[#Why] The Perfect Glide Slope

 [#Why] The Perfect Glide Slope,

The 3° glide slope is the gold standard for most airport approaches, offering a safe, efficient descent path. While there are other glide slopes used in specific situations, the 3° angle is the standard default, used globally unless obstructions or terrain call for a steeper approach, sometimes up to 5°.

Why 3° Matters:

• PAPI Lights and Glide Paths: Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) lights are set to align with this slope. Straying from this standard can lead to higher, longer approaches, forcing pilots to make adjustments for a precise touchdown.

Quick Math for 3° Descent Rates:

• Flying at 90 knots? Your descent rate should be approximately 450 Feet Per Minute (FPM).
• Calculation: Divide ground speed by 2 and add a zero (90/2 = 45, 45 with a zero = 450 FPM).
• Alternatively, multiply your groundspeed by 5 to estimate your descent rate.

Understanding the Math:

• 3° = 5.24% gradient.
• 1 NM = 6076 feet. Therefore, 6076 ft x 0.0524 = 318.4 ft/NM.
• Need to descend faster? Increase your descent rate proportionally.

When to Begin Your Descent:

• Formula: Divide the altitude to lose by 300.
• Example: Need to descend from 11,000' to 2,000'? That's 9,000' to lose. 9,000'/300 = 30 NM out. Simple, right?

Pilot's Tip: Start your descent a bit earlier to comfortably reach pattern altitude before arriving at the airport.

Wishing you blue skies, tailwinds, and safe journeys. Keep soaring in knowledge and skill!.

Inside a Single Engine Aircraft

 

Exam

 

https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/supplements

VOR Questions  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it68YViqlsY

Navigation - Pilotage and Dead Recononing

• Pilotage  - Visual Reference to Promenent Landmarks
• Dead Reckoning - Computation based time, distance, air speed and direction

5 Parts

Checkpoints -  Plot 2 or 3 closer checkpoints from the departure airport so you can demonistrate Pilotage and Dead Reckoning to the DPE 

1. Identify a Straight Line Route Between Departure airport and Destination airport 
Get Ground Track and True Course  (Plot True Course)

2. Finger Flight the route - Identify Promenent Landmarks, 10-20miles

3. Adjust routes for any hazards (no special used airspace, flight Restrictions, or hazards to make one change the route.

4. Identify possible stops for emergencies, fuel, streaching, bathroom breaks etc

5. Breaking routes into segments and defining checkpoints 
- Always try to keep checkpoint 10-20 nautical miles apart (keep workload managable and not far apart to get lost ) 
- pick checkpoints to the left or right of aircraft because it will be easier to see from the air. if you fly right ontop of it you may not see it.  

- Must be visible from the air (roads, towns, Rivers, Railroads, 

- Use multiple features

Which Direction are you going to point the Airplane?
Bearing to Destination  +/- Wind Correction  Then correct for Magnetic Variation
True Course 219 Deg   (Winds & Temp Alof Info Calculate Wind Correction Angle) + 5 Deg = True Heading 

How High and how Fast will I be going 
Hight = 4,500'MSL
Speed = True Airspeed  (Cruse Performance chart at 75% power at 4000' pressure altitude) Expect 123Knots True Airspeed  + (Wind Veolicity and direction at 4,500' to determine Ground Speed)

How Long will it Take to Get There 
We know the Ground Speed and Distance from other Calculations, we can get Distance (Nautical Miles) /Speed (Knots) = Time  (do it for each leg and add it together) 

How much Fuel Will I Need?
Time (Minuits/60= Time in Hour x11.0 Gal/Hr (info from 75%Cruise Power Chart)  Distance and Fuel Table we'll get an estimate for each leg and add everything up  (note Fuel for Start/Runup and Taxi)

Flight Across North Atlantic Ocean

 

The North Atlantic Ocean is one of the busiest airspaces in the entire world. On average, about 1,800 flights cross the eerie ocean every day. The ocean connects two major markets, Europe and North America. Flights range from commercial to cargo to military personnel. Considering that there is minimal radar coverage above the ocean, how do airplanes continue on course without a hiccup? Even if the pilot has filed in a correct flight route, tower communication is still necessary. The answer is, The North Atlantic Organized Track System (NAT-OTS) is known in shorthand as the North Atlantic Tracks, or even as NATs.

Th

The space is divided in 10 deg longitude 15 deg Sectors and as a flight enters each sector they report to Shanwick and Gander.  Shannon is the airport. The oceanic ATC center is called Shanwich control 

Cross-Country

 

Bring with you in the Cross Country Flight

• E6B flight Computer
• NAV Log
• Weights and Balance
• Performance Calculations 
• Pencle

Prior to Take off on a Cross Country Flight do the following:

• File a flight plan - 
• Write down take off time 
• Start your timer for timing calculation

Poilatage - to 1st way point.
Runway heading for a couple miles, then turn to your wind corrected heading to 1st waypoint
When open flight plan, you will recieve a squak code, and Altimeter Setting 

Things to do at every way point  (T-HAT)
1. TIME - Note Time,  Restart clock every time you reach a waypoint 
2. Heading
3. Altitude 
4. Turn Point

If you are behind on time, you need to validate you have enough fuel

Calculate Ground Speed -  on E6B  if it takes 15.5 mins to fly 11 miles setup the e6b to get the ground speed which is 42knots  (heavy headwind)

Distance remaining on  E6B 

Level off 
- Lean mixture
- Power setting
- Wind correction (headwind or tailwinds)
- Speed
Aviage, Navigate, Communicate

Clock  => Map => Ground 

Clock almost there then check map to make sure you did not look outside and mixup a wrong waypoint eg a road

Weight and Balance

 Weight and Balance

Fulcrum = Center of Lift  changes with changing of Angle of attack  (wings)

Center of Gravity must be infront of Center of lift