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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Avoid steep turns at low altitude
Below a thousand feet the aeroplane is slow, heavy and close to the ground. A steep turn loses lift, raises the stall speed and flattens the climb just when the gradient matters most. A normal turn on course is a rate one — fifteen degrees or so, twenty-five at the outside, this penalty is to acknowledge when a turn has stopped being a turn and become a manoeuvre.
Read more in Improve Your Take-OffsStart to finish · 19 stages, 17 scored
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The threshold, the flare and the hold-off. The approach that led to it is the stabilisation gates below.
Two stabilised approach gates, each with seven checks, where the approach path is 1,000 ft and 500 ft above the runway.
At the 1,000 ft gate: speed above the reference speed.
At the 500 ft gate: speed above the reference speed.
The approach, gate by gate
Side view — the last 4,934 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the full 4,934 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
The 262 ft touchdown sits inside the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a short taxiing period from the parking area to the runway, taking approximately 2 minutes and covering less than 1 nautical mile. The aircraft, a Cessna CJ4 Citation, then departed from runway 23 at KGOV Grayling Army Air Field. The takeoff distance was 2,243 feet, which is 45% of the runway length. The liftoff speed was 134 knots.
The local weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by a temperature of 63°F and a wind speed of 1 knot from 270°, resulting in a negligible headwind or crosswind component. The aircraft began its enroute climb 1 mile southwest of KGOV Grayling Army Air Field, rising from an altitude of 2,113 feet above sea level to 10,013 feet above sea level, an increase of 7,900 feet, in just 3 minutes and covering 14 nautical miles.
Following the initial climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which started 3 miles southwest of Roscommon, Michigan. This phase lasted for 7 minutes and covered a distance of 39 nautical miles. The aircraft then began its enroute descent 9 miles east of Beaverton, Michigan, descending from 10,008 feet above sea level to 3,198 feet above sea level, a decrease of 6,810 feet, in 5 minutes and covering 26 nautical miles.
The aircraft entered another level cruise phase, which started 3 miles northwest of Shields, Michigan, and lasted for 7 minutes, covering a distance of 24 nautical miles. The final approach to runway 10 at KHYX Saginaw County H.W. Browne Airport was made from the west, with the aircraft heading 90° at 4 nautical miles and 1,275 feet above ground level.
The landing on runway 10 was successful, with the touchdown distance being good at 256 feet. However, the touchdown speed was slightly fast at 97 knots, and the touchdown rate was fair at -287 feet per minute. The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 14 feet from the centerline. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 59°F and a wind speed of 1 knot from 270°, resulting in a negligible crosswind or tailwind component.
The total landing distance was 1,438 feet, which is 29% of the runway length. The runway rollout alignment was very good. The taxiing period from the runway to the parking area took approximately 1 minute and covered less than 1 nautical mile. The total flight distance was 109 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 28 minutes. The aircraft used 2,913 pounds of fuel during the flight.
The Cessna CJ4 Citation successfully landed at KHYX Saginaw County H.W. Browne Airport, achieving a high score of 98.4%. The aircraft approached the runway from the west, heading 90.0° at a distance of 4 nautical miles and an altitude of 1,275 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot executed a precise final approach, taking into account the runway's length of 4,934 feet and its orientation.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's threshold height was satisfactory, and the threshold speed was well above the target speed of 98 kt. However, the touchdown speed of 97 kt was slightly faster than desired, indicating a potential need for the pilot to adjust their descent rate. The touchdown distance of 256 feet was within acceptable limits, but the touchdown rate of -287 feet per minute (fpm) was only fair, suggesting that the pilot could have managed the descent more smoothly.
The runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 14 feet from the centerline, which may have been due to a minor deviation in the pilot's alignment or a slight crosswind effect. The local weather conditions were favorable, with a temperature of 59°F and a wind speed of 1 kt at 270°, resulting in a negligible crosswind and a slight tailwind of 1 kt.
The total landing distance of 1,438 feet was 29% of the runway length, which is a relatively short distance considering the aircraft's size and weight. The runway rollout alignment was very good, indicating that the pilot maintained control of the aircraft during the rollout phase and successfully aligned the aircraft with the centerline.
Overall, the landing was successful, and the pilot demonstrated good control and precision during the approach and touchdown phases. However, there is room for improvement in terms of managing the descent rate and touchdown speed to achieve a smoother and more precise landing.
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