Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Departure
Rotate sooner, bringing the nose up at 70 kt rather than letting speed build further.
What happened: You lifted off at 81 kt against a rotation target of 70 kt, rotating late in the ground roll.
Watch for: Watch airspeed and rotate at the target of 70 kt.
See Departure Roll
Arrival
Keep the back pressure coming through the flare so the sink does not return at 124 fpm.
What happened: The flare arrested the sink, but then the sink returned before touchdown.
Watch for: Watch the VSI in the flare and keep arrested sink from returning before touchdown at 252 fpm.
See Arrival Landing
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 · 14 stages, 13 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 for a circuit: seven checks where the approach path is 300 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 1,529 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 254 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
A single-engine flight was conducted in a DA40-NG aircraft at Gibraltar Airport (LXGB). The departure roll commenced on runway 27, with the aircraft taking off successfully within a short takeoff distance of 239 meters, which constituted 16% of the runway length. The liftoff speed achieved during the takeoff was 81 knots.
The aircraft proceeded to establish a left-hand traffic pattern over runway 27, and was in compliance with the standard pattern entry and crosswind legs. The distance covered while turning for the downwind leg was 2 nautical miles, at an angle of 83 degrees relative to the runway. After completing the downwind leg, the aircraft covered 2 nautical miles in 75 seconds on the downwind leg and 2 nautical miles in 81 seconds on the base leg.
Upon completing the pattern, the aircraft executed a final turn before commencing the final approach to runway 27 from the east at a distance of 1 nautical mile and an altitude of 436 feet above ground level. Landing on the runway, the aircraft touched down at a speed of 48 knots, which was considered satisfactory, while the touchdown distance of 251 meters was also deemed adequate.
The overall landing distance covered was 406 meters, which accounted for 27% of the runway length, and the runway touchdown alignment was found to be perfect. Additionally, the runway rollout alignment after landing was very good.
The total flight distance covered was 8 nautical miles, with the total flight time being 9 minutes. Notably, the flight used a minimal amount of fuel, approximately 1 kilogram, throughout the entire duration of the flight.
A DA40-NG aircraft successfully landed at LXGB Gibraltar Airport's runway 27. The aircraft demonstrated a strong understanding of approach strategies by navigating a final approach from the east at a heading of 269.0° and at a distance of 1 nautical mile and 436 feet above ground level. The pilots effectively controlled the aircraft's altitude and airspeed, which ultimately contributed to a safe touchdown on the runway.
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down at a distance of 251 meters, meeting the target criteria, and at a speed of 48 kt, which was considered acceptable for a safe landing. The rate of descent during touchdown was smooth at -140 ft per minute, ensuring a comfortable touchdown and reducing the chance of any potential damage to the aircraft or surrounding infrastructure.
Weather conditions were mild, with a temperature of 15°C and only a slight headwind of 1 kt from a direction of 270°. The wind was not significant enough to cause any notable issues for the pilots, particularly in terms of crosswind and runway alignment. The aircraft maintained excellent runway alignment during takeoff and landing, further emphasizing the pilots' skill and judgment.
The pilots were able to manage the aircraft to meet a range of target criteria for the landing, including an optimal landing distance that was only 27% of the total runway length, and a run-up length for rollout alignment that was very good. This suggests that the landing was carried out by an experienced pilot with a high level of proficiency in aircraft handling.
Overall, the landing of the DA40-NG at LXGB Gibraltar Airport's runway 27 achieved a high score and reflects a high standard of airmanship by the pilot involved.
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