You can find the following formulas in the learning objectives of General Navigation (061):
- Rate of descent (ft/min) = Glide path (degrees) x Ground speed (NM/min) x 100
- Rate of descent (ft/min) = Glide path (%) x Ground speed (kt)
As the True Airspeed is 110 knots and there's a 15-knot tailwind component, the resulting Ground Speed can be calculated as follows:
Ground Speed = True Airspeed + Tailwind Component
Ground Speed = 110 knots + 15 knots Ground Speed = 125 knots
Converting Ground Speed to nautical miles per minute:
Ground Speed in NM/min = 125 knots / 60
Ground Speed in NM/min ≈ 2.08 NM/min
Given the Ground Speed of approximately 2.08 NM/min and a glide path angle of 3.5°, the rate of descent can be calculated as follows:
- Rate of descent (ft/min) = Glide path (degrees) x Ground speed (NM/min) x 100
- Rate of descent (ft/min) = 3.5° × 2.08 NM/min × 100 ft/NM Rate of Descent ≈ 730 ft/min
Alternatively, you can use the following method:
Rate of descent = 5 x Ground Speed x (Glide path / 3)
Rate of descent = 5 x 125 x (3.5/3)
Rate of descent = 729.2 ft/min
Your Notes (not visible to others)
This question has appeared on the real examination, you can find the related countries below.
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Austro Control27
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Spain12
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Greece11
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United Kingdom9
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Portugal8
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Ireland6
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Italy4
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Poland4
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Sweden4
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Germany3
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Hungary3
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Luxembourg3
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Romania3
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Norway2
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Slovakia2
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Bulgaria1
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Czech Republic1
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Finland1
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France1
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Lithuania1