AIR NAVIGATION
INTRODUCTION TO AIR NAVIGATION
ELO 4.1 State the basic concepts, principles, and terminology used in air navigation.
- The basic concepts are position, direction, time, and speed
ELO 4.2 Name the concept that is the basis for all types of air navigation.
- Dead reckoning navigation is the basis for all types of air navigation
ELO 4.3 Name the three major types of navigation.
The three major types of navigation are dead reckoning navigation, visual navigation, and electronic navigation
ELO 4.4
Name the three primary flight instruments essential to dead reckoning (DR) navigation.
The three primary flight instruments essential to dead reckoning are the compass for direction, clock for time, and airspeed indicator for speed
ELO 4.5 Name the two secondary flight instruments used to correct for density in DR navigation.
- The altimeter and the outside air temperature gauge provide altitude and temperature information used to calculate the effects of the air’s density
ELO 4.6 Define the four basic elements of DR navigation.
POSITION
- Position is a geographic point defined by coordinates
DIRECTION
- Direction is an irregular distance from a reference
TIME
- Time can be expressed in two ways, as the time of day or elapsed time
SPEED
- Speed is the magnitude of velocity of an aircraft
CHART PROJECTIONS, PLOTTING AND GLOBAL TIME KEEPING
ELO 4.7 Name the two main types of Lambert conformal charts.
- The two main types of Lambert conformal charts are the Operational Navigation Chart (ONC) and the Tactical Pilotage Chart (TPC)
ELO 4.8 Describe the characteristics of the two main types of Lambert conformal charts.
OPERATIONAL NAVIGATION CHART (ONC)
- The ONC provides worldwide coverage at a scale of 1:1,000,000
- It contains multicolor hydrographic and cultural features and is used for planning long range navigation
TACTICAL PILOTAGE CHART (TPC)
- The TPC provides worldwide coverage at a scale of 1:500,000
- It provides increased details of ground features significant for visual and low-level radar navigation
- The TPC is the most commonly used chart for route and checkpoint determination
ELO 4.9 Define great circle.
GREAT CIRCLE
- Great circle is a circle formed by continuing the arc inscribed by connecting the shortest distance between two points on a sphere
ELO 4.10 State why a great circle route is desirable for aircraft navigation.
- A great circle is a desirable route for navigation because it is the shortest distance between two points, saving both time and fuel
ELO 4.11 Define heading, course, and track.
HEADING
- Heading is the angular distance of the aircraft’s longitudinal axis from a reference (typically true north or magnetic north)
COURSE
- Course is the aircraft’s intended flight path
TRACK
- Track is the aircraft’s actual flight path over the ground
ELO 4.12 Describe the relationship between heading, course, and track.
- Heading will differ from course in order to compensate for winds
- Track is the actual flight path over the ground and may differ from course due to winds
ELO 4.13 Define magnetic variation.
MAGNETIC VARIATION
- Magnetic variation is the angular difference between true north and magnetic north from any given position on the earth’s surface
ELO 4.14 Using magnetic variation, convert between True directions and Magnetic directions.
- In order to convert between True and Magnetic directions we add for westerly variation and subtract for easterly variation
ELO 4.15 Using the navigation plotter and dividers, plot courses and measure directions to a tolerance of +/- one degree and a distance to within +/- ½ nautical mile.
- A plotter is a combination of a protractor and a straightedge and is used for drawing course lines and measuring direction
- Dividers are used primarily for measuring distances
ELO 4.16 Using a navigation plotter and chart, locate geographic points, and plot the positions to within +/- ½ nautical mile using degrees and minutes of latitude and longitude.
- Plot the coordinates using the navigation plotter
ELO 4.17 Plot an aircraft’s geographical position based on its relationship to a TACAN station.
- If the aircrew knows what radial of the TACAN the aircraft is currently on and the distance from the station, then the position of the aircraft can be determined
- The bearing distance heading indicator (BDHI) shows the magnetic bearing to the station and the tail displays the current radial and the distance is shown in the center
- Draw a line to plot the radial and then use the distance from the station and measure it on the radial drawn
ELO 4.18 Explain the global timekeeping system.
- The local mean time must be converted to a common reference which is the time at the prime meridian called Greenwich Mean Time or GMT
ELO 4.19 Apply standard zone description to convert between Greenwich Mean Time and local mean time.
