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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Avoid steep turns at low altitude
Below a thousand feet the aeroplane is slow, heavy and close to the ground. A steep turn loses lift, raises the stall speed and flattens the climb just when the gradient matters most. A normal turn on course is a rate one — fifteen degrees or so, twenty-five at the outside, this penalty is to acknowledge when a turn has stopped being a turn and become a manoeuvre.
Read more in Improve Your Take-OffsStart to finish · 18 stages, 16 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 5,000 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 5,000 ft of the 8,504 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 1,141 ft touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with the aircraft, an Airbus A320, taxiing from the parking area to the runway at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, taking 12 minutes to cover a distance of 2 nautical miles. The departure roll took place on runway 03R, with the aircraft taking off after covering 61% of the runway's length, which was 6,142 feet. The liftoff speed was 158 knots.
As the aircraft took off, it encountered local weather conditions with a temperature of 64°F and a wind speed of 1 knot from a direction of 269°. The crosswind was 1 knot, and the headwind was 0 knots. After departing from Detroit, the aircraft began its enroute climb, starting 1 mile northeast of the airport and ascending from an altitude of 1,658 feet above sea level to 37,691 feet above sea level, an increase of 36,033 feet, in 25 minutes and covering a distance of 150 nautical miles.
The enroute climb was followed by a level cruise, which started 5 miles northwest of Fountain City, Indiana, and lasted for 112 minutes, covering a distance of 817 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its enroute descent, starting 4 miles northeast of Bartlett, Texas, and descending from an altitude of 38,021 feet above sea level to 1,603 feet above sea level, a decrease of 36,418 feet, in 25 minutes and covering a distance of 98 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 31L at San Antonio International Airport took place from the southeast, with the aircraft heading 308.0° at an altitude of 4 nautical miles and 788 feet above ground level. The landing on runway 31L, which was 8,504 feet long, was successful, with a good threshold height and a threshold speed of 137 knots. The touchdown distance was 1,138 feet, and the touchdown speed was 133 knots, which was a little fast. The touchdown rate was hard at -438 feet per minute, but the runway touchdown alignment was perfect.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were a temperature of 59°F and a wind speed of 1 knot from a direction of 270°, with a crosswind of 1 knot and a headwind of 1 knot. The total landing distance was 3,691 feet, which was 43% of the runway's length. The runway rollout alignment was also perfect. After landing, the aircraft taxiied to the parking area, taking 3 minutes to cover a distance of less than 1 nautical mile.
The total flight distance was 1,074 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 180 minutes. The aircraft used 15,012 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The Airbus A320 successfully landed on runway 31L at San Antonio International Airport (KSAT) with a score of 97.7%. The aircraft approached the runway from the southeast, heading 308.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 788 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot maintained a good threshold height, which is a crucial aspect of a safe landing.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's threshold speed was recorded at 137 knots, which is within the acceptable range. However, the touchdown speed of 133 knots was slightly higher than the ideal speed, indicating that the pilot may have applied a bit more force than necessary during the landing. The touchdown distance of 1,138 feet was also within the acceptable range, but the high touchdown rate of -438 feet per minute (fpm) suggests that the aircraft may have touched down with a bit too much force.
Despite these minor issues, the pilot demonstrated excellent control during the landing, as evident from the perfect runway touchdown alignment and rollout alignment. The local weather conditions were favorable, with a temperature of 59°F and a gentle wind of 1 knot from 270°, resulting in a negligible crosswind and headwind.
The total landing distance of 3,691 feet was 43% of the runway length, which is a relatively short distance considering the aircraft's size and weight. Overall, the pilot's performance during the landing was impressive, and the aircraft's systems functioned as expected. With a score of 97.7%, this landing can be considered a success, and the pilot's skills and experience were evident throughout the process.
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