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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 · 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.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 5,000 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 5,000 ft of the 6,233 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 857 ft touchdown sits inside 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 6 minutes and covered a distance of 2 nautical miles. The aircraft, a TBM 930, then departed from runway 18 at Colonel James Jabara Airport, with a takeoff distance of 1,686 feet, which accounted for 28% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 105 knots.
As the aircraft climbed out of the airport, it encountered local weather conditions of 89°F temperature and a wind of 18 knots at 170 degrees. The crosswind was 5 knots, and the headwind was 18 knots. The enroute climb started 1 mile south of the airport and reached an altitude of 12,976 feet above sea level, an increase of 10,689 feet in 7 minutes, covering a distance of 26 nautical miles.
The enroute level cruise began 10 miles northwest of Foster Field El Dorado and lasted for 17 minutes, covering 43 nautical miles. The aircraft then started its descent 6 miles north of Americus, descending from 13,295 feet to 11,745 feet in 2 minutes, covering 3 nautical miles. The descent was followed by a climb from 11,715 feet to 12,999 feet in 3 minutes, covering 7 nautical miles.
The enroute level cruise resumed 4 miles west of Dickson Private Airport and lasted for 2 minutes, covering 6 nautical miles. The aircraft then climbed from 13,283 feet to 16,845 feet in 3 minutes, covering 14 nautical miles. The final descent started 4 miles southwest of Overbrook, descending from 17,001 feet to 2,590 feet in 15 minutes, covering 57 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 19 at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport was made from the north, heading 196.0 degrees at 4 nautical miles and 1,801 feet above ground level. The landing was made on runway 19, which had a length of 6,233 feet. The threshold height was slightly above the target, but the threshold speed was good at 68 knots.
The touchdown distance was good at 849 feet, and the touchdown speed was 64 knots, which was good. However, the touchdown rate was fair at -202 feet per minute. The runway touchdown position was misaligned by 45 feet from the centreline. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were 90°F temperature and a wind of 19 knots at 190 degrees, with a crosswind of 1 knot and a headwind of 19 knots.
The total landing distance was 1,100 feet, which accounted for 18% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was slightly misaligned by 45 feet from the centreline. The taxiing period from the runway to the parking took 2 minutes and covered less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 163 nautical miles, taking 59 minutes, and the aircraft used 342 pounds of fuel.
The TBM 930 aircraft successfully landed at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (KMKC) on runway 19, achieving an impressive score of 88.8%. The final approach was initiated from the north, heading 196.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,801 feet above ground level (agl).
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down at a speed of 64 knots, which was within the target range. The touchdown distance of 849 feet was also satisfactory, indicating a smooth and controlled descent. However, the touchdown rate of -202 feet per minute (fpm) was only fair, suggesting that the pilot could have maintained a more stable approach to reduce the rate of descent.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 90°F and a wind speed of 19 knots from 190°. This resulted in a significant headwind component of 19 knots, which the pilot effectively managed to counteract. The crosswind component was minimal, at just 1 knot.
Despite the favorable weather conditions, the pilot experienced some challenges during the landing. The threshold height at 57 feet agl was slightly above the target, indicating a slightly higher-than-ideal approach path. Additionally, the runway touchdown position was misaligned by 45 feet from the centreline, which could have been due to a slight deviation in the approach or a miscalculation of the landing distance.
The total landing distance of 1,100 feet was 18% of the runway length, which is a relatively short distance considering the aircraft's size and weight. However, the runway rollout alignment was also slightly misaligned by 45 feet from the centreline, which could have been a result of the initial touchdown position being off-centre.
Overall, the pilot demonstrated good control and management of the aircraft during the landing, achieving a high score despite some minor deviations from the ideal approach and touchdown.
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