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Shorten the long landing
Ground effect becomes significant below about one wingspan of height. A Cessna 172, with a 36 ft span, enters ground effect at flare height - the float it feels in the hold-off is ground effect arriving on cue. An A320, with a span around 117 ft, has been in ground effect since before the threshold and there is no sudden cushion to feel, only a gradual reduction in induced drag that lengthens any float you allow.
Read more in Flare TimingStart to finish · 12 stages, 11 scored
Events
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 2,737 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 925 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the departure roll from runway 30 at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, EGPK. The aircraft, Sirius, accelerated down the runway, covering a distance of 175 meters, which was 6% of the runway's length. The liftoff speed was achieved at 63 knots, marking the start of the takeoff phase.
As the aircraft climbed away from the airport, it encountered local weather conditions of 16 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 3 knots from a direction of 270 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 2 knots and a headwind of 3 knots. The aircraft continued to climb, reaching an altitude of 629 meters above sea level, an increase of 341.9 meters from the initial altitude of 287 meters. This climb phase was completed in just 1 minute, covering a distance of 2 nautical miles.
Once the initial climb phase was complete, the aircraft transitioned into a level cruise, starting overhead the town of Loans in South Ayrshire, Scotland. This cruise phase lasted for 5 minutes, during which the aircraft covered a distance of 3 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its descent, preparing for the final approach to runway 12 at EGPK.
The final approach was made from the north-west, with the aircraft heading 120 degrees and at an altitude of 405.6 meters above ground level. The aircraft was 3 nautical miles from the runway threshold at this point. However, the threshold speed was found to be too high at 66 knots, indicating that the aircraft may have been slightly above the optimal approach speed.
The aircraft touched down on the runway, with the touchdown point located 545 meters beyond the touchdown zone. The touchdown speed was a good 34 knots, and the touchdown rate was perfect at -0.1 meters per second. The runway touchdown alignment was also very good, indicating a smooth and controlled landing.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 3 knots from a direction of 270 degrees, resulting in a crosswind of 2 knots and a tailwind of 3 knots. The total flight distance was 8 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 9 minutes. The aircraft used a total of 1 kilogram of fuel during the flight.
The aircraft, identified as Sirius, successfully landed at EGPK Glasgow Prestwick Airport, achieving an overall score of 84.6%. The final approach was conducted from the north-west, heading 120.0° at a distance of 3 nautical miles and an altitude of 405.6 meters above ground level (agl).
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down on runway 12, which has a length of 2,737 meters. The threshold height was reported as good, indicating that the aircraft was at the correct height as it approached the runway. However, the threshold speed was found to be too high at 66 knots, suggesting that the pilot may have been able to slow down more efficiently before touchdown.
The touchdown point was located 545 meters beyond the touchdown zone, which may indicate that the pilot was slightly off-center or took a bit longer to touch down than expected. Nevertheless, the touchdown speed of 34 knots was reported as good, indicating that the aircraft was able to touch down at a safe and controlled speed. The touchdown rate of -0.1 meters per second was also perfect, suggesting that the aircraft was able to touch down smoothly and without any significant deceleration.
The runway touchdown alignment was very good, indicating that the aircraft was properly aligned with the runway as it touched down. The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were reported as follows: a temperature of 15°C, a wind speed of 3 knots from 270°, with a crosswind of 2 knots and a tailwind of 3 knots. These conditions were likely taken into account by the pilot during the approach and landing. Overall, the landing was successful, and the aircraft was able to touch down safely and efficiently.
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