ATP question

[+TSRA]

A similar process of stepping back to look at the question can be used for question one too.

Ask what is common between the two coordinates?

56N 020W and 56N 030W.

You’ve flown the same latitude but gained 10 degrees longitude. You have to be flying west; and as close to due west as possible as you didn’t increase or decrease your latitude (i.e., go to 56.xN or 55.xN).

So, 274T would be “more correct” than 278T as it’s closer to due west. No doubt someone has some wicked cool math formula that will specifically tell you 274T is the correct track, and that can be used to back-up your mental image of the question and answer sets.

The filler about the INS is just that; filler. It’s meant to distract you from what is a basic navigation question asked at a PPL level.

To make sure you understand this, reverse the question. What would be the initial track if you start out from 55N 020W and flew to 55N 010W?

Now let’s throw a spanner in - what is the track if you fly from 56N 020W to 56N 020E. Give the answer for both the short and the long way around.

Let’s try something else. What is the track if you fly from 56N 020W to 55N 020W or to 56S 020W.

Do these and you’ll start to see that the question really is basic, and they could substitute FMC, FMS, IRS, INS, et cettera to make it sound “ATPL-y.”