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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 · 20 stages, 18 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 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 2,140 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 391 m touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight in question was operated by the Black Square Starship, registered as N45FL. The aircraft began its journey by taxiing from the parking area to the runway at Destin Executive Airport (KDTS), a process that took 10 minutes and covered a distance of 1 nautical mile.
Upon reaching the runway, the aircraft took off from runway 32, utilizing 71% of the available runway length. The takeoff distance was 1,076 meters, and the aircraft lifted off at a speed of 109 knots. The local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 34 degrees Celsius, with a wind speed of 7 knots blowing from a direction of 149 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 1 knot and a tailwind of 7 knots.
Following takeoff, the aircraft began its enroute climb, which started 1 mile north of Destin, Florida. The climb took the aircraft from an altitude of 1,054 feet above sea level to 12,409 feet, an increase of 11,356 feet, in 13 minutes and covering a distance of 41 nautical miles.
The enroute level cruise phase began 3 miles west of Wallace, Florida, and lasted for 11 minutes, during which the aircraft covered a distance of 45 nautical miles. The aircraft then entered a descent phase, which started 2 miles northeast of Tillmans Corner, Alabama. The descent took the aircraft from an altitude of 12,336 feet to 4,463 feet, a decrease of 7,872 feet, in 9 minutes and covering a distance of 37 nautical miles.
The aircraft then entered another level cruise phase, which started overhead Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and lasted for 22 minutes, during which the aircraft covered a distance of 73 nautical miles. The enroute descent phase began 12 miles north of Kenner, Louisiana, and took the aircraft from an altitude of 4,136 feet to 1,455 feet, a decrease of 2,681 feet, in 3 minutes and covering a distance of 8 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 20 at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (KMSY) was made from the north, with the aircraft heading 194.0 degrees at an altitude of 1,437 feet above ground level and a distance of 4 nautical miles from the runway threshold. The landing was made on runway 20, which had a length of 2,140 meters. The threshold height was good, and the threshold speed was slightly below the target at 100 knots.
The touchdown distance was good at 390 meters, and the touchdown speed was 90 knots, which was also good. The touchdown rate was perfect at 5 feet per minute. However, the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 3.1 meters from the centerline. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 32 degrees Celsius, with a wind speed of 5 knots blowing from a direction of 282 degrees. This resulted in a crosswind of 5 knots and a headwind of 0 knots.
The total landing distance was 1,423 meters, which was 67% of the available runway length. The runway rollout alignment was very good. After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area, a process that took 5 minutes and covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile.
The total flight distance was 212 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 68 minutes. The aircraft used a total of 364 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The aircraft, Black Square Starship N45FL, successfully landed at KMSY Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on runway 20. The final approach was initiated from the north, heading 194.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,437 feet above ground level (agl). The aircraft demonstrated a high level of proficiency in its landing, achieving a score of 99.0%.
Upon landing, the aircraft touched down at a speed of 100 knots, which was slightly below the target threshold speed. However, this did not affect the overall performance of the landing, as the touchdown distance of 390 meters was considered good. The touchdown speed of 90 knots was also within acceptable limits, and the touchdown rate of 5 feet per minute (fpm) was perfect, indicating a smooth and controlled descent.
One minor deviation from the ideal landing was the runway touchdown position, which was slightly misaligned by 3.1 meters from the centerline. Despite this, the runway rollout alignment was very good, indicating that the pilot maintained control of the aircraft during the landing roll.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were favorable, with a temperature of 32°C and a wind speed of 5 knots from 282°. This resulted in a crosswind of 5 knots and a headwind of 0 knots, which did not significantly impact the landing.
Overall, the landing of Black Square Starship N45FL at KMSY Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport was a successful and well-executed maneuver, with the aircraft demonstrating a high level of proficiency and control throughout the approach and landing phases. The total landing distance of 1,423 meters, which accounted for 67% of the runway length, was also within acceptable limits.
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