elapsed flying times

[tiggerpurrrz]

Hi Guys

I need help...I'm trying to figure out how to determine elapsed flying times...do you always convert the local times into GMT first?

[TopBunk]

Everything is done in GMT from start to finish. Local time does not feature.

[Northbeach]

As Topbunk and Rainboe mentioned from the pilots/dispatcher side of the equation everything is in GMT. This prevents confusion as to when the weather observation was taken, how long is it valid for, when the flight plan was filed for, how long the dispatch release is valid for and a thousand other details. Since the flight may depart Europe and pass through many time zones before arriving at the other side of the globe it simplifies tremendously the complex task of moving the great aluminum & composite travel tube full of our fellow human beings around the globe at great speeds and altitudes, if you do not have to continuously convert whatever the local time is to your personal body clock or back to home base time.
As far as determining elapsed time you can note your departure time on your watch, or start the stop watch function, and compare it with your arrival time (prior to changing it to reflect any time zone changes) at least that is what I do. Most pilots in their welcome aboard passenger address at the beginning of a flight will make mention as to the estimated time enroute. Your time on the ground after departing the gate can vary greatly, usually it is somewhere around 10 minutes or less at both ends of the trip, but sometimes it can be much longer. Certain airports are known for lengthy ground delays. Under those circumstances it is more difficult to accurately project (within 3 minutes) total trip length.

[drivez]

Just on a side note. Recently flew with USAir. The pilot came on and said 6 hours 13 minuted flight time. Timed the flight from rolling to touch down, 6 hours 13 minutes and 2 seconds. :).

[tiggerpurrrz]

Thanks everyone for helping me understand :) Happy flying and happy christmas too :)

[K.Whyjelly]

Pedant mode on...................................It's not called GMT in 'official' circles and the timezone is 'Z' not 'G' (although a lot of my crewing department still refer to times in such a manner e.g " report is at five fifty Gee"

UTC GMT Conversion (http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=4&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dxing.com%2Futcgmt.htm&ei=jeFJScGHM4-M0QTxyrnHDQ&usg=AFQjCNGef-EZU-DSvHD0P85m6obxmpWXoQ&sig2=wueV_AcAuGGyk9B2H6dbYg)

Military/NATO/Letter time zones (http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timeanddate.com%2Flibrary%2Fabbreviatio ns%2Ftimezones%2Fmilitary%2F&ei=ZONJScvuEofcQLqjqQs&usg=AFQjCNFGpPNJs2TwTrB3u9EgCXeDMAsmaQ&sig2=CnsMTzNOkdMYigaMVMMXJA)

[drivez]

I know, I was devastated a full 2 seconds :eek:.

[Dairyground]

Pedant mode on...................................It's not called GMT in 'official' circles and the timezone is 'Z' not 'G' (although a lot of my crewing department still refer to times in such a manner e.g " report is at five fifty Gee"


To expand on the pedantry, what was once called GMT is now officially UTC, from the French for Universal Co-ordinated Time.

On flight times, according to the BA timetable in the days when I used it regularly, the LHR-EDI shuttle took 70 minutes. As the Trident trundled off towards the runway, the flight deck would come on the PA and finish up the welcome with the words "... and our flight time today will be 60 minutes." But almost always the time in the air was just on 50 minutes.

So, three numbers, differing by up to 40%, for the duration of the same flight.