climb — bank angle up to 64.4 ° at 51 %, −3.39 points
Departure Hover — Height held within 15 ft at 8 %, Moved over the ground at 6.0 kt on average at 90 %, −2.86 points

Next time

Departure

Hold the hover height with small, early collective movements, and add pedal as you change power so the nose stays put.

What happened: The hover after lift-off wandered 15 ft around its height, against 4 ft for a steady one.

Watch for: Height above the ground, steady within 4 ft.

See Departure Hover

Arrival

Line up with the landing spot earlier, so the last part of the approach needs only gentle turns.

What happened: The steepest bank on the approach was 44°, against 20° for full marks.

Watch for: Bank angle: within 20° on the approach.

See Arrival Approach

As you push the cyclic forward, the rotor's lift tilts forward and less of it supports the helicopter. Until you reach effective translational lift, the helicopter will tend to sink, so add a little collective as the cyclic goes forward, and accelerate gently.

Read more in Basics of helicopter flight

Start to finish · 11 stages, 11 in the score

The flight story

Departure One segment per stage, in flight order — colour is the score band. Drag the bar to move along the flight, or click a stage card to open its detail. Arrival
Departure Hover 74.24Lifted into the hover and held it for 17 seconds, on average 24 ft above the spot, moving 177 ft over the ground.
ScoreDescriptionStartProfileEnd
90 % Moved over the ground at 6.0 kt on averageFull marks up to 5.0 kt
8 % Height held within 15 ftFull marks within 4 ft
99 % Steepest bank 6 °Full marks up to 6 °
100 % Lowest rotor RPM 98 %Full marks down to 97 %
100 % Highest torque 40 %Full marks up to 100 %
Info Average height above the spot 24 ft0 ft min to max 49 ft 0 49 ft
Info Average ground speed 6 kt0 kt min to max 14 kt 0 14 kt
Info Average VSI 168 fpm8 fpm min to max 268 fpm 8 235 fpm
Info Average collective 61 %55 % min to max 71 % 60 71 %
Info Average pitch angle -0.3 °-8.6 ° min to max 6.8 ° 1.3 -6.1 °
Info Average bank angle 1.5 °0.0 ° min to max 6.2 ° 0.2 0.9 °
Info Average g force 1.01 g0.93 g min to max 1.14 g 1.05 1.14 g
100 ft200 ftNLift-offClimb away
Seen from above, north up. Rings are distance from the lift-off point.
02040600 s5 s10 s15 s
Height above the ground, ft. The band is 4 ft either side of the average, 24.5 ft: a hover that stays inside it is steady.
Departure Transition 96.27Accelerated away from 14 kt to 45 kt, reaching 312 ft above the spot in 17 seconds.
ScoreDescriptionStartProfileEnd
83 % Steepest bank 20 °Full marks up to 15 °
100 % No sink while accelerating awayFull marks up to 100 fpm
100 % Nose down by up to 12 °Full marks up to 15 °
100 % Lowest rotor RPM 100 %Full marks down to 97 %
100 % Highest torque 45 %Full marks up to 100 %
Info Average height above the spot 107 ft50 ft min to max 312 ft 50 312 ft
Info Average ground speed 22 kt14 kt min to max 47 kt 14 45 kt
Info Average airspeed 15 kt8 kt min to max 43 kt 8 43 kt
Info Average VSI 717 fpm257 fpm min to max 1,499 fpm 257 1,499 fpm
Info Average collective 72 %71 % min to max 76 % 71 76 %
Info Average pitch angle -3.3 °-12.1 ° min to max 5.6 ° -5.7 5.6 °
Info Average bank angle 5.0 °0.0 ° min to max 20.2 ° 1.0 3.6 °
Info Average g force 1.09 g0.98 g min to max 1.15 g 1.14 1.06 g
Enroute Climb 79.63Enroute climb started 4 miles south west of Yosemite Valley (California, United States). Climbing from 3,945 ft asl to 4,501 ft asl, an increase of 556 ft in 1 minutes and covering less than 1 nm.
ScoreDescriptionStartProfileEnd
100 % Average speed 25 kt4 kt min to max 75 kt 44 75 kt
51 % Steepest bank angle 64.4 °0.0 ° min to max 64.4 ° 3.6 36.3 °
92 % Average g force 0.91 g0.22 g min to max 1.27 g 1.07 1.27 g
Info Average VSI 830 fpm-8,392 fpm min to max 2,240 fpm 1,624 -8,392 fpm
Info Average altitude 4,532 ft asl3,945 ft asl min to max 4,970 ft asl 3,945 4,501 ft asl
Info Average pitch angle -1.0 °-42.9 ° min to max 17.2 ° 7.2 -38.6 °
Info Turn coordination 45-127 min to max 127 47 -119
Arrival Approach 53.48The approach began 499 ft above the landing spot at 100 kt and slowed to 10 kt in 1.6 minutes, covering 1 nm.
ScoreDescriptionStartProfileEnd
0 % Steepest bank 52 °Full marks up to 20 °
0 % Fastest descent 8,582 fpmFull marks up to 800 fpm
58 % 24 % of the approach descending fast with little airspeedMore than 300 fpm down below 30 kt is where a helicopter can settle into its own downwash. Full marks up to 5 %
91 % Nose up by up to 16 °Full marks up to 15 °
97 % Lowest rotor RPM 97 %Full marks down to 97 %
100 % Highest torque 79 %Full marks up to 100 %
Info Average height above the spot 91 ft26 ft min to max 499 ft 499 26 ft
Info Average ground speed 25 kt9 kt min to max 129 kt 100 10 kt
Info Average airspeed 22 kt4 kt min to max 111 kt 85 12 kt
Info Average VSI -331 fpm-8,582 fpm min to max 3,157 fpm -8,582 -304 fpm
Info Average collective 54 %7 % min to max 100 % 47 55 %
Info Average pitch angle -2.4 °-32.8 ° min to max 16.3 ° -32.8 6.3 °
Info Average bank angle 7.5 °0.0 ° min to max 52.2 ° 32.0 1.2 °
Info Average g force 1.10 g0.48 g min to max 1.89 g 1.39 1.02 g

