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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 · 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 1,632 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,632 m of the 3,356 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 674 m past the threshold — beyond 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 10 minutes and covered a distance of 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, a Cessna CJ4 Citation, then departed from runway 32 at VOTV Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The takeoff distance was 501 meters, which accounted for 18% of the runway. The liftoff speed was 111 knots.
The local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, with a wind speed of 4 knots at a direction of 340 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 2 knots and a headwind of 4 knots. The aircraft then began its enroute climb, which started overhead VOTV Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The climb took the aircraft from an altitude of 1,067 feet above sea level to 28,282 feet above sea level, an increase of 27,215 feet, in just 8 minutes and covering a distance of 28 nautical miles.
Following the enroute climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which started 6 miles west of Ambasamudram in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. This phase lasted for 11 minutes and covered a distance of 83 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its enroute descent, which started 40 miles south east of Kayalpattinam in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The descent took the aircraft from an altitude of 28,273 feet above sea level to 1,304 feet above sea level, a decrease of 26,968 feet, in 18 minutes and covering a distance of 94 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 22 at VCBI Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport was made from the north east, with a heading of 217.0 degrees at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,269 feet above ground level. The landing was successful, with a touchdown point located 244 meters beyond the touchdown zone. The touchdown speed was 89 knots, which was considered good, and the touchdown rate was excellent at -86 feet per minute. The runway touchdown alignment was perfect, and the runway rollout alignment was very good.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius, with a wind speed of 6 knots at a direction of 170 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 4 knots and a headwind of 4 knots. The total landing distance was 1,537 meters, which accounted for 46% of the runway. The taxiing period from the runway to the parking took just 3 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 213 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 49 minutes. The aircraft used a total of 494 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The Cessna CJ4 Citation successfully landed at VCBI Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport, achieving a high score of 95.4%. The aircraft approached the runway from the north east, heading 217.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,269 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot demonstrated excellent control and precision during the final approach, ensuring a smooth and stable descent.
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down on runway 22, which has a length of 3,356 meters. The threshold height was good, and the threshold speed was maintained at 105 knots, indicating a well-executed landing. The touchdown point was 244 meters beyond the touchdown zone, which is a relatively short distance. The touchdown speed of 89 knots was also within the acceptable range, and the touchdown rate of -86 feet per minute (fpm) was excellent, indicating a controlled and gentle touchdown.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with a temperature of 26°C and a wind speed of 6 knots from 170°. The crosswind component was 4 knots, while the headwind component was also 4 knots, resulting in a negligible wind effect on the landing. The runway touchdown alignment was perfect, indicating that the aircraft was aligned with the runway centerline at the moment of touchdown.
The total landing distance of 1,537 meters was 46% of the runway length, which is a relatively short distance. This suggests that the pilot was able to maintain a high level of control and precision during the landing, resulting in a short and smooth rollout. The runway rollout alignment was also very good, indicating that the aircraft remained aligned with the runway centerline during the rollout phase. Overall, the landing was executed flawlessly, with the pilot demonstrating exceptional skill and control.
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