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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 · 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 11,637 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 1,816 ft past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a taxiing period from the parking to the runway, which took 22 minutes and covered a distance of 3 nautical miles. The aircraft, an Airbus A321, then departed from runway 17R at KDFW Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The takeoff distance was 8,182 feet, which accounted for 61% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 182 knots.
The local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 74°F and a wind speed of 5 knots from a direction of 180°. This resulted in a crosswind of 0 knots and a headwind of 5 knots. The aircraft then began its enroute climb, starting 1 mile south of KDFW Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The climb took 26 minutes and covered a distance of 170 nautical miles, during which the aircraft ascended from an altitude of 1,580 feet above sea level to 37,147 feet above sea level, an increase of 35,567 feet.
Following the enroute climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which started 4 miles west of the Bayou Fourchon Seaplane Base in Leeville, Louisiana. This phase lasted for 85 minutes and covered a distance of 663 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its enroute descent, starting 7 miles southwest of South Venice, Florida. The descent took 25 minutes and covered a distance of 130 nautical miles, during which the aircraft descended from an altitude of 36,733 feet above sea level to 4,003 feet above sea level, a decrease of 32,730 feet.
The aircraft then entered another level cruise phase, which started 5 miles northwest of Kendall West, Florida. This phase lasted for 11 minutes and covered a distance of 6 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its final descent, starting 10 miles northwest of Kendall West, Florida. The descent took 4 minutes and covered a distance of 12 nautical miles, during which the aircraft descended from an altitude of 4,008 feet above sea level to 1,296 feet above sea level, a decrease of 2,712 feet.
The final approach to runway 09 at KMIA Miami International Airport was made from the west, with a heading of 87.0° at an altitude of 1,276 feet above ground level and a distance of 4 nautical miles from the runway. The landing was made on runway 09, which had a length of 11,637 feet. The threshold height at 56 feet above ground level was slightly above the target, but the threshold speed was good at 136 knots.
The touchdown point was 470 feet beyond the touchdown zone, and the touchdown speed was 130 knots, which was a little fast. The touchdown rate was fair at -203 feet per minute, and the runway touchdown alignment was perfect. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 75°F and a wind speed of 5 knots from a direction of 138°, resulting in a crosswind of 4 knots and a headwind of 3 knots.
The total landing distance was 4,621 feet, which accounted for 40% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was perfect. The taxiing period from the runway to the parking took 14 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 991 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 175 minutes. The aircraft used 17,190 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The Airbus A321 successfully landed at Miami International Airport (KMIA) on runway 09, achieving a score of 98.5%. The aircraft approached the runway from the west, heading 87.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,276 feet above ground level (agl). The final approach was executed with precision, with the aircraft maintaining a steady course and speed.
Upon reaching the runway threshold, the aircraft's height was slightly above the target, but the threshold speed was within the acceptable range at 136 knots. The touchdown point was located 470 feet beyond the designated touchdown zone, which is a relatively minor deviation. However, the touchdown speed of 130 knots was slightly faster than the ideal speed, indicating that the pilots may have needed to apply more braking force upon touchdown.
The touchdown rate of -203 feet per minute (fpm) was considered fair, suggesting that the aircraft's descent was not as smooth as it could have been. Nevertheless, the runway touchdown alignment was perfect, indicating that the pilots maintained a consistent and accurate approach path.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 75°F and a gentle wind of 5 knots from 138°. The crosswind component was 4 knots, while the headwind component was 3 knots, which is relatively minimal and should not have significantly impacted the landing.
The total landing distance of 4,621 feet was 40% of the runway length, which is a reasonable distance considering the aircraft's size and weight. The runway rollout alignment was also perfect, indicating that the pilots maintained control of the aircraft during the post-landing phase.
Overall, the landing was executed with a high degree of precision and control, despite some minor deviations from the ideal touchdown point and speed. The pilots' skills and experience were evident in their ability to navigate the aircraft safely and efficiently, even in the presence of some challenging weather conditions.
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