Chapter 11 Cross Country Flashcards
What is the definition of a cross country flight?
Flying beyond the landing range of takeoff airport.
What prep is required for cross country flights?
Weather, route, landing sites along route, thermal strength along route, outlanding prep, sectional maps
What types of flights should be done before attampting a cross country flight?
Several flights in excess of 2 hours. Good knowledge of off field landings.
Where should the route be planned?
On the ground, not in the air.
Make a checklist for the flight the day before the flight.
How often are sectionals updated?
Every 56 days
What is a plotter?
A plastic scale & protractor used on a sectional to determine distance and heading.
List two methods of navigation
Pilotage & Dead Reckoning
How is a plotter used?
- Line up scale with the route to determine distance.
- Move straight edge along line until the center point of the protractor intersects a longitude line.
- Determine heading from protractor arc.
- Adjust the heading by adding or subtracting the magnetic variation.
What is pilotage?
Using landmarks to determine location.
What is Dead Reckoning?
Using heading and true airspeed to determine time to fly to destination.
What is effective glide ratio?
Effective glide ratio takes into account the headwind or tailwind component. Used to calculate the altitude required to reach the destination.
What is heading variation?
The difference between geographic and magnetic bearing.
When an easterly magnetic variation is given, the geographic heading should be adjusted by adding / subtracting the magnetic variation.
An easterly magnetic variation is subtracted from the geographic heading.
“East is least”.
How is wind speed component measured?
Ground speed - true airspeed = wind speed.
Positive value = tailwind
Negative value = headwind
What are the pitfalls of a GPS system?
Failure of the system or power supply.
Head is in the cockpit too long.
What is rule #1 for cross country flights?
Stay within the glide range of a suitable landing area.
Plan to arrive at landing area at 1500’ AGL.
What are height bands?
Altitude range where thermals are strongest.
When do thermals develop?
Late morning then they stay steady and broaden in the afternoon. Rapidly decline late in day.
What is dolphin flight?
Flying from one thermal to the next without circling.
What to do when lost?
- Stay calm
- Look for suitable landing areas.
- Find lift
- Estimate distance and direction from last known landmark and look at sectional.
- Radio other pilots
What issues can occur with self launch / sustainer gliders on cross country flights?
- False sense of security
Engine might not start - Engine out increases drag
- Time to get engine out and started loses altitude.
Characteristics of high performance gliders?
- Long wingspan
- Single seater
- Flaps
- Retractable landing gear
- Water ballast
- Tendency for PIOs
- High L/D glide ratio
What are two concerns with Cg hooks?
- Tendency to balloon
- Tendency to weather vane
Water Ballast
- Don’t use when thermals are weak
- Dump before landing.
Increases ground roll & stress on wings & landing gear. - Longer take-off.
- Maintain same amount is both wings.
- 50 gallons total
- 2 - 5 minute dump time.
- More wing inertia. Slow roll response
