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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 · 16 stages, 14 scored
Events
One stabilised approach gate for a circuit: six checks at the point nearest 500 ft above the runway after the base turn. The 1,000 ft gate is an instrument-approach check and does not apply. These checks are the approach's score.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 906 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 906 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 77 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The Taylorcraft BC-12D departed from runway 22 at EGHN Isle of Wight / Sandown Airport, accelerating along the departure roll for a takeoff distance of 179 m, which is 20 % of the runway length. Liftoff was achieved at 40 kt under a temperature of 15 °C, wind 2 kt from 270°, with a cross-wind component of 1 kt and a head-wind component of 1 kt.
The aircraft entered the right-hand traffic pattern from runway 22, covering a distance of less than 1 nm in 15 seconds.
Continuing the right-hand pattern, the cross-wind segment was completed in less than 1 nm during a 20-second interval.
During the downwind turn, the aircraft flew 1 nm and established an angle to the runway of 59.0°.
The downwind leg extended for 1 nm and was flown in 69 seconds.
A base-leg turn followed, again covering 1 nm and presenting an angle to the runway of 34.1°.
The base leg itself was less than 1 nm and was completed in 8 seconds.
The final turn to the approach course was less than 1 nm and required 33 seconds.
On final approach to runway 22, the aircraft descended from 342 ft AGL to 16 ft AGL in 50 seconds and was recorded as having scored on the stabilisation gates.
Landing was made on runway 22, whose total length is 906 m. The threshold speed was 32 kt, well below the target, and touchdown occurred 73 m from the threshold at 26 kt with a smooth vertical speed of minus 123 fpm. The touchdown point was offset 10.0 m from the centreline, and the total landing distance measured 126 m, representing 14 % of the runway.
Runway rollout showed a slight alignment deviation of 9.7 m from the centreline.
In total, the flight covered 5 nm, took 4 (units as given), and consumed 0 kg of fuel.
The final approach to runway 22 at EGHN Isle of Wight / Sandown Airport was conducted with a descent from 342 ft agl to 16 ft agl over 50 seconds and the aircraft scored on the stabilisation gates. Local weather was 15 °C with a wind of 2 kt from 270°, including a 1 kt cross-wind component and a 1 kt head-wind.
At threshold the aircraft entered the flare with a speed of 32 kt, noted as well below the target and flagged to take care not to stall; the threshold height was reported as good.
Touchdown occurred 73 m down the runway at a speed of 26 kt and a vertical rate of -123 fpm, described as smooth. The touchdown point was misaligned by 10.0 m from the centreline.
The rollout covered a total distance of 126 m, representing 14 % of the 906 m runway, and the aircraft was slightly misaligned by 9.7 m from the centreline during rollout.
Minor refinements should focus on improving centreline tracking to reduce the 10.0 m touchdown offset and the 9.7 m rollout deviation, ensuring a more precise aim point and consistent alignment through the flare and rollout phases.
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