Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Improve the pattern base leg turn
Bank angle in the pattern is conventionally kept to 20 to 30 degrees, and the base-to-final turn is where that convention earns its keep. Stall speed rises with bank because the wing must produce more lift in a turn. Roughly 7 per cent higher at 30 degrees, about 19 per cent at 45, and around 40 per cent at 60. At 65 kt on base you don't have much margin to spend steepening a turn to salvage an overshoot.
Read more in Pattern WorkStart to finish · 14 stages, 12 scored
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
Events
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.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 1,560 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 283 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 21 at EGKB London Biggin Hill Airport, where the Beechcraft Baron G58 took off with a takeoff distance of 425 meters, which accounted for 27% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 89 knots. At the time of takeoff, the local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 8 knots from a direction of 179 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 3 knots and a headwind of 7 knots.
After taking off, the aircraft entered a left-hand pattern, which it completed in a relatively short distance of less than 1 nautical mile in 11 seconds. The pattern crosswind leg was also flown from the left, covering a distance of less than 1 nautical mile in 19 seconds. The aircraft then proceeded to the downwind turn, which involved a turn of 45 degrees to align with the runway. This turn covered a distance of 1 nautical mile and was completed at an angle of 87.4 degrees to the runway.
The downwind leg of the pattern was flown for 2 nautical miles in 42 seconds, after which the aircraft turned onto the base leg. This turn also involved a 45-degree angle to the runway and covered a distance of 1 nautical mile. The final approach to the runway was made from the north-east, with the aircraft heading 204.0 degrees at an altitude of 70 feet above ground level and a distance of 1 nautical mile from the runway.
The landing on runway 21 at EGKB London Biggin Hill Airport was completed with a touchdown distance of 283 meters, which was considered good. However, the touchdown speed of 89 knots was slightly faster than desired, and the touchdown rate of 20 feet per minute was perfect. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned from the centreline by 5.1 meters.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 17 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 13 knots from a direction of 189 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 4 knots and a headwind of 13 knots. The total landing distance was 751 meters, which accounted for 48% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was also slightly misaligned from the centreline by 8.0 meters.
In conclusion, the flight was completed with a total distance of 6 nautical miles, which was covered in 4 minutes. The aircraft used 3 kilograms of fuel during the flight. Overall, the flight was completed successfully, with the aircraft landing safely on the runway.
The Beechcraft Baron G58 successfully landed at EGKB London Biggin Hill Airport, achieving a score of 93.9%. The aircraft approached the runway from the north east, heading 204.0° at 1 nm and 70 ft above ground level (agl). The pilot executed a good final approach, with a touchdown distance of 283 m, which is within the acceptable range for the runway length of 1,560 m.
However, there were some areas for improvement during the landing. The threshold speed was too high at 103 kt, which may have been due to the pilot's decision to maintain a higher speed during the approach. Additionally, the touchdown speed of 89 kt was faster than the recommended speed, which may have resulted in a slightly longer rollout distance.
The touchdown rate of 20 fpm was perfect, indicating that the pilot maintained a smooth and controlled descent. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 5.1 m from the centreline, which may have been due to a slight deviation in the pilot's alignment during the approach.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 17 °C and a wind speed of 13 kt at 189°. The crosswind component was minimal at 4 kt, while the headwind component was 13 kt, which may have assisted the pilot in maintaining a stable approach.
The total landing distance of 751 m was 48% of the runway length, which is within the acceptable range. However, the runway rollout alignment was slightly misaligned by 8.0 m from the centreline, which may have been due to the pilot's decision to maintain a higher speed during the rollout.
Overall, the pilot demonstrated good control and precision during the landing, but there were some areas for improvement in terms of speed management and alignment. With some adjustments to the approach and rollout, the pilot can achieve an even higher score and improve the overall performance of the aircraft.
Scroll or drag the slider to zoom · double-click to reset · hover for values