Events

Fail Overspeed Warning Activated 351 ft agl · 132 kt
Info Overspeed Warning Deactivated 153 ft agl · 126 kt
020040060080002,0004,0006,000Steepest, 8,582 fpm down

Height above the landing spot against distance to run, both in ft. is where it was below 30 kt and descending faster than 300 fpm - slow and sinking, which is what the settling mark counts.

Arrival Hover 98.68Hovered before the landing for 5 seconds, on average 17 ft above the spot, moving 42 ft over the ground.
ScoreDescriptionStartProfileEnd
100 % Moved over the ground at 5.0 kt on averageFull marks up to 5.0 kt
95 % Height held within 5 ftFull marks within 4 ft
100 % Steepest bank 1 °Full marks up to 6 °
100 % Lowest rotor RPM 100 %Full marks down to 97 %
100 % Highest torque 33 %Full marks up to 100 %
Info Average height above the spot 17 ft10 ft min to max 26 ft 26 10 ft
Info Average ground speed 5 kt2 kt min to max 10 kt 10 2 kt
Info Average VSI -217 fpm-299 fpm min to max -130 fpm -299 -133 fpm
Info Average collective 60 %54 % min to max 62 % 55 62 %
Info Average pitch angle 5.2 °1.3 ° min to max 7.4 ° 6.4 1.3 °
Info Average bank angle 0.7 °0.0 ° min to max 1.3 ° 1.2 0.4 °
Info Average g force 1.01 g0.98 g min to max 1.04 g 1.01 1.01 g
20 ft40 ft60 ftNArriveSet down
Seen from above, north up. Rings are distance from where it set down.
051015200 s2 s4 s
Height above the ground, ft. The band is 4 ft either side of the average, 6.6 ft: a hover that stays inside it is steady.
Arrival Touchdown 100.00Touched down at 76 fpm with 1 kt over the ground.
ScoreDescriptionStartProfileEnd
100 % Touched down at 76 fpmFull marks up to 200 fpm
100 % Sideways at touchdown 0.0 ktFull marks up to 1.0 kt
100 % Forward at touchdown 1.1 ktFull marks up to 5.0 kt
Info Average height above the spot 4 ft0 ft min to max 10 ft 10 0 ft
Info Average ground speed 2 kt0 kt min to max 4 kt 2 0 kt
Info Average VSI -71 fpm-131 fpm min to max -15 fpm -131 -15 fpm
Info Average collective 53 %0 % min to max 63 % 62 0 %
Info Average rotor RPM 100 %100 % min to max 101 % 100 101 %
Info Average torque 28 %7 % min to max 38 % 36 7 %
Info Average pitch angle 0.5 °-2.1 ° min to max 3.3 ° 0.9 -0.4 °
Info Average bank angle 2.5 °0.0 ° min to max 5.9 ° 0.3 0.8 °
Info Average g force 1.01 g0.93 g min to max 1.10 g 1.02 1.00 g
0204060-15 s-10 s-5 scontactAbout 310 fpm down
Height above the ground, ft, against time to contact. It met the ground at 76 fpm.
5 kt1 ktNose
Movement over the ground at contact, nose up. 1.1 kt, straight ahead. Inside the 1 kt ring sideways is full marks.
Departure Transition 63.44Accelerated away from 1 kt to 38 kt, reaching 304 ft above the spot in 16 seconds.
