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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 · 22 stages, 20 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 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 2,046 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 459 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with taxiing from the parking area to the runway at KFOT Rohnerville Airport, which took approximately 5 minutes and covered less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, a Cessna 208B, then departed from runway 11, with a takeoff distance of 229 meters, which accounted for 19% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 76 knots.
As the aircraft climbed away from the airport, it encountered local weather conditions of 11°C temperature and a wind of 25 knots at 129°. The crosswind was minimal at 1 knot, while the headwind was 25 knots. The enroute climb started overhead KFOT Rohnerville Airport, with the aircraft ascending from 508 feet above sea level to 9,900 feet, an increase of 9,392 feet in 9 minutes, covering a distance of 28 nautical miles.
Following the initial climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise, starting 3 miles northeast of Fieldbrook, California. This phase of the flight lasted for 122 minutes, covering a distance of 415 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its descent, starting overhead Meadowdale, Washington, and descending from 9,533 feet to 6,991 feet, a decrease of 2,542 feet in 3 minutes, covering 11 nautical miles.
The aircraft continued to descend, starting 1 mile south of Stanwood, Washington, and descending from 6,031 feet to 4,730 feet, a decrease of 1,302 feet in 2 minutes, covering 6 nautical miles. It then entered another level cruise, starting 3 miles northwest of Lake Ketchum, Washington, and lasting for 7 minutes, covering 24 nautical miles.
The aircraft's final descent started 3 miles north of Eliza Island, Bellingham, Washington, and descending from 4,810 feet to 2,586 feet, a decrease of 2,223 feet in 3 minutes, covering 10 nautical miles. It then entered another level cruise, starting 2 miles south of Custer, Washington, and lasting for 7 minutes, covering 5 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 16 at KBLI Bellingham International Airport was made from the north, with the aircraft heading 181.0° at 4 nautical miles and 1,386 feet above ground level. The landing was made on runway 16, which had a length of 2,046 meters. The threshold height was good, but the threshold speed was excessively high at 111 knots.
The touchdown distance was good at 460 meters, but the touchdown speed was too fast at 78 knots. The touchdown rate was fair at -265 feet per minute, and the runway touchdown alignment was perfect. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were 11°C temperature and a wind of 14 knots at 110°, with a crosswind of 13 knots and a headwind of 5 knots.
The total landing distance was 804 meters, which accounted for 39% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was perfect, and the aircraft taxied to the parking area from the runway in 1 minute, covering less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 515 nautical miles, taking 147 minutes, and the aircraft used 623 kilograms of fuel.
The Cessna 208B aircraft successfully landed at KBLI Bellingham International Airport, with a final approach score of 89.8%. The aircraft was approaching the runway from the north, heading 181.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,386 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot executed a smooth landing on runway 16, which has a length of 2,046 meters.
The threshold height was satisfactory, but the threshold speed was excessively high at 111 knots. This indicates that the pilot may have been able to slow down more efficiently during the final approach. The touchdown distance was good, measuring 460 meters, which is a reasonable distance considering the aircraft's size and weight.
However, the touchdown speed was too fast at 78 knots, which may have resulted in a slightly longer rollout distance. The touchdown rate was fair at -265 feet per minute (fpm), indicating a moderate rate of descent during the final approach. The runway touchdown alignment was perfect, which is a testament to the pilot's skill and attention to detail.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were characterized by a temperature of 11°C and a wind speed of 14 knots from 110°. The crosswind component was 13 knots, while the headwind component was 5 knots. These conditions may have presented some challenges for the pilot, but they were still able to execute a safe and controlled landing.
The total landing distance was 804 meters, which is 39% of the runway length. This is a relatively short distance, indicating that the pilot was able to slow down efficiently and maintain control of the aircraft during the rollout. The runway rollout alignment was also perfect, demonstrating the pilot's ability to maintain control of the aircraft during the final stages of the landing.
Overall, the landing was successful, but there are some areas for improvement, such as reducing the threshold speed and touchdown speed. With some adjustments to the pilot's technique, the landing score could potentially be increased even further.
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