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 · 11 stages, 9 scored
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.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 2,114 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 1,031 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 25 at Newcastle Airport, EGNT. The aircraft, a Rans S6S, accelerated down the runway and lifted off at a speed of 36 knots. The takeoff distance was a mere 49 meters, which is just 2% of the runway's total length.
As the aircraft climbed away from the airport, it encountered local weather conditions of 15°C temperature and a gentle wind of 2 knots from a direction of 270°. The crosswind component was minimal at 1 knot, while the headwind component was 2 knots. The enroute climb started overhead Dinnington, a location in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, where the aircraft transitioned from a low altitude of 317 feet above sea level to a higher altitude of 498 feet in less than a minute, covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile.
Following the climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, also starting overhead Dinnington, and lasted for 3 minutes, covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. This brief cruise phase was followed by a final approach to runway 25 at EGNT Newcastle Airport, which was initiated from the north-east, heading 246.0° at an altitude of 65 feet above ground level and a distance of 0 nautical miles from the runway.
The landing was executed smoothly, with a threshold speed of 46 knots and a touchdown speed of 28 knots. The touchdown point was 582 meters beyond the touchdown zone, and the touchdown rate was a smooth -141 feet per minute. The runway touchdown alignment was perfect, and the runway rollout alignment was also spot on.
The total landing distance was 1,112 meters, which is 53% of the runway's total length. The local weather conditions remained the same throughout the landing, with a temperature of 15°C and a wind of 2 knots from a direction of 270°. The crosswind component was 1 knot, while the headwind component was 2 knots. The total flight distance was a mere 2 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 5 minutes. Notably, the aircraft used no fuel during the flight.
The Rans S6S aircraft successfully landed at EGNT Newcastle Airport, achieving an impressive score of 88.3%. The final approach to runway 25 was initiated from the north east, with the aircraft heading 246.0° at an altitude of 65 feet above ground level (agl) and 0 nautical miles from the runway.
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down on the runway at a speed of 28 knots, which was considered good. The touchdown point was located 582 meters beyond the touchdown zone, indicating a slight overrun but still within a safe distance. The touchdown rate was smooth, with a descent rate of -141 feet per minute (fpm), and the runway touchdown alignment was perfect, demonstrating excellent control and precision.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 15°C and a gentle wind of 2 knots from 270°. This resulted in a minimal crosswind component of 1 knot and a headwind of 2 knots, which did not pose any significant challenges to the landing.
The total landing distance was 1,112 meters, which accounted for 53% of the runway length. This is a relatively short landing distance, indicating that the aircraft was well-controlled and the pilot executed the landing smoothly. The runway rollout alignment was also perfect, demonstrating excellent control and precision during the rollout phase.
Overall, the landing was considered good, with the aircraft achieving a high score of 88.3%. The pilot's skills and the aircraft's performance were evident in the smooth touchdown, perfect runway alignment, and short landing distance.
Scroll or drag the slider to zoom · double-click to reset · hover for values