Fundamentals of Navigation and Flight Planning - ATP Flight School

Question 1

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What are the time zones in the contiguous 48 US states?

Answer 1

From east to west:

• Eastern (UTC-8)
• Central (UTC-7)
• Mountain (UTC-6)
• Pacific (UTC-5)

Question 2

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Suppose you need to finish a long flight before sunset. Do you need to leave earlier when flying eastbound or westbound?

Answer 2

Eastbound. The sun moves east-to-west in the sky, so you lose time while flying east and gain it flying west.

Question 3

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What is UTC?

Answer 3

• Universal Coordinated Time, also called Zulu time.
• The time at the 0° line of longitude in Greenwich, England (the Prime Meridian).
• The standard time system used by pilots to avoid any confusion due to time zone changes.

Question 4

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When Daylight Savings Time is in effect, how does that affect times?

Answer 4

It moves them one hour later, e.g., 6 am standard time becomes 7 am DST.

Question 5

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Define lines of latitude and lines of longitude.

Answer 5

• Lines of latitude: circles parallel to the Equator, running east-west, used to measure distance north or south of the Equator.
• Lines of longitude: lines running from the North Pole to the South Pole, running north-south perpendicular to the Equator, used to measure distance east or west of the Prime Meridian.

Question 6

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Where is the Prime Meridian located?

Answer 6

It runs through Greenwich, England (part of London).

Question 7

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Define magnetic variation and isogonic lines.

Answer 7

• Magnetic variation: the angle between true north and magnetic north at a given location.
• Isogonic line: a line connecting points with the same magnetic variation.

Question 8

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Why aren’t magnetic north and true north the same?

Answer 8

Because the North Magnetic Pole (where compasses point to) isn’t located at the (Geographic) North Pole, but about 1300 miles away in the northern part of Canada.

Question 9

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In the western US, is magnetic north east or west of true north? In the eastern US?

Answer 9

• In the western US, magnetic north is east of true north.
• In the eastern US, magnetic north is west of true north.

Question 10

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What is magnetic deviation?

Answer 10

Deflections of the compass needle caused by magnetic influences inside the aircraft (electrical circuits, magnetized metal parts, etc.).

Question 11

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How does a pilot determine the magnetic deviation for a particular aircraft?

Answer 11

Check the compass deviation card, where the mechanics will have noted down the deviation on several different headings.

Question 12

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How do you determine magnetic deviation on a heading that isn’t listed on the compass deviation card?

Answer 12

Interpolate between the next higher and next lower headings that are listed on the card.

Question 13

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What is the basic relationship betwen time, speed, and distance?

Answer 13

Distance equals speed multiplied by time.

Question 14

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What is the conversion factor between statute miles and nautical miles?

Answer 14

Nautical miles times 1.15 equals statue miles. (Equivalently, knots times 1.15 equals miles per hour.)

Question 15

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Define heading, course, and track.

Answer 15

• Heading: the direction in which the nose of the aircraft points during flight.
• Course: the intended direction of movement of the airplane over the ground.
• Track: the actual path made over the ground during flight. (Track and course are identical if proper wind correction is used.)

Question 16

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Define drift angle and wind correction angle.

Answer 16

• Drift angle: the angle between heading and track.
• Wind correction angle: the correction applied to heading so that the track follows the desired course.

Question 17

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Define airspeed and groundspeed.

Answer 17

• Airspeed: rate of the aircraft’s progress through the air.
• Groundspeed: rate of the aircraft’s progress over the ground. Groundspeed equals airspeed in still air but otherwise is affected by wind.

Question 18

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For flights not in the vicinity of an airport, what information is a pilot legally required to familiarize themself with before flight?

Answer 18

• Weather reports and forecasts
• Fuel requirements
• Alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed
• Known traffic delays
• Runway lengths at airports of intended use
• Takeoff and landing distance information

Question 19

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Once you have chosen a destination for the flight, what aspect of flight planning should be considered first?

Answer 19

A basic check of the weather to see if the flight is feasible and, if it is, which route is best.

Question 20

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What are some reasons you might choose to fly something other than a direct course from departure to destination airport?

Answer 20

• Airspace considerations - avoiding Class B airspace, active special use airspace, etc.
• Terrain considerations - avoiding high terrain, tall obstructions, rugged terrain (with no emergency landing sites), open water, etc.
• Navigation considerations - choosing route segments to/from VORs to make navigation easier / back up pilotage and dead reckoning with radio navigation

Question 21

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What are some things to consider when choosing an altitude for a VFR flight?

Answer 21

• Terrain and obstacles.
• Hemispheric altitude rules, when above 3,000’ AGL.
• Airspace.
• Winds aloft.
• Altitude of cloud layers.
• Aircraft performance.