Originally Posted by
oceancrosser
Wondering how I ever got through a 43 year pilot career without these formulae ringing in my head…
Well, of course you can get in from a sub optimal approach at the cost of fuel but its nicer to hit it on the button. I was grateful for that tip from my chief and have used it on countless occasions.
Apart from approaches, in the crowded airspace of today you often get asked if you can make a given height (climbing or descending) by a given point or distance.
Then its nice to have a handy tool to give a quick answer.
Handy being the operative word though. As a slower learner I have always appreciated the simple solution and I agree that some of the examples look anything but at first sight.