Top of Descent for Crossing Restriction

This formula is especially useful for turbo pilots wanting to stay out of icing and turbulance. It gives you a way
to meet a crossing restriction and stay high as long as possible.
Take the difference in altitude and multiply by three. This will give you the distance from your crossing
restriction to begin descent or Top of Descent
Now multiply your ground speed time six. This will give you your rate of descent
in feet per minute.

Example:

You are level at FL250. ATC tells you to cross ABC at 7000 ft.

You are 70 NM from XYZ with a ground speed of 350 knots.

25000-7000 = 18000 (drop the zeros and use 18) x 3 = 54 nm
300 x 6 = 1800 or 1800 feet per minute descent 54 miles from ABC you must start down at 1800 fpm or
greater to meet the restriction.

Top of Descent for Crossing Restriction

#1 - Multiply the no. of thousands of feet to

lose by 3. Groundspeed / 2 * 10 will give you your required rate of decent
for a 3 degree glide slope.
example:
FL350 to FL100 => 25,000 ft down
25 x 3 = 75, so start at 75 nm
GS = 320 kts ? => 320 / 2 * 10 = 1600 => 1600 fpm is your desired rate
of decent.

#2 - Start descent when time to airport equals altitude to lose for 1000 ft/min
descent
example: 10,000 feet to lose, start descent 10 minutes out at 1000 ft/min

#3 - Divide the difference between Cruise Altitude and Descent Altitude by

the Rate of Descent. That value is your Time to descend. Multiply this by your
Groundspeed in Cruise and divide the result by 60. The result is the DME prior
to which you need to begin your descent.
Example: FL360 to 6000' = 30,000' /1500'per minute = 20 minutes.<br>
Now, (20x420 Knots G/S)/60 = 140 nm from the desired point.

Beginning your Descent from MDA (DME MAP)

Divide MDA (minimum descent altitude, in feet AGL) by 300, then add or subtract as necessary to find the
DME point to start the descent. If final approach course is going away from the VOR, subtract from the DME
MAP (missed approach point), if it is going towards the VOR, then add.

example:
VOR/DME Approach with the FAF (final approach fix) over the VOR
and MAP @ 4.5 DME.

MDA is 400 ft AGL (400/300=1.3) Start descent @ 3.2 DME for a 3 degree glideslope.

Beginning your Descent from MDA (DME MAP)

Divide MDA (minimum descent altitude, in feet AGL) by 300, then add or subtract as necessary to find the
DME point to start the descent. If final approach course is going away from the VOR, subtract from the DME
MAP (missed approach point), if it is going towards the VOR, then add.
example: VOR/DME Approach with the FAF (final approach fix) over the VOR and MAP @ 4.5 DME.
MDA is 400 ft AGL (400/300=1.3) Start descent @ 3.2 DME for a 3 degree
glideslope.

Calculate Groundspeed by Timing

#1 - To find ground speed note the time required to fly a published distance.
Pick a number that when multiplied by the flight time yields approximately 60.3. To get that ground speed,
multiply that number by the distance.

example: 15 minutes is required to fly 30 nm (4*15=60). Ground speed equals 120 kts (4*30=120)

#2 - For relatively fast aircraft (at least 250 kts), the quickest way of calculating Ground Speed using the
DME (without G/S readout) is to note the distance travelled in 36 seconds. 36 seconds = 1% of one hour.

example: If you travel 3.25 nm your Ground Speed is 325 kts

Calculate your True Airspeed (TAS)

#1 - Take half of your altitude and add it to your indicated air speed.

example: 250 KIAS @ FL240 => 240/2 = 120 -> 250+120 = 370 kts (TAS)

#2 - Divide your altitude by 1,000 then multiply by 5. Add the outcome to your indicated airspeed.

example: 35,000 ft / 1000 = 35 -> 35*5 = 175 -> 175+280 = 455 kts (TAS)

#3 - Increase your indicated airspeed by 2% per thousand feet of altitude.

example: IAS 180 kts @ 10,000 ft => TAS = 180 + 20% (2*10) = 216 kts (TAS)

#4 - Subtract TAT (total air temperature) from 444 = TAS at M.72.For every .01 Mach above/below .72
add/subtract 5 kts.

example: Mach .75 & TAT=10 °C => 444 - 10 = 434, then add 3 (75-72) * 5 kts => TAS = 449 kts

#5 - Take altitude in thousands of feet and muliply by three, add this to indicated airspeed, and add seven
knots for true airspeed. This will lose accuracy with very low temperature or high pressure. Normally
accurate to within five knots.

example: 24,000 ft & IAS=200 kts => 24*3 = 72 -> 72+200+7 = 279 kts (TAS)

Convert Mach Number to Indicated Airspeed (IAS)

Mach speed = Airspeed / 60
Airspeed = Mach speed * 60

Miles flown per minute = Mach speed * 10

Mach speed = miles per minute * 10

example: 450 KIAS = ... Mach ? => 450 / 600 = .75 Mach
.70 Mach = ... KIAS ? => 0.70 * 600 = 420 kts IAS

.75 Mach => 7.5 nm per minute

7.8 nm per minute => .78 Mach

Distance Travelled Based on Ground Speed

Take your groundspeed and divide by 10. That's the distance flown in 6 minutes.
example: Ground Speed = 150 kts => 15 nm in 6 minutes (=2.5 nm/minute)

Time It Takes to Fly a Certain Distance

M 0.80 at tropopause = approx. 450 knots. Time to fly any distance at 450 knots groundspeed can be found
easily...just take the distance (NM), divide it by 10...take 1/3 of the result, & add the two. This is time in
minutes to fly the given distance.

example: 360 nm to fly -- divided by 10, equals 36. 1/3 of 36 = 12, 45+12 = 57. It will take 57 minutes to fly
the distance.