ScoreDescriptionStartProfileEnd
45 % Steepest bank 32 °Full marks up to 15 °
80 % Sank at up to 202 fpm while accelerating awayFull marks up to 100 fpm
12 % Nose down by up to 33 °Full marks up to 15 °
100 % Lowest rotor RPM 99 %Full marks down to 97 %
100 % Highest torque 54 %Full marks up to 100 %
Info Average height above the spot 56 ft2 ft min to max 304 ft 2 304 ft
Info Average ground speed 29 kt1 kt min to max 51 kt 1 38 kt
Info Average airspeed 14 kt1 kt min to max 32 kt 1 27 kt
Info Average VSI 645 fpm-202 fpm min to max 2,751 fpm 102 1,845 fpm
Info Average collective 75 %69 % min to max 81 % 69 81 %
Info Average pitch angle -9.7 °-32.6 ° min to max 14.5 ° 0.2 -18.2 °
Info Average bank angle 5.3 °0.0 ° min to max 31.5 ° 1.2 22.6 °
Info Average g force 1.18 g0.83 g min to max 1.60 g 1.18 0.85 g
Enroute Level 92.08Enroute level cruise started 4 miles west of Yosemite Valley (California, United States) and lasted 1 minutes, covering 1 nm.
ScoreDescriptionStartProfileEnd
100 % Altitude held within ±698 ft of 4,261 ft asl3,970 ft asl min to max 4,508 ft asl 3,970 4,196 ft asl
100 % Average speed 76 kt28 kt min to max 100 kt 28 87 kt
81 % Steepest bank angle 49.5 °0.1 ° min to max 49.5 ° 12.0 9.1 °
97 % Average g force 1.07 g0.85 g min to max 1.64 g 0.86 0.85 g
Info Turn coordination -16-95 min to max 80 80 -95
Info Average pitch angle -5.9 °-21.3 ° min to max 1.0 ° -19.8 -3.1 °
Arrival Approach 71.71The approach began 498 ft above the landing spot at 90 kt and slowed to 14 kt in 1.9 minutes, covering less than 1 nm.
ScoreDescriptionStartProfileEnd
5 % Steepest bank 44 °Full marks up to 20 °
53 % Fastest descent 1,370 fpmFull marks up to 800 fpm
79 % 15 % of the approach descending fast with little airspeedMore than 300 fpm down below 30 kt is where a helicopter can settle into its own downwash. Full marks up to 5 %
100 % Nose up by up to 12 °Full marks up to 15 °
100 % Lowest rotor RPM 99 %Full marks down to 97 %
100 % Highest torque 58 %Full marks up to 100 %
Info Average height above the spot 44 ft5 ft min to max 498 ft 498 40 ft
Info Average ground speed 13 kt0 kt min to max 90 kt 90 14 kt
Info Average airspeed 8 kt0 kt min to max 86 kt 86 10 kt
Info Average VSI -89 fpm-1,370 fpm min to max 1,307 fpm -317 -306 fpm
Info Average collective 57 %8 % min to max 80 % 39 56 %
Info Average pitch angle -1.6 °-25.5 ° min to max 12.3 ° -4.0 4.9 °
Info Average bank angle 6.6 °0.0 ° min to max 43.7 ° 12.3 0.7 °
Info Average g force 1.04 g0.75 g min to max 1.65 g 0.91 1.09 g
020040060001,0002,0003,0004,000Steepest, 1,370 fpm down

