View Full Version : 'Time to station' question
WinglessAviator
29th Jul 2009, 16:51
Hi everyone.
Hope you all are doing great.
Someone please help me with the following question:
Q: While maintaining a constant heading, a relative bearing of 15(deg) doubles in 6 mins. The time taken to the station being used is:
A: 3mins
B: 6mins
C: 12mins
According to my working:
Time to station = 60 x number of minutes flown / change in bearing
number of minutes flown: 6
change in bearing: 15 (because the RB doubles)
60x6/15 = 24mins. How come?
I read that as 30 degs, or double 15. Must be my English.
Phil
hetfield
29th Jul 2009, 17:22
I read that as 30 degs
Me too...........
Ah the old "double bow method"!!
Wish I could draw the answer but I hope you can draw what I explain and see the reason behind it.
At "A" the relative bearing of the Station "C" is 015
The aircraft flies on a constant heading until the relative bearing has doubled (030 in this case). Call this position "B"
Draw a line from A to B to C and back to A which makes a triangle.
The angle at "A" is 15 degrees.
By simple geometry, the angle at "C" is also 15 degrees.
If two angles of a triangle are equal then the sides opposite them are also equal.
The line A-B is opposite angle C which is 15 degrees
The line B - C is opposite angle A which is also 15 degrees.
Therefore A to B = B to C
So if it takes 6 minutes to fly from A to B then (assuming constant groundspeed) it will also take 6 minutes to fly from B to C (the station).
Far easier with a diagram but I hope that helps.
Regards,
DFC
WinglessAviator
29th Jul 2009, 21:00
Thank you very much DCC. Helped a lot! :ok:
aristoclis
29th Jul 2009, 21:39
@wingless aviator
Your formula is correct if you put your bearing pointer on the 90 degrees index (abeam) and note the bearing change. In your example this formula doesn't apply.
I guess DFC's method is the best answer.
Regards.
bfisk
29th Jul 2009, 22:12
http://i32.tinypic.com/4tomrk.jpg
I made a quick sketch of the problem.
By trigonometry default when B=C then b=c also :)
Edit: whoops! That turned out larger than expected. I hope I'm better at flying than computers.
Edit2: I see that with regards to one of the previous explanations A and B is swapped but you get the picture.