Takeoff Decision Abort Take-off

If you don't have 70% of your takeoff speed by 50% of the runway, don't try it.This is a pretty good rule of
thumb for gravel and grass runways.

example: If you don't have 50% of VR by 1500-1550 of a 3000 ft. strip, abort the takeoff.

V-Speeds Abbreviations List

V1 takeoff decision speed

V2 takeoff safety speed

Va design maneuvering speed

Vb design speed for maximum gust intensity

Vc design cruise speed

Vd design dive speed

Vdf demonstration dive speed

Vf design flap speed

Vfe maximum flap-extended speed (top of white arc)

Vh maximum speed in level flight with maximum continuous power

Vle maximum landing-gear extended speed

Vlo maximum landing-gear operating speed

Vlof lift-off speed

Vmca minimum control speed with critical engine out, out of ground effect (red radial line)

Vmcg minimum control speed with critical engine out during takeoff run

Vmo maximum operating speed

Mmo maximum operating Mach number

Vmu minimum unstick speed

Vne never-exceed speed

Vno maximum cruise speed (top of green arc)

Vr rotation speed

Vref reference speed for final approach, normally (1.3 x Vso)

Vs stall speed

Vso stall speed in landing configuration (bottom of white arc)

Vsse minimum safe single-engine speed

Vx best angle-of-climb speed

Vxse best single-engine angle-of-climb speed

Vy best rate-of-climb speed

Vyse best single-engine rate-of-climb speed

Convert Climb Gradient to Climb Rate (RoC)

#1 - To convert climb gradient to climb rate, multiply the gradient by the

airspeed in knots.
Climb rate (fpm) = Climb gradient (%) x Airspeed (kts)

Assumes:
-- 1% climb gradient over a mile = 60 ft (1% of 6000ft=1nm)
-- No wind; groundspeed = airspeed

example: Climb gradient = 5.5 %

Airspeed = 220 knots
Climb rate = 5.5 x 220 = 1210 feet per minute

#2 - To convert the climb gradient to the climb rate in hundreds of feet, divide your current ground speed by
60 and multiply by climb gradient.

example: If you want to gain 200 ft per nm and have a 150 kts ground speed, your rate of climb in hundreds
of feet is 500. (150/60 * 200 = 500)

Climb Rate for Obstable Clearance

Take feet per minute (fpm) the charts say your aircraft can climb at that given alt. and temp.
Multiply that by 60 and divide by your Vy or Vyse airspeed.

example: 1200 x 60 / 90 = 800 fpm rate of climb

tip: it's often faster to first do the last part; here: 60/90 = 2/3, then multiply 1200 by this fraction.

Three Degree Glideslope

#1 - Divide groundspeed by 2, then add a zero.

example: 120kts / 2 = 60, add '0': 600 fpm

#2 - To maintain a 3 degree glideslope (eg. ILS) multiply your groundspeed by 5. The resulting number is the
rate of descent to fly.

example: Groundspeed = 110 kts x 5 = 550 fpm rate of descent to maintain a 3 degree glideslope

#3 - With glideslope out on an ILS approach with DME, multiply the distance to go by 300. That should give
you the height in feet you should be above the threshold.

example: 4 nm to the threshold. Multiply by 300 = 1200ft

#4 - Add a zero to your indicated speed, divide by two. This should keep you stabilized on the approach.

example: 150 knots on the GS. 150(0) / 2 = 750fpm descent. 120(0) / 2 =600fpm descent, etc.

#5 - Take your AGL height and divide it by three hundred. This is the distance from the threshold you need to
start your three degree glidepath.

example: 600ft AGL / 300 = 2 nm

Descending Distance & Rate of Descent (RoD)

1. Take your altitude and multiply it by 3. That equals your distance in miles to begin your descent.

2. Now take half your ground speed. This is your rate of descent in hundreds of feet.

example: If you are flying at 12,000 ft at a ground speed of 150 kts and you need to descend to 2,000 ft, the
difference is 10,000 ft. Multiply 10*3 = 30 miles out you must begin your descent. Half your ground speed is
75, add a zero, and 750 ft per minute is your rate of descent.

Glide Ratio Calculation

100 ft/min is approximately 1 knot. So to figure your glide ratio: ground speed divided by VSI/100 (take 2
zeros off VSI).

example: Ground speed = 100 kts

VSI shows -500 ft/min -- Drop two zeros: 5 kts
100/5 = 20:1 glide ratio