Your First Flight

Beginner Guide
Ready to fly? This guide will walk you through your first flight with Rate My Landing active and get your first landing analysis!

Pre-Flight Checklist

Before you start your first flight with Rate My Landing, make sure you have everything set up correctly:

Rate My Landing
  • Application installed
  • Launched and running
  • Shows "Ready to connect"
Flight Simulator
  • MSFS 2020 or 2024 launched
  • Aircraft loaded at airport
  • Flight plan optional

Step-by-Step First Flight

  1. Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator
  2. Select any aircraft (recommend starting with something simple like the Cessna 152)
  3. Choose a departure airport
  4. Start on the runway or at a gate/parking spot
  5. Launch Rate My Landing if you haven't already
Tip: For your first flight, choose clear weather conditions and a familiar airport to focus on the landing analysis rather than challenging conditions.

Once you're in the aircraft, check Rate My Landing to ensure it's connected:

  • Status should change from "Ready to connect" to "Connected"
  • Aircraft information should appear (aircraft type, airport ICAO)
  • Real-time data should be updating (altitude, speed, etc.)
Troubleshooting: If connection fails, try restarting Rate My Landing, then MSFS. Check our SimConnect troubleshooting guide if issues persist.

Now for the fun part - fly your aircraft!

  • Take off normally using standard procedures
  • Fly a traffic pattern or short cross-country flight
  • Rate My Landing will track your flight data in the background
  • No special procedures required - just fly as you normally would
Good to know: Rate My Landing only analyzes landings, so your takeoff and cruise flight won't affect your landing score.

This is where Rate My Landing shines - the landing analysis:

  • Set up your approach using standard procedures
  • Aim for a stabilized approach with appropriate descent rate
  • Try to touchdown gently - Rate My Landing is measuring everything!
  • The app will automatically detect your touchdown
✅ Good Landing Practices
  • • Stabilized approach
  • • Gentle touchdown
  • • Center line alignment
  • • Appropriate airspeed
❌ What Hurts Your Score
  • • Hard landings (high FPM)
  • • Excessive G-forces
  • • Unstable approaches
  • • High groundspeed

After touchdown, Rate My Landing will display your landing analysis:

  • Landing Score: Overall rating from 0-100
  • Vertical Speed: Your descent rate at touchdown (FPM)
  • G-Forces: Peak G-forces during the landing sequence
  • Airport Info: Where you landed and runway details

The results will also be saved to your landing history for future reference.

Understanding Your First Results

Don't worry if your first landing score isn't perfect! Here's what to expect:

Score Range Landing Quality What This Means
90-100 Excellent Professional-quality landing with minimal vertical speed and G-forces
75-89 Good Solid landing with minor imperfections
60-74 Average Acceptable landing but room for improvement
Below 60 Needs Work Hard landing - focus on gentler touchdowns

Tips for Better Landings

Vertical Speed

Aim for touchdown vertical speeds between -50 to -200 FPM. Anything harder than -500 FPM will significantly impact your score.

G-Forces

Smooth, gradual deceleration after touchdown helps keep G-forces low. Avoid sudden braking or aggressive control inputs.

Congratulations! You've completed your first flight with Rate My Landing. Ready to learn more about the scoring system? Check out our Scoring System guide!
Table of Contents
Recommended Aircraft

For your first flight, try these beginner-friendly aircraft:

  • Cessna 152
  • Piper PA-28
  • Diamond DA40
Weather Tip

Start with clear, calm weather to focus on landing technique. You can tackle challenging conditions once you're comfortable with the basics!

Learn About Scoring