@Everyone about the Kunming descent question.
If both are 50% less (i.e. the deceleration and descent) then isn't simpler to divide the initial answer of 114nm by 2? Rather than go through
Quote:
1.5x33=49.5nm which is the distance now travelled for 33,000ft descent. The aircraft now only needs 7.5nm to slow down before reaching Kunming, so now it is 49.5+7.5=57nm
You are right. To be honest, during the interview I had thought of doing what you just mentioned, but I did not do it simply because I wasn't sure if there were any conditions that would go ignored if I did that. That's why I chose to take a conservative approach and solve the question thoroughly and logically, as opposed to a quick jump to a mathematical solution.
I can tell you that I deliberately re-wrote the "Kunming question" in a stress-free, organized and logically presented manner. I can also tell you that when you are under pressure in an interview where the interviewer spews a load of figures, asks you to make sense of them AND give a logical answer afterwards... it feels a lot different to sitting down in front of your computer and doing it, to say the least.
Good luck everyone, if anyone runs into such a situation in the future, try asking them for some scratch paper to work on. I don't think they will comply, but if they do it will make your life much easier. Peace