Height above the lowest point against distance to run, both in ft. is where it was below 30 kt and descending faster than 300 fpm - slow and sinking, which is what the settling mark counts.

Arrival Hover 88.24Hovered before the landing for 45 seconds, on average 18 ft above the spot, moving 347 ft over the ground.
ScoreDescriptionStartProfileEnd
100 % Moved over the ground at 4.3 kt on averageFull marks up to 5.0 kt
67 % Height held within 8 ftFull marks within 4 ft
84 % Steepest bank 8 °Full marks up to 6 °
100 % Lowest rotor RPM 100 %Full marks down to 97 %
100 % Highest torque 38 %Full marks up to 100 %
Info Average height above the spot 18 ft7 ft min to max 39 ft 39 10 ft
Info Average ground speed 4 kt2 kt min to max 14 kt 14 4 kt
Info Average VSI -34 fpm-294 fpm min to max 126 fpm -294 -97 fpm
Info Average collective 59 %52 % min to max 63 % 58 61 %
Info Average pitch angle 0.7 °-2.9 ° min to max 6.3 ° 5.3 1.1 °
Info Average bank angle 3.8 °0.0 ° min to max 8.2 ° 0.6 1.9 °
Info Average g force 1.00 g0.89 g min to max 1.12 g 1.10 1.03 g
100 ft200 ftNArriveSet down
Seen from above, north up. Rings are distance from where it set down.
0102030400 s10 s20 s30 s40 s
Height above the ground, ft. The band is 4 ft either side of the average, 10.9 ft: a hover that stays inside it is steady.
Arrival Touchdown 100.00Touched down at 165 fpm with 1 kt over the ground.
ScoreDescriptionStartProfileEnd
100 % Touched down at 165 fpmFull marks up to 200 fpm
100 % Sideways at touchdown 0.0 ktFull marks up to 1.0 kt
100 % Forward at touchdown 1.1 ktFull marks up to 5.0 kt
Info Average height above the spot 4 ft0 ft min to max 10 ft 10 0 ft
Info Average ground speed 2 kt0 kt min to max 4 kt 4 0 kt
Info Average VSI -61 fpm-111 fpm min to max -11 fpm -95 -11 fpm
Info Average collective 52 %0 % min to max 65 % 60 0 %
Info Average rotor RPM 100 %100 % min to max 101 % 100 101 %
Info Average torque 28 %5 % min to max 36 % 31 5 %
Info Average pitch angle 0.4 °-1.7 ° min to max 2.9 ° 1.0 -1.6 °
Info Average bank angle 2.7 °0.0 ° min to max 8.0 ° 2.2 0.6 °
Info Average g force 1.00 g0.92 g min to max 1.21 g 1.01 1.00 g
051015-15 s-10 s-5 scontact
Height above the ground, ft, against time to contact. It met the ground at 165 fpm.
5 kt1 ktNose
Movement over the ground at contact, nose up. 1.1 kt, 0.7 kt of it to the left. Inside the 1 kt ring sideways is full marks.

