Nav Flashcards
Navigation
What is the aim of Air Navigation?
To guide an aircraft through the air so that it arrives SAFELY, at the RIGHT PLACE, at the RIGHT TIME.
What 3 things lead to successful pilot-navigation?
1) Thorough and detailed pre-flight planning
2) A sound knowledge of Mental Dead Reckoning (MDR)
3) Accurate flying
What is a great circle?
A circle on the surface of a sphere (the earth) whose radius and center are those of the sphere itself.
What is a small circle?
A circle on the surface of a sphere (the earth) whose centre and radius are not those of the sphere.
Define the equator
The great circle on the surface of the earth whose plane is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the earth.
What are meridians?
Semi-great circles joining the north and south pole.
What are parallels of Lattitude?
Small circles on the surface of the earth whose planes are parralel to that of the equator - joining points of equal lattitude.
What are rhumb lines?
A rhumb line is a regular curve on the surface of the earth that CUTS ALL MERIDIANS AT THE SAME ANGLE.
Distance is measured in nuatical miles.
Define 1 nm.
The length of the arc on a great circle which subtends an angle of one minute a the centre of the earth.
Assuming the Earth to be a true sphere.
What is the relationship between minutes and degrees?
60seconds=1minute, 60 minutes=1 degree
What is variation?
The angular difference between the direction of true north and magnetic north at any given point.
What are isognals?
Lines joining points of equal variation.
What is deviation?
The angular difference between the direction of Magnetic North and that of Compass North.
What are the 3 descriptors are used to distiguish individual maps?
1) Projection - the way 3D shapes have been represented in 2D
2) Scale - the size relative to the Earth
3) Topography - the nature of the detail recorded
Define a projection
“A systematic laying down of the earth’s meridians and parallels onto a flat sheet in such a way that the picture displays some of the features of the actual surface.”
The way the earth’s sphere is translated to a flat sheet!
What are the 2 types of generic projections?
1) Cyclindrical
2) Conical