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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Keep the approach speed on target
Every knot above Vref is stored kinetic energy, and energy stored at the threshold must be dissipated in ground effect before the aeroplane will stop flying. Because kinetic energy scales with the square of speed, the excess you must dissipate grows fast. At a 45-knot approach, five knots hot is over a tenth more speed and roughly a quarter more energy to get rid of in ground effect. This is why the fix is never in the flare. It was decided three miles earlier, on final, at the airspeed indicator.
Read more in VRef ExplainedStart to finish · 18 stages, 16 scored
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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 1,710 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 216 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a short taxiing period from the parking area to the runway, taking approximately 1 minute and covering less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, a TBM 930, then departed from runway 11R at UAFW Kant Air Base, with a takeoff distance of 248 meters, which accounted for 9% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 69 knots.
As the aircraft climbed, it started to ascend from an altitude of 3,544 feet above sea level to 25,102 feet above sea level, an increase of 21,558 feet in 14 minutes, covering a distance of 38 nautical miles. The enroute climb began overhead UAFW Kant Air Base in the Chuyskaya Oblast' of Kyrgyzstan.
Following the climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which started 22 miles south of UABA Burana Airport in the Burana village of the Chuyskaya Oblast'. This phase lasted for 2 minutes and covered a distance of 8 nautical miles.
As the aircraft continued its journey, it began its descent from an altitude of 25,079 feet above sea level to 6,073 feet above sea level, a decrease of 19,006 feet in 19 minutes, covering a distance of 64 nautical miles. The descent started 20 miles west of UABL Balykchy Airport in the Issyk-Kul Region of Kyrgyzstan.
The final approach to runway 34 at UAFG Cholpon-Ata Airport was made from the south, with a heading of 342.0 degrees at 3 nautical miles and 489 feet above ground level. The landing on runway 34 was successful, with a touchdown distance of 217 meters, which was good. However, the touchdown speed of 96 knots was excessively fast, and the threshold speed of 102 knots was also excessively high.
The touchdown rate was perfect at 177 feet per minute, and the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 4.2 meters from the centerline. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, with a wind speed of 2 knots at 92 degrees. The crosswind was 2 knots, and there was a tailwind of 1 knot.
The total landing distance was 847 meters, which accounted for 50% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was very good. After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area, taking less than 1 minute and covering less than 1 nautical mile.
The total flight distance was 115 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 40 minutes. The aircraft used 119 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The TBM 930 aircraft successfully landed at UAFG Cholpon-Ata Airport, scoring an overall grade of 86.3%. The final approach was initiated from the south, heading 342.0° at a distance of 3 nautical miles and an altitude of 489 feet above ground level (agl). The aircraft successfully touched down on runway 34, which has a length of 1,710 meters.
Upon reviewing the landing, it was noted that the threshold height was satisfactory. However, the threshold speed was excessively high at 102 knots, indicating that the pilot may have been able to maintain a more stable approach speed. The touchdown distance of 217 meters was considered good, but the touchdown speed of 96 knots was excessively fast. This suggests that the pilot may have been able to flare the aircraft more effectively to achieve a smoother touchdown.
The touchdown rate of 177 feet per minute (fpm) was perfect, indicating that the aircraft was able to touch down smoothly and maintain control. However, the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 4.2 meters from the centerline, which may have been due to a slight deviation in the approach or a miscalculation of the landing distance.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 15°C and a wind speed of 2 knots from 92°. The crosswind component was minimal at 2 knots, and the tailwind component was 1 knot. These conditions would have made the landing relatively straightforward.
The total landing distance of 847 meters was 50% of the runway length, which is a reasonable distance considering the aircraft's size and weight. The runway rollout alignment was very good, indicating that the pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft during the rollout phase.
Overall, the landing was considered satisfactory, but there were some areas for improvement, particularly in terms of approach speed and touchdown speed. With some adjustments to the approach and landing technique, the pilot may be able to achieve an even higher score in the future.
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