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3 Answers

Aircraft Performance

Asked by: 1911 views , ,
Aerodynamics, Private Pilot

On my Pre-Solo exam, it's asking me to figure out "Aircraft Performance" to figure out my T/O distance, Rate of Climb and Landing Distance. The issue is, everything online refers to graphs, for this exam, there is no graph, instead it's a table telling me things like "Increase the distances 10% for each 35F". I'm finding it very confusing and difficult to figure out how to calculate the correct answers.

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3 Answers



  1. KDS on Dec 12, 2018

    Trying to answer your question in an email is possible, but it’s like trying to explain how to tie a tie without using pictures. The best solution is to ask your instructor. The next best solution is to look at a training video. I went to youtube and entered the words AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE USING TABLES and there were good videos available for free there. Even better, look at the videos and then ask your instructor too. I think you’ll find that the tables are easier to use than graphs.

    This wasn’t part of your question, but I want to add it anyway. When you get all through and you have the answers about how much runway you need and how fast the airplane will fly and how much fuel it will burn, don’t believe it. Those are numbers for perfect airplanes flow by test pilots tuning for optimal performance. Allow a “fudge factor” on the side of safety, particularly in the area of fuel burn. If you own the airplane and you fly it all of the time, you start to learn how much, if any, fudge factor you need to put in there, but rental planes are a different story.

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  2. Mark Kolber on Dec 12, 2018

    “Ask your instructor too”

    Small rant: we have gotten so tied in to the group ground school concept (live or not) that nobody seems to think in terms of even one or two one-on-one ground sessions with their CFI to clear up the many questions we have.

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  3. SkyFlyJ on Dec 12, 2018

    Thank you for the suggestions! I will take the advice on the videos. I have talked with my CFI about it, they did some complicated math formula for me and showed me twice. I couldn’t grasp it, and so they told me to go home and research it, which is part of why I came to this forum.

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