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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Keep the approach speed on target
Next time
Reduce power on the approach to bring the speed back to 110 kt before it carries through to the threshold.
What happened: The approach ran fast on speed, carrying through to a threshold crossing 29 kt above target, and touchdown followed at 17 kt above target - running fast early in the approach usually rides straight through to a fast touchdown.
Watch for: Airspeed indicator against 110 kt on the approach.
Departure
Rotate the moment the speed tape reaches 135 kt, not after it.
What happened: Rotation was held until 160 kt, 25 kt past the 135 kt rotation target. Carrying that much extra speed into rotation usually adds unwanted energy right at liftoff.
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 · 14 stages, 12 scored
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The threshold, the flare and the hold-off. The approach that led to it is the stabilisation gates below.
Two stabilised approach gates, each with seven checks, where the approach path is 1,000 ft and 500 ft above the runway. They are the approach's score: the checks passed out of the checks that ran.
At the 500 ft gate: speed 29 kt FAST on the reference speed of 110 kt.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 2,186 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 436 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The MD-83 taxied to runway 33 at KDCA Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and commenced the take-off roll. The aircraft used 1,053 m of runway, representing 66 % of the available length, and lifted off at 161 kt. Ambient conditions were 17 °C with a wind of 1 kt from 269°, providing a 1 kt headwind and a 1 kt cross-wind component.
Climb began approximately 1 nm south of Washington, with the airplane accelerating from 1,022 ft asl to 3,062 ft asl, a gain of 2,040 ft achieved in less than one minute while covering 1 nm.
The first cruise segment was established overhead Rosslyn, Virginia, and persisted for 2 minutes during which the aircraft traversed 7 nm at level flight.
Descent commenced over Cabin John, Maryland, descending from 3,720 ft asl to 1,657 ft asl, a loss of 2,062 ft in 2 minutes while covering another 7 nm.
A second cruise phase was flown over Falls Church, Virginia, lasting 8 minutes and extending the distance covered by 27 nm.
For the final approach the MD-83 was aligned with runway 01 at KDCA, approaching from the south on a heading of 355.0° at 4 nm distance and 1,272 ft above ground level.
Landing on runway 01 was executed on a runway 2,186 m long. The threshold speed was recorded at 139 kt, higher than expected, while touchdown occurred 437 m down the runway at 133 kt, with a firm touchdown rate of minus 334 fpm. Alignment at touchdown was perfect. Weather at the time was 20 °C with a wind of 2 kt from 218°, resulting in a 2 kt cross-wind and a 2 kt tail-wind component.
Rollout continued smoothly; the total landing distance measured 1,114 m, equivalent to 51 % of the runway, and runway-rollout alignment remained perfect.
In total the flight covered 48 nm, took 13 minutes, and used -3 kg of fuel.
The MD-83 entered the final approach to runway 01 at KDCA Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport from the south, maintaining a heading of 355.0° at 4 nm and 1,272 ft agl. Local conditions were 20 °C with a wind of 2 kt from 218°, a 2 kt crosswind component and a 2 kt tailwind component.
At the threshold the height was reported as good, but the threshold speed was too high at 139 kt.
Touchdown occurred 437 m down the runway, a distance described as good, while the touchdown speed of 133 kt was fast. The aircraft settled with a firm rate of minus 334 fpm and achieved perfect runway alignment.
The rollout covered a total landing distance of 1,114 m, representing 51 % of the 2,186 m runway, and the alignment remained perfect throughout the rollout.
Reduce both threshold and touchdown speeds to stay within target values, which will smooth energy management and further improve the already high 95.9 % score. Adjust the approach configuration to achieve lower speeds without compromising safety.
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