Navigation Terminology

Question 1

What is a nautical mile? How many meters is it roughly?

How does it differ to a statute mile?

Answer 1

• Equal to the distance covered by 1 minute of latitude on the surface of the earth, measured along a meridian of longitude.
• 1852m
• Statue mike is shorter than a nm

Question 2

How many nautical miles per hour is a knot?

Answer 2

Standard unit of airspeed

Question 3

What is the difference between IAS, CAS, EAS, TAS and ground speed?

Answer 3

.

Question 4

What is a vector?

Answer 4

Magnitude and direction

Question 5

When is degrees magnetic used for surface winds?

Answer 5

Direction of the surface wind which is given in ATIS reports

Question 6

When is degrees true used for wind?

Answer 6

Nav planning and most weather forecasts

Question 7

What is heading ? Why is used to represent it on a graph?

Answer 7

• Longitudinal à orientation of the aircraft with respect to degrees true or magnetic.
• Represented by a single arrowhead.

Question 8

What is ground track? What is used to depict it on a graph?

Answer 8

• Path of the aircraft over the surface of the earth.
• expresses in degrees true of magnetic.
• represented by double arrow line

Question 9

What is drift?

Answer 9

The angle between the heading and the ground track.

Question 10

What is bearing?

Answer 10

• Angular direction of a distant point from a selected datum.

Question 11

What is variation?

Answer 11

Angular difference between the direction of true north and magnetic north at any given point on earth.

Question 12

What is ETA?

Answer 12

Estimated time of arrival.

Question 13

What is estimated time interval?

Answer 13

The time calculated during flight planning as being required to complete any leg or stage of a flight.

Question 14

What is estimated elapsed time ?

Answer 14

The estimated time required to proceed from one significant point to another.

Question 15

What is ETD?

Answer 15

• Estimated time of departure.

Question 16

What is ATD?

Answer 16

Actual time of departure.

Question 17

What is time overhead?

Answer 17

Time overhead. Significant point such as destination airfield a bag aid turn point waypoint or target.

Question 18

Why is dead reckoning (DR)?

Answer 18

A method of navigation by which the position of an aircraft is calculated by the pilot using a previously known position then applying the actual direction and speed of travel in the intervening period since that position.

Question 19

What is a landmark?

Answer 19

A chosen feature that is preferably unique to its surroundings that can be plotted to give guidance of:

• time
• left or right of a track
• used as a turning point

Question 20

What is pinpoint?

Answer 20

Determination of the aircrafts postion by visual observation of the a/c above a point in the ground, identified by map reading.

Question 21

What is a fix?

Answer 21

A determination of the aircrafts actual position obtained by any means other than a visual observation.

Question 22

What is a waypoint?

Answer 22

A point used for navigation but not makes by a physical radio beacon.

Question 23

What is Top of Climb (TOPC)?

Answer 23

Calculated point of transition from climb phase to the cruise phase.

Question 24

What is Top of Descent?

Answer 24

Calculated point where descent is to be commenced and represents the transition from the cruise phase of a flight to the descent phase.