- Zulu, "Z", is the alphabetic designator for the time zone centered on the zero-degree meridian
- The time zones are numbered from Zulu to indicate the number of hours difference from Greenwich Mean Time
ELO 4.20 State where a particular location’s zone description can be obtained.
- The most common source for Zone Descriptions is the IFR Enroute Supplement
CR-3 AIR NAVIGATION COMPUTER (CALCULATOR SIDE)
ELO 4.21 Use the components, scales, and indexes of the CR-3 Air Navigation Computer.
- The CR-3 is a two-sided disk with a circular slide rule, or calculator, on the front and a graphic display for wind calculations on the back
- The rate index will be used for most problems that involve time
- The high speed rate index will be used for problems that involve short amounts of time
- The unit index is used for all mathematical functions that do not involve time
- The primary function of the cursor hairline is to input the temperature into the CR-3 for calculating True Air Speed
ELO 4.22 Solve rate problems involving speed, distance, and time using the CR-3 computer.
- Work practice problems in publication
ELO 4.23 Solve fuel problems involving conversions between pounds and gallons.
- Work practice problems in publication
ELO 4.24 Solve fuel rate problems involving fuel flow, fuel quantity, and time.
- Work practice problems in publication
AIRSPEEDS
ELO 4.25 Describe the effects that changes in density have on True Airspeed and mach airspeed.
- As surface pressure changes, an aircraft flying along a surface of constant pressure will increase and decrease altitude with pressure levels
- Low pressure to High pressure, plenty of sky upwards
- High pressure to low pressure, look out below
ELO 4.26 Define indicated airspeed, calibrated airspeed, true airspeed, and ground speed.
INDICATED AIRSPEED
- Indicated airspeed is the airspeed read directly from the aircraft airspeed indicator
CALIBRATED AIRSPEED
- Calibrated airspeed is indicated airspeed corrected for instrument installation error
TRUE AIRSPEED
- True airspeed is calibrated airspeed corrected for air density and is the speed of the aircraft through the air mass
GROUND SPEED
- Ground speed is the actual speed of the aircraft relative to the ground and is found by correcting true airspeed for head/tail wind
ELO 4.27 Determine true airspeed and mach number using the CR-3 computer.
- Work practice problems in publication
PREFLIGHT WINDS
ELO 4.28 Demonstrate the application of the wind side of the CR-3 computer in air navigation.
- Work practice problems in publication
ELO 4.29 Identify the three vectors and their two components that make up the wind triangle.
AIR VECTOR
- The air vector is the aircraft’s direction and speed represented by true heading (TH) and true airspeed (TAS)
GROUND VECTOR
- The ground vector is the aircraft’s intended or actual flight path (true course or track) and groundspeed (GS)
WIND VECTOR
- The wind vector is the wind’s direction (DIR) and velocity (VEL)
ELO 4.30 Determine the true heading and crab angle necessary to fly a given true course, using forecast winds and a given true airspeed, and predict the resultant ground speed.
- Crab angle is the amount of correction an aircraft must be turned into the wind in order to maintain the desired course
- Work practice problems in publication
IN FLIGHT WINDS
ELO 4.31 Demonstrate the application of the wind side of the CR-3 computer in finding winds in flight.
- Work practice problems in publication
ELO 4.32 Evaluate the effect of wind on the path of an aircraft over the ground.
- Work practice problems in publication
ELO 4.33 Using the CR-3, solve for unknown values of wind direction and velocity given true heading, true airspeed, track, and ground speed.
- Work practice problems in publication
ELO 4.34 Determine a TACAN point-to-point course when given a TACAN radial and DME destination and starting point.
Work practice problems in publication
FLIGHT PLANNING AND CONDUCT
ELO 4.35 Demonstrate the methods of flight planning as they pertain to basic air navigation.
- Work practice problems in publication
ELO 4.36 State the primary purpose of the jet log.
- The primary purpose of the jet log is fuel management
ELO 4.37 Demonstrate the techniques of time and fuel planning.
- Work practice problems in publication
ELO 4.38 Determine the estimated time of arrival (ETA) at a destination when given an updated ground speed.
- Work practice problems in publication
ELO 4.39 Determine the estimated fuel remaining (EFR) at the destination when given current fuel on board and a predicted air flow.
- Work practice problems in publication