Events
Events
Events
Events
MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Improve the pattern downwind leg
The 45-degrees-behind-the-wing cue assumes you can turn your head and use peripheral vision. Downwind spacing cues like "put the wingtip halfway up the strut" assume a fixed, known eyepoint. Neither survives a monitor unmodified. If you fly on a fixed monitor, stop pretending and fly a numbers-based circuit.
Read more in Pattern WorkStart to finish · 14 stages, 13 scored
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. These checks are the approach's score.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 699 m of the approach.
Plan view — the full 699 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 47 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The Tecnam P2008 JC taxied to runway 26C at LSZL Locarno Airport and commenced the departure roll, using 390 m of runway (56 % of the available length). The local weather was 15 °C with a wind of 1 kt from 269°, giving a head-wind component of 1 kt and no cross-wind.
At liftoff the aircraft reached a speed of 57 kt and became airborne from runway 26C.
The aircraft entered a left-hand pattern from runway 26C, covering less than 1 nm in 68 seconds.
It then proceeded on the left-hand crosswind leg, again covering less than 1 nm, this time in 20 seconds.
During the downwind turn the aircraft described a 2 nm arc with a 45° entry angle of 11.5° to the runway.
The downwind leg extended 3 nm and was flown in 132 seconds.
The base-leg turn was a 2 nm maneuver with a 45° entry angle of 27.3° to the runway.
The base leg itself was less than 1 nm and was completed in 26 seconds.
The final turn covered less than 1 nm and was completed in 21 seconds.
On final approach to runway 26C from the east, the aircraft was aligned on a heading of 254.0° at 1 nm distance and 590 ft above ground level.
Landing was made on runway 26C, whose length is 699 m. The threshold height was good and the threshold speed was slightly below the target at 45 kt. Touchdown occurred 45 m down the runway at a speed of 42 kt, with a smooth descent rate of minus 104 fpm. The touchdown point was offset 4.2 m from the centreline. Weather at landing was 15 °C with a wind of 1 kt from 294°, providing a head-wind component of 1 kt and a cross-wind component of 1 kt.
In total the flight covered 7 nm, lasted “taking 7”, and consumed 0 kg of fuel.
The final approach to runway 26C at LSZL Locarno Airport was flown from the east on a heading of 254.0° at 1 nm and 590 ft agl.
At threshold the height was reported as good and the threshold speed was a little below target at 45 kt.
Touchdown occurred 45 m down the runway, which is described as good, with a touchdown speed of 42 kt that was a little fast. The vertical rate was smooth at minus 104 fpm and the touchdown point was slightly misaligned by 4.2 m from the centreline.
To refine the already strong performance, adjust the final-approach speed to match the target more closely and aim to keep the touchdown point within a tighter centreline tolerance. These minor adjustments will help maintain the high score while improving precision.
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