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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Avoid steep turns at low altitude
Below a thousand feet the aeroplane is slow, heavy and close to the ground. A steep turn loses lift, raises the stall speed and flattens the climb just when the gradient matters most. A normal turn on course is a rate one — fifteen degrees or so, twenty-five at the outside, this penalty is to acknowledge when a turn has stopped being a turn and become a manoeuvre.
Read more in Improve Your Take-OffsStart to finish · 20 stages, 18 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.
Side view — the last 5,000 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 5,000 ft of the 11,040 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 883 ft touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the aircraft, an Airbus A320, taxiing from the parking area to the runway at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (KMSP). This process took approximately 9 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The departure roll took place on runway 30L, with the aircraft taking off after covering 70% of the runway's length, which was 6,996 feet. The liftoff speed was 168 knots.
As the aircraft climbed, it started at an altitude of 1,526 feet above sea level and reached a maximum altitude of 34,794 feet above sea level, an increase of 33,268 feet, in 25 minutes and covering a distance of 164 nautical miles. The climb began 1 mile east of Richfield, Minnesota, and continued until it reached the desired altitude.
The enroute level cruise started 3 miles northeast of Highland, Wisconsin, and lasted for 232 minutes, covering a distance of 1,005 nautical miles. This phase of the flight was characterized by a steady altitude and speed, allowing the aircraft to conserve fuel and maintain a comfortable cruising speed.
As the aircraft approached its destination, it began its descent from 34,753 feet above sea level to 2,012 feet above sea level, a decrease of 32,741 feet, in 31 minutes and covering a distance of 92 nautical miles. The descent started 4 miles west of Viera West, Florida, and continued until the aircraft reached the desired altitude.
The aircraft then entered another level cruise phase, this time starting 1 mile west of Egypt Lake-Leto, Florida, and lasting for 115 minutes, covering a distance of 7 nautical miles. This brief cruise phase was followed by another descent, which started overhead the Alachua General Hospital Heliport in Gainesville, Florida. The descent from 1,877 feet above sea level to 1,018 feet above sea level, a decrease of 859 feet, took only 3 minutes and covered a distance of 5 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 19R at Tampa International Airport (KTPA) began from the north, with the aircraft heading 182.0 degrees at an altitude of 1,007 feet above ground level and a distance of 4 nautical miles from the runway. The landing took place on the runway, which was 11,040 feet long, with a good threshold height. The threshold speed was also good at 137 knots, and the touchdown distance was 884 feet, which was within the acceptable range.
The touchdown speed was 132 knots, which was also within the acceptable range. However, the touchdown rate was fair at -277 feet per minute. The runway touchdown position was misaligned by 29 feet from the centreline. The local weather at the time of landing was characterized by a temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area, taking approximately 4 minutes and covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 1,280 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 249 minutes. The aircraft used a total of 20,616 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The Airbus A320 aircraft successfully landed at KTPA Tampa International Airport, achieving a score of 93.4%. The final approach to runway 19R was initiated from the north, with the aircraft heading 182.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,007 feet above ground level (agl).
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down on the runway with a good threshold height, indicating a smooth and controlled descent. The threshold speed of 137 knots was also within the acceptable range, demonstrating the pilot's ability to manage the aircraft's speed during the landing phase. The touchdown distance of 884 feet was also satisfactory, indicating that the aircraft was able to slow down effectively after touchdown.
However, there were some areas for improvement. The touchdown speed of 132 knots was slightly below the recommended range, which may indicate that the pilot could have maintained a higher speed during the landing phase. Additionally, the touchdown rate of -277 feet per minute (fpm) was only fair, suggesting that the aircraft may have experienced a slightly higher rate of descent than desired.
In terms of runway alignment, the aircraft touched down 29 feet off-centerline, which is a relatively minor deviation. However, the runway rollout alignment was slightly misaligned by 44 feet from the centerline, indicating that the pilot may have had some difficulty maintaining a straight course during the rollout phase.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 80°F. Overall, the landing was successful, but there are some areas for improvement that the pilot and crew can focus on to enhance their performance.
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