Events
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Events
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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 · 15 stages, 14 scored
Events
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Events
The threshold, the flare and the hold-off. The approach that led to it is the stabilisation gates below.
One stabilised approach gate for a circuit: five checks where the approach path is 500 ft above the runway. 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 1,814 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 371 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the Baron taxiing from the parking area to the runway, a short journey that took less than a minute and covered a distance of less than a nautical mile. Upon reaching the runway, the aircraft departed from runway 05 at EGPE Inverness Airport, with a takeoff distance of 329 meters, which accounted for 18% of the runway's length. The liftoff speed was 91 knots, and the local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 1 knot at 273 degrees.
As the aircraft entered the left-hand pattern from runway 05, it covered a distance of 1 nautical mile in just 25 seconds. The left-hand pattern crosswind leg was even shorter, with the aircraft covering less than 1 nautical mile in 19 seconds. The pattern downwind turn involved a distance of 2 nautical miles, with an angle to the runway of 64.4 degrees. The downwind leg itself took 67 seconds to complete, covering a distance of 2 nautical miles.
The pattern base leg turn was another 2 nautical miles, with an angle to the runway of 18.9 degrees. The final approach to runway 05 was made from the southwest, with a heading of 41.0 degrees at 1 nautical mile and 241 feet above ground level. The landing on runway 05 was successful, with a touchdown distance of 369 meters and a touchdown speed of 64 knots, which was considered good. The touchdown rate was excellent at -77 feet per minute, and the runway touchdown alignment was perfect.
The local weather conditions during the landing were characterized by a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 2 knots at 251 degrees, with a crosswind of 1 knot and a tailwind of 2 knots. The total landing distance was 841 meters, which accounted for 46% of the runway's length. The runway rollout alignment was also perfect. Overall, the flight was a successful one, with a total distance of 10 nautical miles covered in 5 minutes and a fuel consumption of 5 kilograms.
The aircraft in question, a Baron, successfully landed at EGPE Inverness Airport, demonstrating a high level of proficiency in its pilot. The final approach was initiated from the southwest, heading 41.0° at 1 nautical mile and 241 feet above ground level (agl). This approach angle and distance suggest a standard instrument approach procedure was followed, allowing the pilot to maintain a safe and controlled descent.
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down on runway 05, which has a length of 1,814 meters. The threshold height was reported as good, indicating that the pilot maintained a safe altitude above the runway threshold. However, the threshold speed was slightly higher than desired at 88 knots, which may be a minor area for improvement. Despite this, the touchdown distance of 369 meters was considered good, and the touchdown speed of 64 knots was also within acceptable limits.
One of the standout aspects of this landing was the excellent touchdown rate of -77 feet per minute (fpm). This indicates that the pilot was able to maintain a smooth and controlled descent, resulting in a gentle touchdown. The runway touchdown alignment was also perfect, demonstrating the pilot's ability to accurately align the aircraft with the runway centerline.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 15°C and a wind speed of 2 knots from 251°. This resulted in a minimal crosswind component of 1 knot and a tailwind component of 2 knots. The total landing distance of 841 meters, which is 46% of the runway length, suggests that the pilot was able to maintain a safe and controlled descent throughout the landing.
Finally, the runway rollout alignment was also perfect, indicating that the pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft during the rollout phase and bring it to a safe stop. Overall, this landing demonstrates a high level of proficiency in the pilot and a strong understanding of the aircraft's performance characteristics.
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