2 landings

Every landing in this flight

The flight is kept as it was recorded: it ends when the engine is shut down, so a landing with the rotors turning is a stop along the way, not a new flight.

# Where Into flight Touchdown Ground speed Sideways On the ground
1 4 miles south west of Yosemite Valley (California, United States) 3:10 61 ft/min 0.8 kt 0.0 kt 0:19
2 4 miles south west of Yosemite Valley (California, United States) 7:33 165 ft/min 0.8 kt 0.0 kt End of flight

Lift-off & hover

The last lift-off of 2 - each has its own stage above.

8.40Hover heightsteady within 15 ft
89.60Hover drift6.0 kt
98.80Hover bank6°
79.50Sink moving off202 fpm
11.80Nose down33°

Approach

The last approach of 2 - each has its own stage above.

52.50Steepest descent1,370 fpm
78.70Slow and sinking15 %
5.20Bank44°
100.00Nose up12°
66.50Hover before landingsteady within 8 ft

Touchdown

The last landing of 2 - each has its own stage above.

100.00Rate at contact165 fpm
100.00Sideways drift0.0 kt
100.00Forward speed1.1 kt

Landing 2 of 2

Hover, approach and touchdown

The last lift-off and the last landing. The other landing has the same drawings in its own stages above.

Hover74.24

100 ft200 ftNLift-offClimb away
Seen from above, north up. Rings are distance from the lift-off point.
02040600 s5 s10 s15 s
Height above the ground, ft. The band is 4 ft either side of the average, 24.5 ft: a hover that stays inside it is steady.

Approach71.71

020040060001,0002,0003,0004,000Steepest, 1,370 fpm down

Height above the lowest point against distance to run, both in ft. is where it was below 30 kt and descending faster than 300 fpm - slow and sinking, which is what the settling mark counts.

Touchdown100.00

051015-15 s-10 s-5 scontact
Height above the ground, ft, against time to contact. It met the ground at 165 fpm.
5 kt1 ktNose
Movement over the ground at contact, nose up. 1.1 kt, 0.7 kt of it to the left. Inside the 1 kt ring sideways is full marks.

The rest of the report

Explore in detail

Flight narrative

The Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama lifted into a hover and held it for 17 seconds, averaging 24 ft above the spot while moving 177 ft over the ground.

It then accelerated from 14 kt to 45 kt, reaching 312 ft above the spot in 17 seconds.

Climb continued from 3,945 ft asl to 4,501 ft asl in 1 minute, covering less than 1 nm, beginning 4 miles south-west of Yosemite Valley.

During the first approach the aircraft was 499 ft above the landing spot at 100 kt and slowed to 10 kt in 1.6 minutes, covering 1 nm. A hover of 5 seconds followed, averaging 17 ft above the spot and moving 42 ft over the ground. Touchdown occurred at 76 fpm with 1 kt over the ground.

After landing the aircraft accelerated from 1 kt to 38 kt, reaching 304 ft above the spot in 16 seconds.

It then level-flew at 4,300 ft asl for 1 minute, covering 1 nm, starting 4 miles west of Yosemite Valley.

The second approach began 498 ft above the landing spot at 90 kt and slowed to 14 kt in 1.9 minutes, covering less than 1 nm. A hover of 45 seconds followed, averaging 18 ft above the spot while moving 347 ft over the ground. Touchdown was at 165 fpm with 1 kt over the ground.

The total flight distance was 4 nm, the flight time 7 minutes, and fuel consumption 13 kg.

Metrics
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