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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Know your rotation speed
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 · 10 stages, 9 scored
Events
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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 534 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 534 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 289 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 15 at LOWS Salzburg Airport, a small airport in Austria. The TBM 930 aircraft accelerated down the 192-meter runway, reaching a liftoff speed of 73 knots. The local weather conditions at the time of takeoff were quite chilly, with a temperature of -0°C, and a gentle headwind of 5 knots blowing from the northwest.
As the aircraft climbed away from Salzburg, it began its enroute climb, which started approximately one mile southwest of the airport. The climb was steep, with the aircraft rising from an initial altitude of 2,428 feet above sea level to 8,447 feet in just 5 minutes, covering a distance of 14 nautical miles. This impressive climb rate allowed the aircraft to quickly gain altitude and reach its cruising altitude.
After a short while, the aircraft began its enroute descent, which started 5 miles west of Schoenau am Koenigssee in Bavaria, Germany. The descent was equally steep, with the aircraft dropping from 8,471 feet to 2,555 feet in just 5 minutes, covering a distance of 17 nautical miles. This rapid descent allowed the aircraft to quickly lose altitude and prepare for its final approach.
The final approach to runway 26 at LOWZ Zell am See Airfield was made from the east, with the aircraft heading 259.0° at an altitude of 87 feet above ground level. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were much warmer, with a temperature of 9°C, and a gentle headwind of 1 knot blowing from the west.
Unfortunately, the landing was not entirely smooth. The aircraft touched down at a speed of 116 knots, which was excessively fast, and used more than 50% of the available runway. The touchdown point was also slightly misaligned from the centerline, by 3.3 meters. However, the touchdown rate was excellent, at -68 feet per minute. The threshold speed was also excessively high at 125 knots, indicating that the aircraft may have been slightly over-boosted during the approach.
Despite the minor issues with the landing, the flight was otherwise uneventful, with the aircraft covering a total distance of 32 nautical miles and using 37 kilograms of fuel. The flight duration was approximately 11 minutes.
The aircraft in question is a TBM 930, which performed a landing at the LOWZ Zell am See Airfield. The approach was made from the east, with a heading of 259.0° at an altitude of 87 feet above ground level (agl) and at a distance of 0 nautical miles from the runway. The TBM 930 successfully landed on runway 26, which measures 534 meters in length.
Upon reviewing the landing performance, it was noted that the landing speed was excessively high at 125 knots, which could potentially lead to a hard touchdown or loss of control. However, the actual touchdown occurred at a speed of 116 knots, which is still faster than optimal. Nevertheless, the touchdown rate was excellent, measured at -68 feet per minute (fpm), which indicates a smooth and controlled descent.
Additionally, the touchdown point was found to be very long, covering more than 50% of the available runway. This implies that the pilot could have utilized more of the runway's length before touching down. Furthermore, the runway landing position was slightly misaligned with the centreline by 3.3 meters. This deviation could have been caused by factors such as crosswind, headwind, or pilot error. Fortunately, the effects of any misalignment seemed minor considering the overall precision of the landing.
Considering the landing conditions, local weather was moderate, with a temperature of 9 °C and light winds of 1 knot from a direction of 270°. Both crosswind and headwind were minimal, standing at 0 kt and 1 kt respectively. Despite these factors, the pilot managed to execute a relatively controlled and precise landing considering the given circumstances.
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