Air navigation (PPL as of now) Flashcards
What is navigation
Air Navigation is the process of piloting the aircraft from one geographic location to another while monitoring one’s position as the flight progresses.
Need of Planning
✓ plotting the course on an aeronautical chart
✓ selecting checkpoints
✓ headings
✓ measuring distances
✓ computing flight time
✓ fuel requirements
Method of air navigation
Pilotage
Dead Reckoning (Deduced Reckoning)
Radio navigation — by use of radio aids.
GPS – Navigation by the use of Satellite system
Pilotage
navigation by reference to landmarks or checkpoints on a map. These landmarks may include:
– Roads
– Railway tracks
– Rivers
– Buildings
Dead Reckoning or deduced reckoning
navigation by means of computations based on time, airspeed, distance, and direction.
Two types of map projections
Lambert projection
Mercator projection
Mercator projection
Projects the meridians and parallels onto a cylinder wrapped around earth
Lambert Projection
To picture the construction of a conical projection, imagine a cone place over a reduced Earth
Aeronautical Charts
provides information which allows pilots to track their position and provides available information which enhances safety.
“Under VFR, Aeronautical Chart is the road map for pilots.”
Types of Aeronautical Charts
World aeronautical Chart (WAC)
Sectional Charts
VFR Terminal Area Charts
Aerodrome charts
World Aeronautical charts
designed to provide a standard series
of aeronautical charts, covering land
areas of the world, at a size and scale
convenient for navigation by
moderate speed aircraft.
They have a scale of 1:1,000,000 (Inches)
(1 inch = 13.7 nautical miles)
These charts are similar to sectional
charts and the symbols are the same
except there is less detail due to the smaller scale.
Sectional Charts
The most common charts used by pilots
today.
- The charts have a scale of 1:500,000 (1 inch = 6.86 nautical miles (NM) which allows for more detailed information to be included on the chart.
The charts provide an abundance of information including
– airport data,
– navigational aids,
– airspace,
– topography.
VFR Terminal Area Charts
VFR terminal area charts are helpful when flying in or near Class B airspace.
They have a scale of 1:250,000 (1 inch = 3.43 NM)
These charts provide a more detailed display of topographical information
Aerodrome charts
depict communications frequencies as well as runway, taxiway and ramp information. Additionally, approach and runway lighting, declared distances, IFR and obstacle departure procedures, and take-off and alternate minimums are shown.
Relief (Topographical Data)
Relief is the representation (as depicted by the mapmaker) of the shapes of hills, valleys, streams, or terrain features on the earth’s surface.
Elevation tints (Topographical Data)
colors placed between contour lines to indicate elevation.
Contours (Topographical Data)
Terrain Elevation of a point on the earth’s surface is the vertical distance above or below mean sea level.
Restricted areas/airspace (Aeronautical Data)
Restricted area/airspace is an airspace where aircrafts are prohibited from entering without advanced permission.
Sectional charts legend
Town and city (Black circle, Magenta)
Culture (Lines of dual, primary and secondary road, multiple and single railway, dashed track or trail lines, and power transmission lines)
Vegetation
Vertical obstruction
The Equator
an imaginary line which divides the world into two parts.
- The upper part is called the Northern Hemisphere and the lower the southern Hemisphere
The Parallels
- LATITUDES are imaginary lines running parallel to the equator and thereby also called as Parallel
The Prime Meridian
an imaginary line dividing the earth into two parts
It divides the earth into western and eastern hemisphere
The Meridians
The Longitudes are imaginary lines passing from the North pole to the south pole also called as Meridians
The coordinate system
a method that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers.
A common choice of coordinates is latitude and longitude
Degrees and minutes
To precisely locate points on the earth’s surface, degrees longitude and latitude have been divided into minutes (‘).
- There are 60 minutes in each degree.
Grid Squares
Combining latitude and longitude results in a grid that covers the globe.
The Great Circle
a circle drawn on the surface of the earth whose plane passes through the center of the earth.
▪ Great circle is the largest circle that can be drawn on the surface of the earth.
▪ The arc of the great circle is the shortest distance between any two points on the surface.
▪ Equator, prime meridian and longitudes are all Great circle as their mid-point is the center of the earth.
Small Circle
Any circle on the surface of the earth whose plane does not pass through the center of the earth.
All latitudes other than the Equator
are small circle.
Course
Is the planned route the aircraft is flying to.
Track
The track or course over ground, is the actual path followed by the aircraft
Heading
An aircraft’s heading is the direction that the aircraft’s nose is pointing.
Waypoint/checkpoints:
A waypoint or checkpoint is a reference point or set of coordinates that precisely identify a location.
Drift angle
The angle between the heading and track
Wind correction angle
The angle which the aircraft has to fly to compensate for the drift and be on course.
The Airspeed
The speed of the aircraft in the air
Groundspeed
The speed of the aircraft relative to the ground
Headwind
The wind that is blowing from the front of an aircraft or A wind blowing directly against the course of an aircraft.
A good headwind reduces the distance required for takeoff and landing
However, it
– Increases the Flight time
– Increases Fuel consumption
– Decrease in Groundspeed
– Decrease in Range
Tailwind
A wind blowing in the same direction as that of the course of an aircraft.
A tailwind is not favorable for takeoffs and
landings
However, it
– Increases Groundspeed
– Increases Range
– Decrease in Fuel
– Decrease in Flying time
Variation
The difference between true and magnetic directions is called variation
