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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Fixing the bounce
Fast at the threshold, normal flare, and the runway seems to refuse the aircraft. The instinctive fix - pushing it on - causes the next one. A fast aircraft forced onto the runway touches nosewheel-first or nearly so. The tell is a touchdown that feels soft followed by a bounce that steepens. Pilots fix the bounce recovery; the cause was the 10 knots at the threshold.
Read more in VRef ExplainedStart to finish · 15 stages, 13 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 1,891 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,891 m of the 1,923 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 1,283 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 32 at LSZW Thun Airfield, where the aircraft, a Piper PA-24-250 Comanche, accelerated down the runway before lifting off into the air. The takeoff distance covered 273 meters, which was 32% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was 68 knots, and the local weather conditions at the time were characterized by a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius and a gentle wind of 2 knots at 36 degrees.
As the aircraft climbed away from the airfield, it began its enroute climb, which started overhead the town of Uetendorf in the Canton de Berne, Switzerland. The climb took the aircraft from an altitude of 2,280 feet above sea level to 4,717 feet above sea level, an increase of 2,437 feet in just 4 minutes, covering a distance of 7 nautical miles. This rapid ascent was followed by a level cruise, which began 1 mile west of the town of Munsingen and lasted for 15 minutes, during which the aircraft covered a distance of 20 nautical miles.
As the aircraft continued on its journey, it began its enroute descent, which started 1 mile southwest of the town of Iseltwald. The descent took the aircraft from an altitude of 4,822 feet above sea level to 2,929 feet above sea level, a decrease of 1,893 feet in just 2 minutes, covering a distance of 5 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its final approach to runway 10 at LSMM Meiringen Air Base, flying from the west and heading 90 degrees at an altitude of 1,025 feet above ground level and a distance of 3 nautical miles from the runway.
The landing on runway 10 at LSMM Meiringen Air Base was not without its challenges. The threshold height was excessively high at 127 feet above ground level, and the threshold speed was also excessively high at 126 knots. The touchdown point was excessively long, using more than 75% of the available runway, and the touchdown speed was also excessively fast at 88 knots. However, the touchdown rate was good at -190 feet per minute. The runway touchdown position was significantly misaligned by 21.4 meters from the centerline, and the runway rollout alignment was also misaligned by 18.3 meters from the centerline.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius and a gentle wind of 2 knots at 80 degrees. The crosswind was negligible, but there was a headwind of 1 knot. The total landing distance was 2,011 meters, which was 105% of the runway length. The total flight distance was 35 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 31 minutes. The aircraft used 21 kilograms of fuel during the flight.
The Piper PA-24-250 Comanche aircraft has completed a landing at LSMM Meiringen Air Base, but the performance was not satisfactory. The final approach to runway 10 from the west was initiated at a distance of 3 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,025 feet above ground level (agl), heading 90.0°. However, the aircraft failed to meet the target threshold height, coming in at 127 feet agl, which is excessively high.
Upon landing, the aircraft also failed to meet the target threshold speed, touching down at 126 knots, which is excessively high. The touchdown point was also excessively long, using more than 75% of the available runway. Furthermore, the touchdown speed of 88 knots was also excessively fast. On the positive side, the touchdown rate was good at -190 feet per minute (fpm).
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were relatively calm, with a temperature of 4°C and a wind speed of 2 knots at 80°. The crosswind was negligible at 0 knots, while the headwind was 1 knot. Despite the favorable weather conditions, the aircraft's performance was still subpar.
The total landing distance was 2,011 meters, which is 105% of the runway length. This indicates that the aircraft used a significant portion of the available runway to come to a stop. Additionally, the runway rollout alignment was misaligned by 18.3 meters from the centreline, which is a significant deviation.
Overall, the landing performance of the Piper PA-24-250 Comanche at LSMM Meiringen Air Base was disappointing, with several key parameters exceeding target values. The aircraft's inability to meet the target threshold height, speed, and touchdown point, combined with the misaligned rollout, suggest that the pilot may have benefited from additional training or practice to improve their landing skills.
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