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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 · 16 stages, 14 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 1,199 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 1,199 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 91 m 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 30 minutes and covered a distance of 5 nautical miles. The aircraft, an Edgley Optica, then departed from runway 24 at LFQP Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base. The takeoff distance was 230 meters, which accounted for 19% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 66 knots.
The local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 5 knots at 67 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 1 knot and a tailwind of 5 knots. The aircraft then began its enroute climb, starting overhead Bourscheid in Grand Est, France. The climb took the aircraft from an altitude of 1,419 feet above sea level to 3,697 feet above sea level, an increase of 2,277 feet in just 4 minutes, covering a distance of 3 nautical miles.
Following the initial climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which started overhead Garrebourg in Grand Est, France. This phase lasted for 29 minutes and covered a distance of 43 nautical miles. The aircraft then began another climb, this time starting 3 miles northwest of Elzach in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. The climb took the aircraft from an altitude of 3,694 feet above sea level to 4,376 feet above sea level, an increase of 682 feet in just 2 minutes, covering a distance of 2 nautical miles.
The aircraft then entered another level cruise phase, which started 1 mile north of Elzach in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. This phase lasted for 13 minutes and covered a distance of 19 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its descent, starting 3 miles northwest of Donaueschingen in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. The descent took the aircraft from an altitude of 4,482 feet above sea level to 2,483 feet above sea level, a decrease of 1,998 feet in just 4 minutes, covering a distance of 4 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 36 at EDTD Donaueschingen-Villingen Airfield was made from the south, with the aircraft heading 360 degrees at an altitude of 249 feet above ground level. The landing was made on runway 36, which had a length of 1,199 meters. The threshold height was good, and the threshold speed of 39 knots was well below the target, requiring the pilot to be cautious not to stall.
The touchdown distance was good at 87 meters, and the touchdown speed of 35 knots was also good. The touchdown rate was smooth at -149 feet per minute, and the runway touchdown alignment was very good. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 5 knots at 64 degrees, resulting in a crosswind of 5 knots and a headwind of 2 knots.
The total landing distance was 204 meters, which accounted for 17% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was also very good. The taxiing period from the runway to the parking took just 2 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 78 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 68 minutes. The aircraft used a total of 29 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The Edgley Optica successfully landed at EDTD Donaueschingen-Villingen Airfield, achieving a high score of 98.5%. The aircraft approached the runway from the south, heading 360.0° at 0 nm and 249 ft above ground level (agl). The pilot maintained a steady altitude and direction, indicating a smooth and controlled descent.
Upon reaching the runway, the pilot executed a precise landing, touching down at a speed of 35 kt. This was well below the target threshold speed of 39 kt, demonstrating the pilot's ability to manage the aircraft's speed and avoid stalling. The touchdown distance of 87 m was also satisfactory, indicating a controlled and stable approach.
The landing rate was smooth, with a descent rate of -149 fpm. This suggests that the pilot maintained a steady and controlled rate of descent, avoiding any sudden or abrupt movements that could have compromised the safety of the landing. The runway touchdown alignment was also very good, indicating that the pilot maintained a precise and accurate approach to the runway.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 15 °C and a gentle wind of 5 kt at 64°. The crosswind component was minimal, at 5 kt, while the headwind component was even weaker, at 2 kt. These conditions likely contributed to the smooth and controlled nature of the landing.
The total landing distance of 204 m was a mere 17% of the runway length, indicating that the pilot executed a precise and controlled landing. The runway rollout alignment was also very good, suggesting that the pilot maintained a steady and controlled rate of deceleration after touchdown. Overall, the Edgley Optica's landing at EDTD Donaueschingen-Villingen Airfield was a textbook example of a well-executed and safe landing.
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